The greatest decision I ever made was to attend Equippers Church in Manukau 2018 and I am stoked to…read morecontinue my journey with Jesus Christ at the steering wheel! I came into church as a broken n lost soul especially having almost lost my eldest son to suicide. Having survived a suicide attempt, my son was able to celebrate his 21st, get married and continue in his own journey with Jesus Christ as well. God has blessed my family, my father has been baptized into the same church, 3 other children of mine were baptized as I was attending Equippers Bible College 2019 and I just bask in God's goodness and give him all the glory and praise. I pray more loved ones and lost ones be given their blessings upon blessings as they give their hearts to Christ forevermore, in Jesus's precious Holy name, Amen.

I've been attending Equippers church for the last 5 years or so. Great music and sermons, people…read moreare friendly. Services are usually 10am & 5pm on a Sunday, USUALLY at the Auckland Town Hall but this changes a lot (sometimes at Aotea Centre, and the old location, Mercury Theatre; service times may change) so check the website. Very kid-friendly, took my godson a few times and just had to ask a hosting member to find out where the children should go; drop them off before service and pick them up after.

I attended a wedding at St Matthews in the City in January. It is a stunning place for a wedding…read more The most striking thing is the ceiling. It towers above you and you could spend the whole service purely looking at it. I was actually singing at the wedding and the church acoustics were such a novelty. It made us sound a whole lot better! It was so amazing seeing the whole bridal party come down the long aisle, really breath taking. At the end of the wedding the rung the bells which made a really traditional wedding even more so. We then had drinks and nibbles in one of the wings of the church. It's the wedding venue every girl dreams of and is such an asset for Auckland City.

It's really important to have spaces like St. Matts in the middle of the city: somewhere people can…read morego and not have to buy something, and can just be. It's a real respite from the grind of the city, and I'll never get over the charm of it being situated right next to that other place of worship: Sky City. This is a really inclusive place; everyone is welcome, and if you want to just sit here and read a book, you're welcome to do so. It's also a rad place for events: they have lots of events here so know how to do it properly, and of course it's a pretty spectacular venue. It's almost enough to turn me into a church goer.

What a beautiful place. I like visiting churches for their architecture, and this being a historic…read morechurch I was very eager to visit it. Even if you are not religious, this place deserves a visit for the sheer beauty of it.

I'd heard so much good feedback about this church, with many of my city dwelling friends attending…read moreit and thoroughly enjoying themselves. This Good Friday, I decided to visit. Walking up to this towering and ancient cathedral is truly breathtaking, but absolutely nothing compared to the inside. With large archways, stained glass windows of saints and knights, and lights that protrude down like classy spiders, it truly is a marvel to gawk at. I thought to myself it would be a stunning place to get married. The Vicar, Michael, was a really great preacher and full of enthusiasm. The people at the door were welcoming and it was nice to hear an organ, but mixed with more modern instruments like keyboards and electric guitars. The way the seats were set out - all facing to the side of the church instead of toward the front - was slightly awkward. Everyone stares at you as you walk inside. However, maybe that's best so they can recognise and greet new people? EIther way, it was a really positive experience :)

Outstanding worship with amazing music team. Solid, challenging message…read more The members were very friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed our time here and would love to worship here again.

From the owner: Elim Christian Centre exists to be a centre of hope to reach, serve and influence the central…read moreAuckland suburbs.

Looking for that stunning building that reminds you of the 'feed the birds' musical number in Mary…read morePoppins? I'd say you'll find it at the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle. With it's white, looming pillars and old worldly feel, it has an amazing vibe to it you just can't shake from your mind once you've seen it. My experience of the Tabernacle has been attending several balls here in their function venue. It's a grand place to hire out, with its on-site carpark you don't need to pay for and its oh-so-picturesque interior/exterior. Aside from that, they have about 5 church services on Sunday, ranging from Morning, Mandarin, Korean, Global and All Nations. Basically they've ruled out any excuses you had to not attend church on a Sunday, unless, of course, you happen to be working.

definitely my favourit, I have been here for a bit but I still remember my first Sunday and my for…read moreChange evening!! Its so welcoming here and I love it

Change is church but not as you know it. As soon as I walked in I was inundated with people saying…read morehi, welcoming me and taking a genuine interest in who I was. Every week over a hundred young adults get together, hang out, laugh, have fun and spend time with God. I've been coming here for over a year and have loved every minute. The people that go there are just ordinary human beings and aren't weird or anything. They have jobs and there's a real focus of helping young people in the workforce. This is such a plus for me as we all know it can get a little overwhelming when you're trying to start your career and deal with everything the world throws at you. They have services every Wednesday night and connect groups every alternate Wednesday night. I have found these invaluable and have made friends that I know I will have for life. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for Change and I am so grateful there is a place like this out there.

If you're particularly over structure, legalism or pressure from a church, Horizon is a good place…read moreto visit. I started going here recently, and every Sunday looks different. There may be lots of prayer, dancing, singing and speaking, or perhaps a very long worship session. One morning they had the kids perform Katy Perry's 'Eye of the Tiger' dressed up in cat ears and camo gear. It was loads of fun! After the service, there's a cafe upstairs where you can order the meal of the day and a nice espresso coffee. Sometimes they do free coffee and muffins! Everyone is welcoming and non-judgemental, allowing you to just be you. The youth aren't cliquey, and organise a lot of 'spur of the moment' events. This place is not for people who feel comfortable just sitting in a pew (in fact, there are no pews) or crave some form of control/structure. It's a place to feel relaxed, accepted and loved, as well as grow in your faith. If this is what you're after, come and say hi!

St Patrick's is a beautiful church. In the 1840's the congregation was comprised of mostly Irish…read moreCatholics. A wooden chapel, clergy house and school room were opened in 1843. Today the congestion is diverse. The organ is played at Sunday Mass (8am, 11am, 4:30pm) the vocalists are quite good.

St Patrick's is the mother Church of the Catholic diocese of Auckland and dates back to the 1840's…read more It is a simple but attractive Gothic structure that sits in a paved square, in down-town Auckland. The nave of the Church is adorned with rows of wooden pews with beautifully carved endings, stained glass window panels, chandeliers in the shape of a crown and a stunning timber crossing roof. The Church also comprises of several transepts and an ornate wooden choir loft. St Patrick's is yet another Auckland Church that is used for classical music concerts. I recently attended the Back-to-Back Bach, Age of Discovery concert organized by James Tibbles. He is the Cathedral's organist and Senior Lecturer in Early Music at Auckland University. Something beautiful tends to happen when James plays on the Liston Memorial organ at St Pat's!! Did I mention that the Age of Discovery concerts are free!? That alone warrants a five star rating - I guess!? I'm giving St Pat's 4 stars on this occasion though, because I felt that the acoustics were not as effective as when the Cathedral packs a full-house. I'm no expert though...

Quiz night on Tuesdays is the perfect excuse to try out the Horse and Trap. Rigsy is a hoot on the…read moremike. And the bar food is well above average. Pizzas, burgers and salads mingle with steaks and pies on the menu and sit even better upon the tongue. Nothing original, but it's all done well. Just what one hopes for at a local. All that's left to achieve is that elusive 1st place...

The Horse & Trap's tagline is that they are a "stable of social relaxing". When we visited on a…read morebusy Friday evening, this was certainly the case. It was pretty packed, with after-work suits, girls pre-loading for town, and an intriguing mix of middle-aged suburbanites. The 100 year old building that the bar is housed in has a lovely feel to it; spread across 3 floors with plenty of private function rooms and outdoor areas, this venue can hold a crowd. As a Monteith's bar, your tap selection also includes their range of ciders which makes for a refreshing summer tipple. We were planning to just grab a drink or two, but looked over the menu & decided to stay. 1 of the 2 man-sized appetites I was dining with had a hankering for a burger, and the Horse & Trap Burger was calling his name. Served with pepper relish, battered onion rings & fries for $20, this was a man-sized burger. It even had the Kiwi touch with large slices of beetroot adorning the filling. The pattie appeared to be homemade, which is a big thumbs up for a busy pub kitchen. The chips were well cooked & seasoned, onion rings crispy & the relish was tasty. The only minor complaint was that the burger had been zealously seasoned - a touch too much cumin & coriander overpowered the other flavours. Otherwise the burger craving was well sated, and the request for extra aioli was happily met. Our other dishes included the Pulled Pork Quesadilla with black beans, cheese, guacamole & salsa ($18). Again this was heartily-sized for a quesadilla. The filling was tasty, but the guacamole was more like pureed avocado as you can see from the photo. It was a little too smooth & runny to qualify as guacamole. The last dish of the 3 was the Open Steak Sandwich with caramelised onion, gravy & fries ($19). Often times you'll get served a rubbery minute steak or flaccid schnitzel in a steak sandwich, so I was pleasantly surprised to have a decent cut of steak, cooked medium-rare. The gravy & onions complemented it very well; all-in-all, pretty damn good pub grub. It's not the cheapest night out at the pub, but the food shouldn't disappoint. Maybe that's why the mostly middle-aged clientele are proud to call this their local.