Our History

LifeSwitch is a new beginning for an old church called Petone Gospel Hall, which met for the first time in October 1901. For many years the church was based in Bay Street (shown at right) until the early 1970s.

It then moved to new premises on Cuba Street (pictured at left) at the request of the Petone Council who wanted the old site.

The church was shaped by several convictions that reflected its Open Brethren heritage:

• the Bible is God’s Word, still relevant to us today

• ordinary people should be able to guide the activities of the church, so there was no paid clergy

• teaching and leadership should be undertaken by those who worked and lived just like everyone else

• the church should help those who were seeking to establish a relationship with God.

During the 1990s the name was changed to Petone Bible Church, and some aspects of the church’s style and approach also began to change. By 2000 the church was in good heart, but it was relatively small, its membership was scattered throughout the valley, and the old building no longer suited the direction the church wanted to take. So we decided to move, and in moving to re-evaluate every aspect of our approach and philosophy. We wanted to reflect today’s culture, and meet today’s needs.

It took a year of building and planning and thinking, but on 10 February 2002 LifeSwitch was born!

We still consider ourselves to be part of the Open Brethren movement, although we have moved on from the practices of the past in order to reflect the changing dynamics of today’s world. For example, we now have paid staff who give their time and attention to facilitating the needs of the church. We have a fabulous array of the latest sound and video technology. We have a cafe! But the same fundamental convictions remain. We want to connect your world with the relevance and reality of the Bible. We believe you should have the opportunity to use your talents and gifts in the ministry of the church. And if you need to make a connection to God, we’d love to help you find the way.

In the end, church is all about people. That’s why we want LifeSwitch to be a place where people find reality in community. The building is awesome and the programme is appealing, but the best part of LifeSwitch is the people, the community. You’re welcome to join in, and help us to build the foundation for the next hundred years in the life of this church.