Every year since 1968 a camp has been held in the Parish that started off as a Pony Trek which was an outreach to young people.  The camp has now evolved into an integral part of the church calendar, now know as the "Leithen Family Camp".

Each New Year the church family plus extras venture into the peace and tranquility of the Leithen Reserve on horse, push-bike, foot or vehicle.  For 3 days we have the quality company of all ages, with no cell phone coverage, sky TV or internet to clog our day.  We live in tents and cook our meals over an open fire.  God blesses us each year with an inspirational speaker that starts the New Year off with a bang!

Church is not about a building but a gathering of people who love God - we are so blessed in our area.  When we come to camp in our old clothes, work together to make camp, play, laugh, pray and share together, everyone gets to know each other a little better...sometimes a little too well, depending on how close you pitched your tent to someone else's!!

We are blessed to be living in an area that has 3 primary schools (Waikaka, Otama & Knapdale) that are willing for the bible to be opened and shared with all the students that attend those respective schools and being part of the half hour session each week.

We have mostly been using the Christian Education Publications 'Contact' series which offers a 3 year cycle in teaching material that helps share the truths of the Bible with our little people in our community.

We are also blessed with a dedicated group of teachers (members of our congregation and other surrounding churches) who give freely of their time and talents, preparing lessons and sharing God's Truths in front of the classrooms each week.

This ministry is prehaps one of the biggest outreaches we have in our community on a regular basis where the gospel is shared freely and taken into homes within our community.

The Waikaka Youth group has a variety of events and activities to keep many young people between the ages of 13 and 18+ busy over the year.  We generally have a Saturday evening attendance of between 15 and 25, but this can fluctuate depending on the activity (and weather).  Many of our attendees are not from a church background, so there are many opportunities for living as 'salt' and 'light'.

There is a committed team of leaders, some in their final year of high school or beginning their working lives, and two older ones, who plan the activities, as well as determine which focus we should have in our devotional times on Saturday nights.  We are making a greater commitment to give more attention to this, as we are not just a social club, but have a purpose for meeting.  It has been an excellent way of giving our emerging leaders more opportunities to take on responsibility.

A 'Digging Deeper' group meet every Wednesday evening, and has continued to flourish, with regular thought-provoking discussion and an attendance of generally 10-12. This group has built relationships, deepened spiritual growth and given an overall safe place for discussion about God and teenage issues.

At the Otama and Knapdale ends of the parish there is an after school club that runs for primary aged kids for 4 weeks of each of the school terms.  The program runs on Friday afternoons after school with the majority of the students from each school attending.  Material mainly used is based on the Scripture Union "Super Kids" programmes and adpted to suit the kids needs.  There is a strong group of leaders that come armed with craft talents that donate their time and talents to share the Good News of Jesus.

This ministry has a hugely positive impact on families in the area bridging gaps between the church and community.  Banana Club is a highlight to the kids week and their enthusiasm is encouraging to those who help in this ministry.

During the school term time there is a programme running for our young people up to year 8 during the second half of the service, out the back of church.  We enjoy our time together learning truths of the Bible and trying to apply these lessons learnt to our everyday lives.

Currently we run one class and use the Christian Education Publication "Over the Top"  which offers a varied programme that is easily adapted to kids we have attending, to bring the Bible alive for our young people.

Our Sunday School have taken part in Family services that happen regularly throughout the year and have suprised us with their depth of knowledge of God's Word and the abitlity to make it real in everyday life.