Surrounded by the rock of ages past, stirred by the music and liturgy of past and present, Waitaki Presbyterians celebrated the first Sunday in February in style this year.

The congregation went by bus and four-wheel drive to the farm of parishioners John and Margaret Hore for an outdoor service surrounded by whalebone fossils in limestone rock.

The theme of the day was 'Blowing in the Wind', invoking the imagery of earth, wind and fire of prophets such as Elijah and the movement of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Waitaki Presbyterian Church Mission Resource Committee member Bruce Plant says the outdoor service is a regular event for Waitaki, based in different locations around the district.

Past events include attending Elephant Rocks Music Festival, held in a natural amphitheatre.

An electronic keyboard accompanied about 90 congregation members in February, with hymns including 'Let All The World In Every Corner Sing', 'To God Be The Glory' and the song used for the service theme: 'Blowin' In The Wind'.

Mother-and-daughter combination Rachel and Genevieve Gard performed a dance routine to the song 'Wind Beneath My Wings'. Bruce says this performance left the congregation "spellbound". "No pun intended, but they were blown away," he says. Afterwards a number of the group had lunch, walked around the farm and tried out abseiling down one of the cliff faces. "Mountain Safety set up a couple of abseiling venues and about 15 to 18 of us had a go. They were testing their faith," Bruce says.