Neighbours Aotearoa 2026

PCANZ churches enter the draw for free fruit trees or fruit bushes delivered to your church in celebration of Neighbours Aotearoa month of March 

The PCANZ has free fruit trees or fruit bushes to gift to PCANZ churches to help you share food and hospitality with your local communities for years to come during Neighbours Month of March. Gift the fruit you grow at your church to your local community or foodbank, or turn it into jams, baking and preserves to share. Enter now and plant a gift that will keep giving.

Moderator message for Neighbours Aotearoa 2026

I was asked today to write some words in support of Neighbours Aotearoa month of March, in particular, to write to encourage our churches to enter a draw for fruit trees to plant in their church grounds. Which got me thinking, where would I plant a fruit tree? Maybe a small one right outside the church doors, watch passersby, strangers, wander up to pick some fruit. Maybe have a sign, welcoming people to take what they need.
Tree metaphors come to mind, because we overuse them; we plant, become deeply rooted and connected, our seedlings are nurtured, we grow strong, bear fruit, provide shelter and sustenance, our branches reach out.
Planting a fruit tree is a hopeful thing; hope for the future is what we demonstrate when we plant one. It will outlive us. Future generations will nurture it. It will continue to bear fruit. As Moderator I can’t enter the draw for a free fruit tree. I might still plant one.

Right Rev Peter Dunn
Moderator Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
moderator@presbyterian.org.nz

Enter the Draw

To enter the draw email angela@presbyterian.org.nz by 5pm, 17 March 2026 with the the following:

  • name of your PCANZ church
  • commitment that your fruit tree or bush will be planted on your church's land (and that you will send an image we can share on our social media!)
  • your first three preferences of fruit tree or fruit shrub from the list below
  • church contact person
  • physical address for delivery (no PO Box delivery is available)

The draw will take place on 18 March 2026 at Assembly Office with the lucky churches notified the same day.

Available fruit trees and bushes

  • Trees
  • Available to ship now: Feijoa, Fig, Tamarillo, Orange, Tangelo, Lemon, Lime
  • Will ship later: Apple, Pear, Plum
  • Bushes
  • Available to ship now: Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cranberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, gooseberry, black currant, hazelnut.

Please select three options from the above in case some are unavailable. Nurseries will ship when available, most options are currently in stock. 

PCANZ resources for 2026

Ideas for how your church can participate during March

Planting fruit trees not an option for your parish? Celebrate with neighbours during March in whichever way best suits you and your community, there's many ways to share food and hospitality: host a BBQ; picnic; pizza party; potluck; beach day; host or contribute to a foodbank; hold a crop swap; share baking and muffins; host a dinner/lunch/brunch/breakfast/morning tea or afternoon tea; share parish veggies, seeds and seedlings; host cooking/preserving/fermenting lessons... there are so many ways to share hospitality, get creative!

See the Neighbours Aotearoa website for more 2026 ideas and resources here.

Events

Check out inspiring events and ideas from past PCANZ and PresCare Neighbour Aotearoa years here (see left hand menu), and, see the Neighbours Aotearoa website for ideas, events and resources.

About Neighbours Aotearoa - formerly Neighbours Day

Started in 2009, Neighbours Aotearoa runs the entire month of March and is a collaborative campaign organised and supported by Lifewise, Inspiring Communities, The Mental Health Foundation, Christchurch Methodist Mission, New Zealand Red Cross, Neighbourhood Support New Zealand, Kāinga Ora, Auckland Council and Housing New Zealand. 

Formerly Neighbours Day, Neighbours Aotearoa is a community development initiative dedicated to growing, connecting and strengthening neighbourhoods across the country. It is a place-based and local approach – neighbours linking up in their local communities. Each year in March they encourage everybody to do something small - or large! - to know a neighbour a bit better.