About us

Formed as an incorporated charitable trust in August 1998, Soul Purpose Charitable Trust is an organisation dedicated to publishing (print, online, social media) positive, relevant and engaging material for New Zealand young people, on campus and throughout the country. Officially, we’re a non-profit youth media organisation.

We hold fast to several things, two of which are:
1. We write and talk about what’s relevant, interesting, culturally & politically aware and entertaining.
2. SP are a group of Jesus followers, not associated with any denomination. For all the fine print stuff, see our Statement of Faith.

Statement of Faith
1.    We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2.    We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible authoritative Word of God.
3.    We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning death on our behalf, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return to power and glory.
4.    We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful people is by the grace of God through faith and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5.    We believe the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict, regenerate, seal, indwell, guide, instruct, empower and gift the believer for life and service.
6.    We believe Jesus Christ, the living Lord and Saviour, will return in person as Judge and King.
7.    We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment and eternal separation from God.
8.    We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ.

A little history (from the former editors)
Founded in 1996, Soul Purpose navigated its way through five years of regular events, with the simple desire of providing opportunities for young people to respond to Jesus. Since then, we’ve seen many young people’s lives influenced and changed through our events as well as many musicians given a platform for their music. In 1998, founder Hamish Stevenson had avision for something more — a free, faith-based magazine that would speak truth and reality into a generation of young people who desperately needed to know about Jesus.

The first issue of the Soul Purpose Magazine was in black and white, with 16 pages and a print run of just 500 copies. Within 18 months it grew to become the largest faith-based youth magazine in Australasia.
In 2005, after a 1 ½ year hiatus, Soul Purpose resumed printing the magazine. With a quirky size and fresh look, Soul Purpose quickly returned to its position as industry leaders amongst Christian youth mags. The magazine, produced quarterly and with a print run of over 20,000, has inspired the lives of thousands of young people nationwide.

The magazine shifted home base from Wellington to Auckland in March 2009, getting ready for a fresh new look for 2010.