1. Faith Life
The community meeting held once a week after dinner is a Hostel family time where students are updated with news and notices, issues affecting life at the hostel are addressed as well as answering practical questions of living in Auckland. Students can share their spiritual journey and learn how to follow Jesus. As these are crucial to the community life of ECH, students need commit to attending this meeting if they come to the Hostel.
Students are encouraged to be part of the life of a local Church as this will provide the ongoing christian community for the students after they leave the Hostel. Help is given to students in choosing and committing to a Church community.
Students are also encouraged to develop their own faith with God, to consider how to live with each other in community, and to practically love and serve others in the Hostel.
3. Study Life
Eden Christian Hostel aims to help students achieve the best academic result possible in their first year of university study. The supportive Hostel environment helps students transition from High School to University, and develop good study habits. Past hostellers & RA’s make themselves available for tutoring. Those doing the same or similar courses create natural study groups, go to lectures together and support each other in assignments, tests and exams.
4. Getting About
Most students use the Bus to get about. AT Transport provide a great service with the bus stops being around 100m from the Hostel, at the corner of Lovelock Ave and Mt Eden Road. Using the AT HOP card bus fares are around $1.80 to get into Uni, which is about a 20 min trip. Buses leave every 5 mins or so in the mornings and stay operating until after 11pm. The Skybus shuttle to the airport picks up and drops off in Mount Eden village. InterCity has their depot in the CBD.
If student bring their cars they can park in the limited off street parking available or park them on the road.At this time (June 2020) parking is free, but the council is looking for cars to pay an annual parking fee.
Some students use bicycles or scooters for transport. There is a lock up area for bicycles. Of course walking is always an option, it takes around 40 mins to walk into Uni from the Hostel. Students enjoy walking up and around Mount Eden. Mount Eden village and Countdown at Eden Quarter are all within easy walking distance.
5. Expectations
As in a family, there are expectations of conduct for students staying at the Hostel. The foundational scripture of ECH underpins these expectations, Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”. We seek to honour GOD in this place.
There are some non-negotiable rules see pdf, “ECH Hostel Rules” that all students living at the Hostel agree to follow.
Students are also expected to contribute to the smooth running of the Hostel by willingly and cheerfully completing their weekly and weekend duties.
The heart of the expectations of the students is “consideration” of others. We ask that in their life at the Hostel, all the students strive to ensure that their attitudes, words and actions affect others in a positive manner.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
“Banter was great, community was amazing Kevin/10. Wow”
“A great transitional home. You won’t want to leave, great atmosphere with like minded uni students.”
“One of the best experiences of my life. Fantastic facilities, an amazing support system and community, and staffed by two of the most loving Christians I have ever had the good fortune to meet. The friends and experiences I gained here are ones I pray never to forget. I strongly recommend this to any Christians who wish to study full-time in Auckland.”
“It was a great time with good people”
“Huge fan of the work they put in for the students. The many signs, the great food, and that “the couch” made it for me.”
2. Social Life
Making great friends is a key benefit of life at ECH. At the beginning of the year, students arrive as strangers; Orientation Week activities break the ice. Then during the year through shared experiences, bonds are created that can last for their whole life.
Friendships develop as the students hang out at the Hostel and get to know each other. Board and card games, table tennis, and volleyball are enjoyed by all. Regular organised events such as theme dinners, in house competitions, the Hostel Ball, and together with student led adventures, enrich the social life of the Hostel.
Past Hostellers connect with present Hostellers through annual volleyball, netball, football and quiz night competitions.