Our Story
The Early Years
It began with a vision.
A vision Hannah first had more than 10 years ago of a stadium filled with people worshiping God.
In 2019, early movements began towards making the vision a reality, starting with a prayer team in a barn called The Ark. The Flood Movement began officially then too, with the Facebook page being established a year later.
The focus was always on being a heartfelt inter-church movement, one that includes people from a variety of churches, locations, and denominations.
By 2021, The Flood Movement was reaching out to the community, with street ministry, food boxes, Flood prayer and worship nights, and other prayer meetings.
2022 saw the introduction of Flood Nights, including a busy first Flood Night at Victory Community Centre.
2023 and 2024
2023 and 2024 were years of considerable growth and engagement.
Flood Burn was one of the first events. It included 12 hours of prayer and worship in February 2023, with additional meetings in May and August.
Other notable events included a School of Revival, Coats for Kids, Kingdom Business Breakfasts, Fire Youth Conference, Strike the Ground, and Fresh Fire regional prayer and worship nights.
The Flood Movement was also officially registered as a charity in 2023, increasing opportunities and widening reach considerably.
2024 Stadium
The first Flood stadium event was held at Trafalgar Centre on 25 May 2024, bringing a vision that had been pursued for several years into reality.
The free event ran throughout the day and included worship, preaching, ministry, and a Flood Kids programme, with speakers and worship leaders from New Zealand and Australia.
More than 500 people attended, gathering in worship and unity. More than 60 people were saved, with others healed and set free.
The stadium event was one of the biggest steps The Flood Movement had taken to that point, and marked the first time the original stadium vision had become an actual large-scale gathering.
2025 Stadium
The Flood returned to Trafalgar Centre on 15 and 16 August 2025 for a second stadium event, this time spread across two days.
The build-up began well before the weekend itself. In June, the Harvest Ready Tour travelled through Blenheim, Greymouth, and Christchurch, taking The Flood beyond Nelson and helping prepare the way for the August gathering.
In the days immediately before the stadium event, the focus turned strongly towards evangelism. An equipping night was held on 12 August, followed by several days of street outreach across Nelson and Marlborough, with teams praying with people, sharing the Gospel, and inviting people to the stadium.
The event opened on Friday night and continued through Saturday, with worship, preaching, prayer, ministry, and a dedicated youth session during the day. Saturday night became the largest gathering of the weekend, with people responding to the Gospel, returning to faith, and receiving prayer for healing and freedom.
The work continued after the stadium doors closed. The team followed up with people who had responded during the weekend, including phone calls and emails, and ran a six-week discipleship course designed to help people take their next steps in faith and connect with local churches.
The 2025 stadium event reflected a wider development in The Flood Movement. The focus was no longer only on gathering people for a major event, but also on preparing people beforehand, reaching communities beyond Nelson, and building stronger pathways for discipleship afterwards.
2026 Tent Revival
2026 promises to be the most exciting year yet, with The Flood Movement gearing towards Tent Revival in Tahanuni Sports Fields.
Running from 30 October to 1 November, the revival will bring together three days of worship, preaching, prayer, ministry, evangelism, and celebration. Speakers include Hannah Wilmshurst, Kristen Williams, Jacqui Ford, and Bianca Serratore, with worship led by teams from Nelson and across New Zealand.
The weekend begins before the tent even opens. Revival Ready, held at Aspire Church on 29 and 30 October, will equip and activate Christians in evangelism, spiritual gifts, healing, and ministry, creating space for people to grow in confidence and then immediately put that into practice.
The final day will include Baptise Nelson, with public baptisms, worship, prayer, and a free community BBQ as people gather to celebrate new life and faith.
The Tent Revival reflects the heart of where The Flood Movement is now: not simply gathering people for an event, but creating space for encounter, equipping believers to carry the Gospel into their communities, and building momentum that continues long after the weekend itself.
Beyond The Tent
The Tent Revival is not the end of the story.
Two major projects are already taking shape beyond it. The first is the Flood Ministry School, planned for 2027, creating space for people to grow in faith, ministry, evangelism, leadership, and practical discipleship.
Alongside that, the team is also developing a Youth Centre, with a vision to create a place where young people can find connection, support, mentorship, community, and opportunities to grow.
While the shape of The Flood Movement continues to develop, some things remain constant. Prayer, worship, evangelism, ministry, and seeing people encounter Jesus continue to sit at the heart of everything the team does.
The events may change, the projects may grow, and new opportunities will continue to emerge, but the passion remains the same: to seek God, serve people, and keep making room for what comes next.