Discover
The identity of the nation
The Cook Islands are a Polynesian nation of about 15 thousand people, spread across 15 islands in the South Pacific, between French Polynesia and New Zealand. The capital, Avarua, sits on Rarotonga, the largest island and home to more than 70% of the population. Despite the tiny landmass, the maritime zone stretches across some 2 million square kilometers of ocean, and the people’s identity is deeply tied to the sea, to ancestral navigation, and to the ancestral land called tapere.
It is a nation with a Christian majority, the fruit of one of the most remarkable stories of the gospel in the Pacific. The faith arrived in 1821 and was embraced so fully that it became the heart of communal life: Sunday is kept, churches stand at the center of every village, and choral singing in Cook Islands Māori is one of the people’s cultural treasures. The Cook Islands Christian Church, heir to the nineteenth century missionary work, remains the largest denomination.
The people of the Cook Islands speak Cook Islands Māori and English, live in extended families, and keep alive the traditional structures of the ariki, the chiefs. Ties with New Zealand are strong: most Cook Islanders today live outside the archipelago, mainly in New Zealand and Australia, and emigration is emptying entire islands, leaving small, aging communities on the more distant islands.
From a gospel standpoint, the challenge here is not the absence of churches but depth. The faith inherited across generations risks becoming mere tradition and social custom, without a living encounter with Christ. There is also the presence, in some communities, of old beliefs and fear of spirits mixed with Christian practice, along with the challenge of reaching the remote islands of the northern group with real discipleship, where isolation makes everything harder.
To pray for the Cook Islands is to ask that this nation’s historic faith burn again, that the young people who leave for abroad not lose their roots in Christ, and that the small communities of the distant islands be reached and strengthened.
- Around the year 1000, Polynesian navigators, coming mainly from the region of present day French Polynesia, settle the islands.
- 1595 The Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña is the first European to sight the islands.
- 1773 Captain James Cook visits the archipelago; the islands are later named after him.
- 1821 John Williams and the Tahitian evangelist Papeiha land at Aitutaki; evangelization of the islands begins.
- 1888 The islands become a British protectorate.
- 1901 They come under New Zealand's jurisdiction.
- 1965 On August 4, they gain self government in free association with New Zealand; Albert Henry becomes the first premier.
- Today A Polynesian nation with a Christian majority, a small population, and strong emigration to New Zealand.
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Cook Islands Māorinative Polynesian language, spoken daily and in church services
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Englishofficial, used in administration, education, and business
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Pukapukaspoken on Pukapuka island, in the northern group, closely related to Samoan
The Cook Islands are an archipelago of 15 islands in the South Pacific, divided into two groups separated by about a thousand kilometers of open sea. The southern group holds the volcanic islands, higher and more populated, such as Rarotonga and Aitutaki. The northern group is made up of low coral atolls, isolated and sparsely inhabited. The landmass totals just over 230 km², but the maritime territory is immense.
Major cities
- AvaruaCapital, on Rarotonga, the administrative and commercial center
- RarotongaThe largest island, home to more than 70% of the population
- AitutakiThe second most populated island, famous for its lagoon
- PukapukaAn isolated atoll in the northern group, with its own culture and language
Climate and temperature
Ika mata
Raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk with chopped vegetables, considered the national dish.
Rukau
Taro leaves cooked in coconut milk with onion, a traditional side dish.
Poke
A banana (or papaya, pumpkin, sweet potato) pudding baked with arrowroot and coconut milk.
Umukai
A Polynesian feast slow roasted in the umu, an underground oven of hot stones.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Sunday observance
On Sundays life slows down, many businesses close, and the community gathers at church.
Extended family
Several generations live together; caring for relatives and elders is central.
The ariki
Traditional chiefs still hold a role of respect and authority in the villages.
Mana and respect
Respect for spiritual authority and for elders shapes community life.
Singing and dance
Choral singing in churches and Polynesian dance express the soul of the people.
Bond with the sea
Fishing, navigation, and ancestral land shape Cook Islander identity.
- Disrespecting Sunday rest It is a day for church and quiet; avoid noise and loud activities.
- Dressing inappropriately for church Men should wear trousers and a shirt; women should cover shoulders and knees.
- Wearing swimwear away from the beach Swimsuits and short clothing in shops or villages are frowned upon.
- Photographing inside church services without permission Reverence for sacred space is taken seriously.
- Ignoring elders and chiefs Hierarchy and respect for the ariki and elders matter greatly.
- Entering a home with shoes on It is customary to leave footwear at the door when visiting.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Generations of Christian heritage can grow cold and become mere social tradition.
In some communities, ancient beliefs and fear of spirits mix with the faith.
The remote islands of the northern group lack access to consistent discipleship.
The mass departure of young people weakens entire churches and communities.
The small, dependent economy feeds a sense of fragility and discouragement.
Pressure to follow custom can stifle personal, living faith.
Consumption affects families and masks untreated pain.
The risk of a Sunday only religiosity without daily transformation.
The Cook Islands are a nation with a broad Christian majority, and followers of Jesus can live out and practice their faith freely. There is no organized persecution nor state hostility against the church; on the contrary, Christianity is woven into public life, into the calendar, and into the customs of the people.
The challenges here are of a different order. In small, tightly knit communities, pressure to follow the family’s or village’s traditional denomination can make personal choices of faith that differ from local custom difficult. The greatest spiritual risk is not outside opposition but a faith that cools and becomes merely an inherited habit. The scene is one of broad freedom, and prayer turns toward that freedom bearing fruit in living, deep faith.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
The Cook Islands are inhabited by a Polynesian people that is majority Christian, though internal diversity exists: on the isolated island of Pukapuka, in the northern group, lives a community with its own language and culture, closer to those of Samoa. The isolation of the remote islands and the depopulation caused by emigration make ongoing discipleship a real challenge, even in a nation where almost everyone identifies as Christian.
- 0 Unreached 0,4%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 2K Partially reached 19%
- 10K Significantly reached 80,6%
- 1 Unreached 12,5%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 4 Partially reached 50%
- 3 Significantly reached 37,5%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
almost everything is imported, which raises prices
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Respect Sunday: many businesses close and the day is devoted to church and family.
- Use the New Zealand currency (NZ$); carry cash, as outside Rarotonga ATMs are scarce.
- Dress modestly in villages and churches; swimwear only at the beach.
- English is widely spoken, but learning greetings in Cook Islands Māori brings people closer.
- Avoid traveling during cyclone season (December to March) if you can; prefer April to November.
- Reaching the northern group islands requires planning: flights and boats are rare and infrequent.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.