Church attendance this Christmas is up significantly on previous years, the dean of St Paul's Cathedral, the Very Rev Dr Trevor James says.
About 800 people attended Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services at the cathedral.
This was despite many regular churchgoers being out of town.
Cruise ship visitors boosted the congregation yesterday morning, but the main factor was likely to be the uncertainty people felt at present.
The Canterbury earthquakes, the world financial crisis and "significant social stress" were all factors, he said.
"It's been a hard year around the country and I think people are looking to basics and coming back to where their faith foundation might be."
St Joseph's Cathedral parish priest Fr John Harrison said the 750 churchgoers over Christmas Eve and Christmas morning was on par with other years.
Many in the congregation were visiting from overseas, including a good number of cruise ship visitors, he said.
Knox Church had about 1000 churchgoers attend Christmas services, mostly on Christmas Eve.
John Elder, Knox Church Council clerk, said numbers were similar to or greater than last year. People were focused on poverty this year, partly because of the losses caused by the earthquakes in Christchurch.
