Kia ora e te whanau I love old people! This wasn’t always true. While children and youth terrified me, the seniors in ‘my’ congregations were so often simply ‘space fillers’ – their job being to volunteer where they could and be the funders of ‘real’ ministry – that directed toward the younger generations. In those […]
Update Week Beginning 26 January 2026 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau We seem to have stepped into what promises to be an ‘interesting’ year. The world faces significant challenges: The level of international uncertainty – provoked largely by the current president of the USA; deep concerns around the Middle East and Africa; a cooling of commitments to mitigating the effects of
Update Week Beginning 19 January 2026 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau The year has started in earnest! Leadership & Personal Development Resources Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Aotearoa is traditionally set down between Ascension and Pentecost (this year, 18th to 24th of May [which also happens to be ‘Wesley Day’]). Resources are available here: https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity The Art Of Disagreeing Without Damaging Trust –
Update week beginning 12 January 2026 Read More »
Happy New Year! I hope it is. Lynne and I didn’t quite get the holiday we hoped for. Our campervan required more work to earn a w.o.f than the time before Christmas allowed me – so we had a quite time around home taking care of ‘stuff’. While it was fine, I’ve long noticed that
Update Week Beginning 5 January 2026 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau We’re on the cusp of Christmas. I guess that, like me, you’re busy squeezing in all the undone things that need to happen before the shutdown. I’m faced with offering two services – 10pm on Christmas Eve, and 9.30am on Christmas Day. It’s been 5 years since my last Christmas
Update Week Beginning 22 December 2025 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau I’ve been watching YouTube videos over the last week on the state of the ‘modern’ Church – especially in the USA. Being confronted with the apparent demise of the Mega Church phenomenon (with many such churches really struggling since covid), the collapse of the primary sources of the ‘Worship’ music
UCANZ Update Week Beginning 8 December 2025 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau Monday 1st. I’ve just returned to Auckland, having completed a whistle-stop tour of Northland. I’ve enjoyed wonderful hospitality from all those I met. I hope I was able to offer something in return. While on the whole our CVs in the north are small, yet there are signs of hope,
UCANZ Update Week Beginning 1 December 2025 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau I’m writing from a motel in Whangārei. What a beautiful party of the motu, with warm and generous people! I’ve been re-discovering the richness and diversity of CVs. Saturday, sitting with a small yet highly engaged group at Maungaturoto. On Sunday, I had the joy of sharing worship with the
Update Week Beginning 24 November 2025 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau The Methodist Conference has come and gone. It concluded on Saturday. Biennial conferences are ‘in-person’. Each alternate year is on-line – this was such a year. As I claimed beforehand, the Methodist Church has mastered the on-line art – it was very well run, and well lead by the Presidential
Update Week Beginning 17 November 2025 Read More »
Kia ora e te whanau With the conclusion of the Presbyterian Assembly, the next ‘biggy’ is the Methodist Conference. It is set to run Tuesday through to Saturday next week (11th to 15th of November) I’m now in the middle of more detailed planning for a Northland tour – 22nd of November through to 1st of December. Lynne will
UCANZ Update Week Beginning 3 November 2025 Read More »
