“Train up a child in the way they should go…” is a lot easier to imprint on a fridge magnet than it is on a life! In a fast-paced and fast-changing world, what does it look like to begin the exciting journey of life-long flourishing and discipleship from the earlies years? Beth Isaachsen and Julia Bloore have a long history of providing rich and creative formational settings for children – developing material and atmospheres that weave faith into all of life.

This session will explore how confidence in the Gospel is the essential ingredient for all healthy mission; enabling us to avoid passive or aggressive postures in the shadow of Secularism, and instead embodying witness in a spirit of boldness and humility.

As environmental challenges grow, the need for Christian leadership in this space becomes more pressing. This workshop explores how the Church can respond to environmental issues through a Biblical lens, embracing creation care as part of its mission. Participants will discover the missional opportunities that arise when the Church engages in environmental stewardship, equipping leaders to guide their communities in meaningful action that reflects God's love for creation.

This session will explore the life and faith of Rev'd Rota Waitoa (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maru, Te Arawa) who was the first ordained Māori minister into the Anglican Church in 1853. Join with us as we explore the way he navigated faith, tribal life and the encroaching forces of colonisation. Neihana will then pose the question: what can we learn today from the way Rev'd Rota Waitoa lived out his calling?

To be formed in the likeness of Jesus, following his Way and moving counter to the negative forces of culture, young people need the Christian principles of hope, community and depth. These are foundational when they often find themselves in a cultural moment of isolation, triviality and despair. In this session we’ll talk about building resilient disciples, AI, Apathy, Distraction, Dopamine, Climate change, and Identity- so strap yourself in for a cultural deep dive!

This session will include stories and insights from practitioners and leaders of Christian networks in regions and cities who know from experience how powerful it is when churches look beyond their own plans and collaborate to reach their city.

Tragically, in recent years, Christians are accustomed to revelations of power abuses in our most respected churches. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities for the Church in Aotearoa when it comes to embracing TOV.

Anameka Paenga was brought up in Ōpōtiki with a Baptist grandfather and a Ringatu grandmother. Drawing together these strands of whakapapa, Anameka will share with us how her whānau, hapū and different iwi have woven together a tapestry of faith that has allowed her be thoroughly confident in her Māoritanga and Christianity. Come and see what insights her upbringing might have for Māori who walk into your congregations.

“Thirty is the new twenty...” some commentators have declared – not because the twenties don’t matter, but because many of the traditional milestones (marriage, children, settled vocation) have been increasingly delayed. Indeed, the third decade has changed more than any other and is now marked by significant freedom, identity exploration, and instability. In this session Sam Bloore shares some of the findings from his recent doctoral project – looking at how churches and Christian communities might better understand, support and disciple people through this exciting, but at times paralysing, season of life.(And if you ARE an Emerging Adult – approx. 19 to 29+ years – please come and be encouraged. Despite what your mum says, you’re not the only one!)

This session will hear from leaders with a range of wisdom in the areas of church planting, multiplication, revitalisation, and innovation; sharing their experience of seeing new churches birthed and existing ones strengthened.

"We cannot be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature" (Pete Scazzero). Sadly, we've been sold a lie in the West that the reality and state of our inner world doesn't need to be integrated into our abiding with Jesus. We deny the emotional landscape of our hearts because sometimes they just 'get in the way of effective leadership'. Of course Jesus may be in our hearts, but grandpa is in our bones. Have we created religious pseudo communities filled with "God activity" that are neglecting our shared humanity and stories meaning our relationships are disconnected and shallow? Are we still operating out of old scripts that maintain false peace, denial, division, pretend agreements, gossip, rejection, abuse, shame, guilt, spritualising conflict and even using God to run from God? This workshop will be candid with real life experiences into how we might go about creating relationships and contexts that can lead ourselves and our people into deep love & transformation.

Much like mainstream societal trends are showing, there is a radical decentering of faith and church life for Māori communities, especially so for those under 40. While these trends may appear to mirror Pākehā experiences, there are very different forces driving this change within the Māori world. So, is all hope lost? Come and learn about the emerging Māori landscape and ways Māori communities are being reached today.

If there’s an image this year that captures the paradoxes of this cultural moment, a contender would surely be Bear Grylls baptising Russell Brand in the River Thames. In this final session in the Formation stream, Mark Sayers will be addressing a number of questions: How do we make sense of this cultural moment with its highly charged collision of themes – from the sacred…to the profane? And how do we develop committed followers of Christ through it all? And is it possible to do all of that without being demoralised by the challenges or overwhelmed by the opportunities?

This session will feature a diverse range of contemporary stories and strategies from people with rich experience in sharing the Gospel through personal and group outreach.

Ministry leadership is never straight forward. After 20 years of ministry and church leadership, we know first hand that It has its ups and downs. Join us as we share our journey of leadership. We will share our story of learning to lead, even when you’re not ok. From the complexity of church transitions, to personal mental health crisis.  You can come through stronger, even when leading with a limp.

Waiora Te Moni will take you on a whirl wind tour of all resources you need to know about to strengthen and integrate te reo Māori into your places of worship. This will include a breakdown of her recently released book He Rau Oriwa, that presents 8 brand new karakia Māori which are inspired by the Book of Psalms.