Testimonials from Pastors’ Group Convenors

Unity and Outreach Tour – 2023

– POSTPONED –

By God’s grace we will continue this area of our mahi, travelling for face to face discussions, serving the connection lines amongst pastors’ groups, another year. For now (2023), the realities of funding and manpower mean we need to pull back, awaiting another day. ‘If the Lord doesn’t build the house, we labour in vain.’ (Psalm 127:1).

– – – THE BELOW TRAVEL PURPOSE AND SCHEDULE IS CANCELLED – – –

The request, please: A meeting with the pastors of your city/town, at a time suiting our schedules – that is given some priority

We are travelling to over 70 cities and towns with purpose.

Everything offered remains optional – because this is how unity works – while hoping for willing collaboration in some things, for the benefit of many.

A minimum of one hour is required for presentation and whatever discussion is possible within the time allocated.

If you are interested in the purposes in mind (some won’t need the details – with past experience paving the way) – they are summarised below. Point 3 is the ‘main purpose’ – in the sense that it is time sensitive, and necessitates this extensive travel in the present time.

Purposes in 2023

1. Lessening the attrition of young adults from our churches

  • We will discuss with clarity and brevity some key reasons 2/3 or more of the youth in our churches leave the faith in the 18 to 22yo age bracket
  • There are partial-solutions we could consider
  • For perspective: We give great effort to outreach; the majority who ever come to faith doing so before the age of 20; we then lose 2/3 of them.
    • We will introduce a resource we (the Shining Lights Trust) created
    • We will promote a key ministry in this area to note
    • We will share a couple of simple ideas that could be embraced as habits to catalyse a small but positive and ongoing change.
  • (Churches can then do whatever they like in response).

2. To raise awareness of 20 current innovations or ministries that are working well in the unity and outreach space in NZ right now 

  • Just like in 2021, we’ll pass on information on some current efforts, whether from individuals, ministries or pastors’ groups
  • This is about giving you connection to current ideas and options.

3. The main purpose is to introduce ‘HeLP Project‘ – so all pastors have opportunity to briefly engage with this simple vision simple.

  • This is important because something is then required from every possible church: We need to collect information on your ‘help on offer’ to the wider community, so we can promote it.
    • It’s not a big ask – but we concurrently cannot do what we are purposing to do if we don’t get that information.
    • Ensuring local church leaders have clarity on the reasons for this reasonably small request is therefore a priority because of what it enables on the wider platform.

And there is more – at no real cost to you

With information on your  ‘help on offer’ collected done, two additional possibilities for each pastors’ group then open up. They are both notable possibilities, which can create notable opportunities.

 

We pray for willing hearts to engage together around these things.

Click to read more...

Other notes

  • A gathering of NZ’s denominational leaders expressed very positive support for HeLP ProjectThis reflects that there are clear benefits in this for all churches – individually, denominationally, and together geographically.
  • We specifically ask for grace to work with our schedules regarding the travel – with the hope these single strategically-natured meetings in each place are valued 
    • We hopefully bring substance to you, meriting the time given. To note it, we do all the travel. Even if the meeting cannot be at your regular meeting time we pray it will be valued.
  • With apologies, weekend ministry will not be possible. Dave Mann’s family are not with him for most of this trip (unlike previous tripos), so weekends will be spent going home (meeting times available each week are Tuesday until approx midday Fridays).

See travel schedule options to the right.

Unity Tour

Details by region

NORTHLAND

Tuesday 23 June 

  • ? Warkworth Pastors Meeting (?12pm)

Wednesday 24 June

  • ? Dannevirke Pastors Meeting (?8am)
  • ? Whangarei Pastors Meeting (?12pm)

Thursday 25 June 

  • ? Kaitaia Pastors Meeting (?9am)
  • ? Kaikohe  Pastors Meeting (?2pm)

Friday 26 June

  • ? Kerikeri Pastors Meeting (?9am/?10am)

AUCKLAND

WE APOLOGISE THAT FLEXIBILITY IS NEEDED AS WE HAVE TWO WEEKS FOR ALL OF AUCKLAND – WITHIN 14 WEEKS OF NATIONAL TRAVELS
Tuesday 30 May
  • ? Wider Mangere Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? Wider Manukau Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Wednesday 31 May
  • ? North Shore – Birkenhead? Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? North Shore – Albany? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 1 June
  • ? Central Auckland – Central? Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? Central Auckland – Three Kings? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Friday 2 June
  • ? Central Auckland – Mt Wellington?  Pastors Meeting (?am)
Wednesday 7 June
  • ? Papakura? Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? Maurewa? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 8 June
  • ? West – New Lynn/Henderson? Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? West – Hellensville?? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Friday 9 June
  • ? West – Blockhouse Bay? Pastors Meeting (?am)
  • ? East? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)

WAIKATO & COROMANDEL

Wednesday 26 April
  • ? Cambridge? Pastors Meeting (?8am)
  • ? Te Awamutu? Pastors Meeting (?11am)
  • ? Otorohanga? Pastors Meeting (?2pm)
Thursday 27 April
  • ? Huntly? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Hamilton? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Friday 28 April
  • ? Matamata? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ?Morrinsville? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Tuesday 2 May
  • ? Paeroa? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Thames? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Friday 5 May
  • ? Whitianga? Pastors Meeting (?9am/?10am)

BAY OF PLENTY

For Paeroa, Waihi, Thames, Whitianga – see Waikato/Coromandal area
Wednesday 3 May
  • ? Whakatane? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Tauranga? Pastors Meeting (?12pm)
  • ? Te Puke? Pastors Meeting (?3pm)
Thursday 4 May
  • ? Waihi? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Katikati? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Tuesday 9 May (or Wednesday 10 May – but both places on same day please)
  • ? Taupo? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Rotorua? Pastors Meeting (?12.30pm/?2pm)

TARANAKI, WHANGANUI & MANUWATU

Tuesday 25 August
  • Spare day for Whanganui/Manawatu 
Wednesday 26 August
  • ? Marton? Pastors Meeting (?9am)
  • ?Whanganui? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 27 August
  • ?Levin? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Palmerston North? Pastors Meeting (?12.30pm/?2pm)
Friday 28 August
  • ? Feilding? Pastors Meeting (?2pm) (Driving over following a meeting in  Masterton on this day)
Dannevirke – See Hawkes Bay province
Tuesday 8 August
  • ? Hawera? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Stratford? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Wednesday 9 August
  • ? Inglewood? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Waverley/Patea? Pastors Meeting (?12.30pm/?2pm)
Thursday 10 August
  • ? New Plymouth? Pastors Meeting (?12pm)

GISBORNE & HAWKES BAY

Tuesday 25 July
  • ? Dannevirke? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm) (Driving from Tauranga to base in Manawatu for the week)
———————–
Tuesday 1 August
  • ? Hastings? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Wednesday 2 August
  • ? Napier? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Havelock North? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 3 August
  • ? Gisborne? Pastors Meeting (?9am/?12pm)

WAIRARAPA & WELLINGTON

Wednesday 17 May

  • ? Lower Hutt Pastors Meeting (?8am)
  • ? Upper Hutt Pastors Meeting (?12pm)

Thursday 18 May

  • ? Kapiti  Pastors Meeting (?8am)
  • ? Porirua Pastors Meeting (?11am)
  • ? Tawa Pastors Meeting (?2pm)

Friday 19 May

  • ? Mirimar Pastors Meeting (?8am)
  • ? Central Wellington Pastors Meeting (?11am)
  • ? Johnsonville Pastors Meeting (?2pm)

Friday 28 July

  • ? Masterton Pastors Meeting (?8am/?9am) (Re timing, I need to drive to a meeting in Feilding this same day somehow please)

TASMAN, NELSON & MARLBOROUGH

Tuesday 19 June
  • ? Picton? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Blenheim? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Wednesday 20 June
  • ? Nelson? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Richmond? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 21 June
  • ? Motueka? Pastors Meeting (9am)

(Thursday afternoon is free if meeting-date-swap needed)

WEST COAST

Tuesday 10 July
  • ? Greymouth? Pastors Meeting (?9am)
  • ? Westport? Pastors Meeting (?1pm / ?2pm)

.

CANTERBURY

Tuesday 26 June
  • ? Kaiikoura? Pastors Meeting (10am)
Wednesday 27 June
  • ? Rangiora? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? An area of Christchurch ? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 28 June
  • ? Christchurch pastors? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Te Ranranga? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
  • ? Christchurch Evangelism network? (mid afternoon / evening?)
Friday 30 June
  • ? Rolleston? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Ashburton? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Tuesday 4 July 
  • ? Timaru? Pastors Meeting (9am)

OTAGO & SOUTHLAND

Tuesday 4 July 
  • ? Oamaru? Pastors Meeting (?12.30pm/?2pm)
Wednesday 5 July 
  • ? Mosgiel? Pastors Meeting (9am)
  • ? Dunedin? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?2pm)
Thursday 6 July 
  • ? Gore? Pastors Meeting (?8am / ?9am)
  • ?Invercargill? Pastors Meeting (?12pm/?1pm)
Friday 7 July
  • ? Alexandra? Pastors Meeting (8am)
  • ? Queenstown? Pastors Meeting (?12pm)
  • ? Wanaka? Pastors Meeting (?3.30pm)

Unity Tour 2023

Overview by region

2021 Unity Tour in Review

“The Christian Church is no longer in the majority. The question is how we might become an effectively activated minority?”

(From ‘In One Spirit’, by Dave Mann, published May 2019)

The mandate for city pastors’ groups is surely to do things together that individual churches cannot accomplish alone, and the same limit would apply for any discussion on  what we might work on together as a collective of city/town pastors’ groups also!    

A comment from Dave Mann regarding the necessary limit on what our SLT team might bring to a city/town pastors’ group for discussion.