Welcome to the ‘All Together’ website — an innovation arm of the Shining Lights Trust.
This is our resourcing website for churches. Our work is in innovation — related to outreach. There are a myriad of support resources available through this website. ‘Quick links’ to some of these are below.
If you are looking for something specific, please be in touch with us.
Our current focus:
Hope Project Christmas 2024
Hope Project Christmas aspires to make CHRIST the CENTREPIECE at Christmas in the public view by encouraging individuals to display NATIVITIES wherever they can.
Each year we see stories showing the creativity and passion of individuals and churches as they take action and use this simple idea to display nativities to normalise them again in the public view.
If we all got on board and we individually used nativities together this could have a huge impact in Aotearoa by taking the nativity beyond the church walls so they’re seen in our wider communities.
Report covers the work of Shining Lights Trust and Hope Project over the last year.
This comprehensive report includes areas such as:
The Six strategic pillars of Shining Lights Trust
Vision and leadership strategy
Hope Project review & testimonies
Financial overview
Future plans
Discipleship Resource
View the 2 minute intro video here.
“Why Christians believe Christianity to be true” — a seven part video — booklet — discussion series
…with special relevance to older youth and young adults in view of their attrition from our churches. The videos, PDF’s of booklets and also discussion guides are all free online — click the link below.
Hope Project Christmas – Promotion of this simple vision and idea is a primary focus in the October to December period. We will concurrently engage widely in the social media space with focused strategies (a reach of 600,000 in 2022 NZers, and of 1.1m in 2023). Specific funds needed in total are approx. $25,000 – separate to salaries and office expenses.
New gospel booklet on a Christmas theme – A new booklet has been released titled ‘Unwrapping Christmas? – Our cultural festival and its untold stories’. Available HERE to view in full via PDF and order for use at your Christmas events and to give with gifts. It is the same length as a ‘Hope For All’ booklet – but is not branded ‘Hope Project’. It looks topically at where the dating and traditions associated with Christmas came from – concluding with an account of Jesus life and its significance to us as people of faith.
Part 2 of our Zion and Gloriana’s Gloriavale Story – A second half-hour video / TV programme is in production, following the wide audience the first programme connected with. Many were impacted by it, most-notably including people leaving Christian cults without concurrently leaving the Christian faith. The faith story is one that secular media are not able to reflect well. We consider this a particularly important story.
New ‘values history’ resources – After over 6 years of delay Dave has started writing an envisaged ‘NZ values history’ resource purposed as something of a ‘thought bomb’ – to interrupt current narratives, highlighting the significantly and distinctly Christian history and influence that sits behind many of our most significant and treasured cultural values. We expect an approx. 2 year timeframe through to completion and promotion. Like everything we do, this is undertaken with specific intent as per our ‘strategic pillars’.
A man emailed to thank us for the booklet, saying he’d been praying recently because of a family matter. To him, the arrival of this booklet was a sign of encouragement from God. He saw that as he had reached out to God – God had reached back to connect with him.
I’VE BEEN PRAYING LATELY – THIS BOOKLET WAS A SIGN!
Pat is a very sprightly 82 year old from our church who has been in the habit of giving away the `Hope for All’ booklets to her neighbours, and one day she stopped to talk to a Chinese couple and their elderly father. The father said that he wasn’t a Christian so that led to Pat sharing what was in the booklet and about the need to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and asking Him in to his heart and life. He said he wanted to do that, and so he followed through with a prayer of repentance and commitment to the Lord.
The next morning Pat and her sister were driving past this Chinese family home, and had to drive around police cars, and an ambulance, and a ute on the side of the road.
We said; “I wonder what’s happened here?” A few days later, we found out what had happened. The ute had been parked up a steep driveway across the road. The driver hadn’t put the handbrake on properly and it rolled backwards down the drive where the Chinese father was standing and he was pinned to the house. He didn’t survive.
A BOOKLET - A PRAYER - AND AN ACCIDENT
A lady called our office requesting a new booklet because, while hers was wet from the rain, she was already so touched by it that she’d decided to get her life right with God. She said hadn’t been to church in a long time – but was going to go back. She then asked for a New Testament – and also for a few copies of the booklet, and some more copies of the Scriptures, because she wanted to share this with some of her friends also. “The booklet in the post has made me think and I want to change and refocus on God!”
THE BOOKLET MADE ME THINK. I’M GOING TO CHANGE!
One church told of its effort to give booklets as a part of a gift given to 300 families. ‘Such a good talking point’ was the response of another man. Booklets were given away at another churches community event. Another told of how they are given with food parcels and in ‘Care Bags’. A couple who run a B&B find said their visiting tourists were consistently be interested in them. In another community four churches worked together to deliver the booklets to people at the doors of no-circulars homes. On so many fronts initiative is being taken!
BOOKLETS INSPIRE INNOVATION AGAIN AND AGAIN
A lady emailed to thank us for the ‘awesome booklet in my letterbox’. Receiving something home-grown and positive made her day - and especially with affirmations of a Christian basis for believing in the equality of men and women.
SO ENCOURAGED TO RECEIVE SOMETHING SO POSITIVE
A lady contacted us to ask for a New Testament to help her continue in her Christian walk, She said, "I have just finished the 10 Day Challenge and I am recommitting my life back to God!” With that decision she had started at an Alpha course – with the first night completed, and also told us she intended to reconnect with a local church she’d been to before. We thank God!
FINISHED 10 DAY CHALLENGE – BIBLE PLEASE - I’M RECOMMITING MY LIFE TO GOD!
This is feedback we’ve again received many times. One person wrote, “The vast majority of people passing by that I offered a booklet too were happy, even keen, to receive one. One young man responded, 'That looks great, thanks so much!’”
“PEOPLE ARE JUST SO WILLING TO RECEIVE THESE BOOKLETS!”
A church family emailed to tell us of a united Church effort in their town. Members were visiting no circulars homes with both booklets and Easter eggs, to bless the homes.
CHURCHES UNITE TO VISIT NO-CIRCULARS HOMES WITH BOOKLETS AND EASTER EGGS
A gentleman who regularly goes out to be available for spiritual conversations shared of a lady who, upon being offered a booklet, took it and held it against her heart saying, “I love these - thank you so much!” The booklets are not only well-received, but increasingly well-received with time - because their ‘brand’ is becoming known.
CONVERSATIONS ENABLED
In 2023 ‘Hope For All - Goodness we can Trust’ went to over 1.33m homes immediately, with about 78,000 going to partnering churches for their members' use. The booklets continue to generate testimonies - because they can go where many Christians can’t or won't. They don’t back down on sharing their message. They tell powerful stories - and are very patient too, sometimes waiting somewhere for weeks or months before being read. We’re continually encouraged!
OVER 1.4 MILLION BOOKLETS SENT OUT
With a Hope Project booklet found in a bus stop, a young man contacted us with a desire to have and read a Bible – to learn more. Thoroughly delighted to then receive a Bible he made contact again to thank us – saying he intended to take it to work that evening to read in his break times.
FOUND A BOOKLET AT A BUS STOP
A prison chaplain called a pastor to explain that a Hope Project booklets was the reason that a new Christianb would be coming to his church on his release shortly.
EX-PRISONER GOING TO CHURCH
Many people contacted us again to express their delight in seeing the TV ads about Jesus in the Easter period found on TVNZ; THREENow; Sky TV; Māori TV; Discovery; Newshub; Shine TV. Over 2 million NZers (or all ages) will have seen the ads an average of 3.7 times each in the Easter period.
TV ADS A HIT AGAIN
A pastor emailed to say he’d read our book, ‘Because We Care’, which talks about the need for intentionality in equipping members for conversational outreach. He said it had changed the way he saw and approached evangelism. One day per week is set aside for an 'evangelism-focus' at their drop in centre. They were now successfully engaging those visiting in meaningful conversation.
OUTREACH EQUIPPING MATERIALS CHANGING THE WAY I THINK
A lady wrote to express her appreciation for the Hope Project booklet in her mailbox. Not only was the content good quality, she said the ‘gentle kindness throughout’ showed her something of the 'authenticity of the Christian message.'
THANK YOU FOR COMMUNICATING THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE WITH CLARITY AND GENTLENESS
A believer gave a booklet to a young lady on the street who had been following New Age teachings. She read it right there and then. Seeing something of more worth than what she already knew she decided she wanted to entrust Christ with her life right there and then.
FROM NEW AGE TO NEW LIFE
When out delivering a man offered a lady a booklet - and she not only gladly received it; an amazing conversation opened upon which real life things were meaningfully discussed and connection made for a church who actively pray for their wider community. God is at work!
MET A LADY WHILE DELIVERING. AMAZING CONVERSATION. AMAZED!
A lady contacted us said she was simply blown away by the stories from history. "They tell us so much about who we are as New Zealanders” she said. . To her the booklets were ‘amazing’, and ‘all related to things that are happening now’. She requested copies of the prior booklets to learn about our history from them also - and also copies to send to friends, because she felt it important that they understand this stories that tell us so much about who we are as a nation!
THIS IS AMAZING! CAN I HAVE A COPY OF ALL BOOKLETS – BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL THESE STORIES!
A story came in of an elderly many who gave his life to Christ after reading the booklet. His daughter was a Christian – and relayed the story back to her pastor. We thank God.
ELDERLY MAN CHOOSES CHRIST
A gentleman wrote who is in a prison – who was offered a Hope Project booklet on Easter weekend. He said the stories inspired him to now give his life to Jesus. He’s always believed in a God, but hadn’t made the right choices in life. He said that his turning point had come – to stop allowing Satan to drag him down, and to put his life into Jesus’ hands.
He requested a copy of the New Testament so that – to quote him - “Jesus can teach me the good in life”.
I’M INSPIRED TO FOLLOW JESUS – THANK YOU
One lady wrote to tell us of her struggles with various sects or lifeless forms of Christianity. She felt ‘doctrinal confusion’, alone in her 'search for the truth’, and ‘tempted to give up’. Yet she tried again, and visited a ‘mainstream church’ where the 'Hope For All’ booklets were available. She took one and felt touched by the articles - including the Christian battle against slavery (booklet 4). This led to a desire to read the Bible - so, ‘Could I have a Bible please?’ was her request. She told us she wanted to be carrying it when she went to visit that church again the next Sunday.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME FIND THE TRUTH
Amongst a number who went through the 10DayChallenge.co.nz resource, one emailed asking for encouragement, as they felt they had 'no faith’. They said, 'I want to believe and let the Lord into my heart.’ God is at work in people’s lives all over the place!
I WANT TO BELIEVE!
"A lady told us she was asking God for a sign as she walked to her mailbox. In the 9 years she’d lived in that house she’d never had Christian literature in the mailbox - and that this was an unusual request. Yet on that one day there the Hope Project booklet was! She said it was more than a coincidence, and chose to engage with the 10 Day Challenge afterwards, and the asked for a copy of the New Testament so she could learn more about the Christian faith"
I ASKED GOD TO SPEAK - AND THE BOOKLET ARRIVED!
Someone living in student accommodation shared Hope Project booklets with of those they live amongst. Including people from all faiths, feedback was outstandingly positive – with much interest coming back, resulting in a range of conversations.
INTER-FAITH DISCUSSIONS ENABLED
One person wrote to request a hard-copy Bible – saying, “I would love to receive this gift please. I have never owned a Bible and truly believe there is something. I would love to learn, and having a Bible would give me the opportunity to learn.”
I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE. I’D LOVE TO LEARN!
We were told of a person from a Christian ‘sect’ who read one of the Hope Project booklets. This caused her to seek out more information about mainstream Christianity at the 10DayChallenge.co.nz website. This inspired to start reading her Bible for herself - and she contact us to tell us she’d recently became a Christian as a result, and was baptised in a local church.
PERSON FROM SECT READS BOOKLET THEN BIBLE, AND EMBRACES FAITH IN CHRIST
A lady who has struggled with faith and church contacted us for help. Her early church experiences had put her off church - yet she felt again drawn to find that ‘all elusive freedom’ the Christian faith was supposed to offer. Christian TV fed her faith. A Hope Project booklet prompted her to contact us. We were able to connect her with a Bible and a church - were she then went. God is at work in many peoples lives - well-beyond what we can see or know!
I’M A CHRISTIAN NOW - HELP ME FIND A CHURCH!
A young lady requested a Bible saying she was a wife and mother of a young children – but not a Christian, as her “...parents never believed in the faith but as I’m getting older I feel something is missing.” She said, “I often find myself searching to read a Bible - but I have never read one nor do I know where to start.” She asked for help
– so we gladly posted her one, while sending some introductory thoughts (including noting the ‘Overview of the Bible’ series, found on the ‘series’ page at 10DayChallenge.co.nz - to give her a context for what she might read).
SOMETHING IS MISSING – AND FOR SOME REASON I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A BIBLE!
Someone contacted us to say that they found the people in the booklet to be such an inspiration that they'd like a copy of the New Testament, and intended to renew their faith in God after having walked away from it many years ago. To explain their situation they shared openly about various family challenge. "We are good people and can stand a lot of hurt but...” these challenges, and the pain, are real and are not fixed easily. “Thank you for this booklet that has come just at the right time!” We thank God!
WE ARE HURTING - THIS BOOKLET CAME AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME