10 keys to city unity made simple and effective

A geographic pastors’ group annual planning guide

This short guide has been created from a desire to help city and town pastors’ groups achieve their next level of effectiveness – and to do this simply.

There is a growing readiness for ‘functional unity’ – seeking to achieve important things together in and for our cities that we might never otherwise achieve.

These practices are about a different way of thinking. This is about creating a platform – or a stage, upon which a show we’ve not yet imagined could then stand.

It’s about creating a different context to what we currently have – and here are 10 keys that can help you to do that, while achieving some pretty cool things along the way!

 

1. Think and plan with reference to a four-term year

New Zealand operates on a four term school year. Align with this calendar. This creates a natural and simple rhythm for vision, gathering and application.

With four focus-periods in a year now defined, mentally plan to share vision afresh with the pastors’ of your city or town at the start of each of these. Help them – and your group together – to see the opportunities in the 12 weeks ahead.

This brings meaning, rhythm and focus to your gatherings.

2. Define priorities – to create a ‘low expectation option’ for your city’s pastors

Our observation is that a monthly pastor is meeting might attract 20% of church leaders in a city, though possibly 80% or more in a smaller town, or maybe 50% in a larger town. Most pastors are not going to come to your monthly pastors’ meetings – especially if you are in a city. So remove that expectation. Align with reality. Work with reality.

Now consider how you might lead – accepting this reality, while matching the rhythms of the year, and each quarter. These pastors aren’t opposed to unity They just don’t have capacity to think beyond their own congregation, or alternatively a sense of calling to serve the city as a whole. That’s not wrong.

To do: Identify just three or four things you would ideally like every pastor to be at – and then ask that they attend just these things.

For example:

• One pastors group meeting to start the year. (We are working toward the suggestion of a specific breakfast, for a specific purpose.)
• Just one of your combined church prayer gathering.
• A mayoral prayer breakfast – because representation is important
• One other similar occasion – like a Waitangi Day Dawn Service.

(Consider what good attendance at these four things might achieve for your churches in the city.)

3. Each quarter, discuss key upcoming seasons and two of the spheres of influence

If 2 spheres are discussed per term, you cover all 8 in a four-term year.

The starting purpose of the ‘spheres of influence’ discussion is to create awareness of what the Church of your city as a whole is doing. Asking what churches or their people do, briefly applaud and pray blessing on each initiative / person.

This simple 20 minute exercise (once per quarter) can be TRANSFORMATIVE to the thinking of your church leaders. Awareness of what the wider Church (including members) are doing will re-shape how those privileged to listen in perceive God’s Church as a whole in the city – and also then their relationship to it.

This helps pastors “see” the city rather than only the own church.

This changes the way a pastor thinks and engages in their regular work for the Lord. They are a part of a wide-reaching and effective Church team doing amazing things – not merely a small church with some quite meagre offerings for the city.

To note: What is the path to a more functional unity? The answer is that we commit to talk about it! There is no other possible path. We choose to discuss our city and its needs – enhancing our vision – because we value our city and its people – and then we pray for the city. As we engage in this process together God will lead us each to our next level.

>> Intentional conversation is the path – not programmes or busyness.

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For the next SIX ideas, the role of the convenor of a group is one of VISION. If the vision (reason / purpose) these things is discussed and prayed into, your personal prayer and trust is that God raises up someone who will take the lead for each. 

The point here is that the pastors’ group convenor doesn’t have to become overly busy. This is about finding those whom God has given a natural vision for an area – to both allow and position them take a lead, serving in that arena on behalf of the gathered Church.

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4. Establishing relationship with the Mayor and local Councillors through a Prayer Breakfast or similar

The local Council is your local government.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority,that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Your local government leaders need the support, prayers, wisdom and encouragement of spiritual leaders.

However, we do not live in a culture within which many of them will instinctively perceive this. It rests with us to reach out with a generous spirit to initiate. Where this is done, there is often receptivity – while ideas for how a simple programme could be run are readily available from the cities and towns that are already doing this. (Some have an annual prayer breakfast. Some have semi-regular coffee with their Mayor in addition. One town has a monthly prayer breakfast with just the pastors and Mayor.)

Remember, if 15% attend church regularly, church leaders together represent a significant portion of the community, and a significant portion of its charitable and volunteer work. (That is 25,000 people in Tauranga, or 60,000 in Christchurch.)

Who might your key person for this be?

5. Plan a combined church prayer service or event to anchor a culture of prayer

Quarterly combined church prayer and worship gatherings are held in many places across New Zealand. Some larger cities are currently starting or rebranding their prayer gatherings early in the year under the ‘Open Heaven’ banner.  All options are good options, and there need be no competition around ‘brands’ and names.

Regarding timing, planning quarterly prayer gatherings with recognition to the school terms can bring freshness to their purpose. You can pray (1) for calendar seasons ahead (Mothers’ Day, Kings Birthday, ANZAC Day, Matariki, Marriage Week, Christmas…). You can then pray (2)  for the work of God’s people in your current two spheres of influence (as discussed among pastors, as per point #3 above). This can be highly meaningful.

These gatherings can be profound in their effect. Your greatest goal isn’t the unity of your church leaders – but instead the unity of all of your church members in their various spheres of interest, involvement and influence. We don’t only want some united church leaders – we want a united Church, that then serves the city.

Other options and programme ideas exist, including weekly pastors’ prayer gatherings in some places, seasons of day and night prayer – noting 24-7Prayer.nz, Prayer Breakfasts – NZCN being a catalyst for these in a couple of our larger cities, and more.

Who might your key person for this be?

 

6. If it is a Hope Project booklet delivery year, note this so you leverage it

This sits in this list as a reminder of the necessary gospel focus of your churches – to reach everyone in your city or town. Together, this is your mandate.

There is nothing else in the NZ calendar like Hope Project. (I have to note that do not include this in the list due to bias, noting we head the effort up. We also work in 5 others areas, none of which are mentioned.)

It is sometimes within human nature that we sometimes take for granted what we have.

Due to the willing hearts of Christians nationwide, this unique citywide and nationwide gospel effort has been enabled with relative ease. This helps churches in each locality achieve outcomes that are unlikely to come about otherwise – and with unequalled simplicity and efficiency. It is one of our easiest and widest-reaching wins as churches.

However, it is not all that is needed regarding outreach. This can there be something of a ‘coat-hanger’ in the calendar, leveraged for the strengthening of all areas of gospel effort in local churches and churches together. The most important of these is the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry – including conversational outreach skills.

A vision greater than Hope Project might be to see outreach equipping catalysed in every pulpit, every church small group and every youth group in your city every year. Only by this means will the purpose of unity be fulfilled – that your people be equipped and enable to both unite and engage winsomely in their own spheres of interest, influence and involvement across your city.

Might the functional unity of your baby members be your greatest goal and good?

If so, encouragement from a city or town pastors’ group is needed – amplifying the same encouragement from denominations and others. This is possibly our greatest goal and good. The significance of this is maybe difficult to perceive because it seems so mundane.

(To note it: The Hope Project booklet delivery component is now only every second year, while online promotions are annual at Christmas and Easter – promoting the Christian faith while pointing all New Zealanders to visit a church near them.)

Who might your key person for this be?

 

7. Relationship with Iwi

Being connected with some Iwi leaders or representatives, to know the local story and to have a bridge for connection at pertinent times, is important.

As an example: Consider the slips on The Mount in Tauranga in 2025. With deaths having occurred, only Iwi leaders were invited by Governmental agencies to bring Karakia each morning during the rescue / recovery. This is the manner of things today. Christianity is intentionally overlooked by those with an atheistic secular agenda. Only because our Iwi leaders and some church leaders are connected were some Tauranga pastors able to make contact. They were then invited by the Iwi leaders to join them for daily prayer at a significant time in the city. Being connected is important.

One of the easiest programatic approaches would be collaboration together in a special Dawn service for Waitangi, or similar. Storytelling can give reference to both the good and bad of our history, while esteeming hope together. (Christianity is fortunately prominent in our bicultural history, with much good resulting from the Māori embrace and spread of the faith throughout these lands.) Churches could rally their members, endearing encouraging attendance. Relationships and trust grow with time.

Churches might find themselves with no ‘seat at the table’ in their communities if they do not value these connections.

Who might your key person for this be?

 

8. Do one thing together that connects with an identifiably with a widely felt community need

This is a common and widely embraced strategy (internationally) to help churches together within cities and towns (a) become more widely engaged (b) while meeting a real need through their combined resources, (c) with benefits to their profile and reputation then also resulting.

This can help churches that are only relationally connected to one another, or even who are ‘only’ praying together, to transition toward a more functional unity for the city.

There are many possible programme examples that could be shared.

Who might your key person for this be?

 

9. Unite to promote your marriage and parenting support citywide
   

This is one of the easiest and most under-utilised wins for local churches together in their cities and towns across New Zealand.

Identify together the parenting, marriage, ‘divorce recovery’, ‘grief care’, ‘single and parenting’, ‘pre-marriage’ or other courses your churches are (or could be) running.

With simple coordination, promotion these citywide as a united effort – branded simple as something like “churches supporting families”.

This brings wider positive reputation, awareness to the public that you still exist, reflects a united Church (which by itself is good for your reputation), and increased community connection by way of those who then attend.

It is one of your easiest ‘wins’. In most places it awaits nothing more than the vision to perceive the possibility, and then the initiative to make it happen.

Who might your key person for this be?

 

10. Start the year with a special breakfast, morning tea or dinner gathering

The last point here is for the pastors’ group convenor. This simple programme idea pulls everything above together.

The strategic nature of this idea – as an idea connected to the 9 points above (not by itself) – is what I pray will be comprehended. This isn’t a list of 10 ideas – but instead of one; because it is about a culture, and way of thinking and behaving, that can both generate and create platform for multiple wide-reaching outcomes concurrently. More is possible!

This is the one gathering that you want every pastor or wider Christian community ministry leader to attend – each possibly with their spouse, or alternatively with one of their church elders. To achieve this, treat them, applaud them, personally invite them, and then make them feel special.

• This is where you cast vision for the primary united endeavours of the year, requesting support from everyone if possible, as noted at point #2 above.
• This is where you can concurrently extend invitation to your monthly gatherings, even while knowing only a percentage of pastors will come to those. Of note, by letting everyone know their irregularity in attending these is fine, you will have remove awkwardness and built trust. (There can be no obligations, no manipulating, and no coercing in the united Church space. You are building an environment of freedom and chosen trust.)
• This is where you can very briefly highlight and applaud a wide range of ‘united endeavours’ or significant community engagements that wil be taking place across your city in the coming year, giving each its 20 to 30 seconds of profile and applause. This can help everyone see just how much your churches are already doing, so you can celebrate this together, and feel encouraged. This can give meaning to your pastors’ group meetings and combined prayer gatherings – which now bring some intentional focus to applauding the initiatives of all of God’s people. (This is so easy, so encouraging, and then also becomes empowering!)
• You then ask for a raising of hands, to identify and welcome new pastors to your city – then asking each to introduce themselves in no more than two sentences seconds, then praying a blessing upon them all.
• You then ask for a raising of hands to identify any churches under undertaking building projects or similar – to pray a quick blessing upon them all.
• You then close with prayer, thanking your pastors for being willing to have a positive view toward your unity – the processes of which you have now made simple and clear thinking.
  • (They then leave with a single piece of paper with the key dates for unity events in the coming year on it.)

From year to year, you now have a pattern that you can repeat – which also defines something of the vision and boundaries by which you operate together – and which can be profoundly empowering as a conduit for the expanding initiatives or collaborations of many.

 

We hope this helps.

I would be more than happy to discuss this with any person, or with any pastor’s group as a group.

Below are three layers of support that exist for you – for your awareness.

May your unity produce new life to your community by way of acts of love that meet needs, guidance from wisdom that truly helps, and messages of hope that transform.

 

Some closing notes:

• A quarterly update for NZ pastors’ group convenors: We at the Shining Lights Trust initiated this, promoting many initatives and efforts, in view of no similar communication line existing that could feed vision for a greater united focus on witness and service to our cities and towns. We encourage those facilitating unity groups in each location to pause each quarter to study what is in these updates, to extract ideas and matters of relevance to bring to your own upcoming 2 or 3 monthly pastors’ gatherings.
  • Subscribe at https://alltogether.co.nz/updates
  • View the most recent quarterly update via a link at the top right of https://alltogether.co.nz/pastorsgroups
• Auckland Church Network are serving wider unity by way of connecting some who facilitate city pastors’ groups, to encourage vision along with other areas of practical support. They have worked alongside City to City Australia, who now have a New Zealand base of operations to enable additional encouragement.
• Beyond collaborated statements on behalf of denominational leaders, New Zealand Christian Networkalso facilitate New Zealand Christian Congress every third year – this being a gathering of church leaders with a national view.
• The DNA of people who serve wider unity: Organisations are just names. God’s method is men and women who are full of the Spirit – not organisations. Godly people who serve wider unity, however, will often become associated with an ‘organisation’. As a starting point, it is the people who matter, not the organisations. Many of those serving the vision of unity across New Zealand are regularly in touch, collaborate, and to the most part view themselves as one and the same. To preserve and best-enable unity, we at the SLT suggest the ideal scenario is one in which no city pastors group ever identify as a group ‘of’ (belonging to) any organisation. Instead, even where encouragement is received, each group is identified solely (a) as God’s Church, (b) in its location. This simple identification preserves the autonomy of every pastors group in and for its geography under the Lordship of Jesus, while protecting us from unhelpful and sometimes divisive human identifications. God’s call is upon local church leaders within their own geographies to unite under his leadership for the better-accomplishing of their mission. Anything beyond that is just help – even while it can be good and useful help.