13 Aug, 2019 In One Spirit – PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
True Impact Through a Genuinely United Church
New book: In One Spirit,by Dave Mann
New Zealand needs a more functionally united Church
While the Church is no longer in the majority in our nation, it could yet become an effectively activated minority. What is needed is functional unity.
Dave Mann, the originator of the Hope Project, has a released a new book on the need for greater Church unity. In One Spiritreflects and captures the essence of Mann’s conversations with over 1000 Kiwi pastors over the past eight years.
“The authorship of the book can be credited to the city and town pastors’ groups I’ve had the privilege to listen to over the past eight years,” explains Mann.
“Too often unity within cities and towns is little more than a coming together to sing ‘Kumbayah me Lord’. We sing and pray – and this is needed and good,” says Mann.
“But it is necessary that the goal be far more than this. Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17 was made in a context of outreach. We have lost our public voice in this nation, even though our numbers are sufficient to have a positive impact upon public perception and belief.
“Only through a deeper commitment to our unity in each town and city, and then nationally, can we change this. Our individual efforts are not enough.
“While denominations can support the various congregations in their networks well, they are inadequate conduits for local mission alone, and certainly in these times. The kinds of efforts enabled through unity within each place are also needed!
“Churches can achieve things together in cities and towns that they cannot achieve apart. There is real potential here for greater impact, if we are willing!”
A closed FB page has been started for Christian leaders who are interested in this conversation, called Mahi Ngātahi (Working together). This is to enable leaders around our nation to share their various ideas for application of principles, so we learn from each other and develop a common vision.
See BigBookPublishing.co.nz/product/in-one-spirit or a local Christian bookstore for more.
For other articles by Dave on the same topic of – CHURCH UNITY
2024 – The LID of our unity is in what we can SEE
2024 – To further unity there is a needed context
2024 – SLT Leadership statement – Nest areas we intend to innovate within
2024 – Attitudes that sustain unity
2024 – How is the strength of unity to be measured?
2024 – Application from the Bible Society’s new data
2023 – A unity reflection: What if we were more strategic in our PRAYER
2023 – Roy Crowne – A voice for unity – Unity finding its voice in the CITY
2023 – Fresh vision for local Church unity
2023 – Invercargill’s Community Service Day – a unity story
2023 – Family relationships – an under-utilised gateway
2023 – The election is over – so WHAT NOW? (A specific strategic proposal)
2023 – For a united Church – there are leaders we cannot see
2023 – “Mistaken” – An offensive comical parable? Why?
2023 – “Mistaken” – A comical parable about unity
2023 – Four characteristics of leaders who take city-wide unity from talk to action
2023 – The quiet before the storm (Perspectives that shape how we lead)
2023 – STORY: How Gisborne churches united to serve their flood-affected region
2023 – STORY: NZ churches can shine when it counts (Napier flood report)
2022 – One Church? FIVE factors that enable pastors’ groups to turn theory into practice
2022 – A SWOT Analysis of the NZ Church in relation to its outreach
2022 – Four national goals that can be easy ‘wins’ together
2022 – A vocabulary we can agree on (This one is a particularly important FOUNDATION if coherent national discussions on unity are to one day take place)
2022 – Principles for managing necessary agenda in pastors’ groups
2022 – Introducing ‘HeLP Project’ (for pastors’ groups) – the what and the why
2022 – Key pulpit themes in view of the global reset (Finding direction in changing times)
2020 – It’s time to take responsibility to educate our own children and youth again (On united direction and strategy – for city change)
2020 – Kingdom minded – It’s more radical than many think
2020 – STORY – The Auckland delivery
2020 – A need for new media platforms – not more voices (How do we address the increasingly left-leaning and also anti-faith bias of public media?)
2020 – A vision for national Church unity (What might REALISTICALLY be within our reach to achiEve – if we merely thought differently?)
2019 – ‘In One Spirit’ – The purpose of the book (Written at the time of the book launch and press release)
2019 ‘In One Spirit’ – full book FREE online
2019 – United we stand (A blog just prior to the release of the above book, ‘In One Spirit’)
2017 – Pastors’ groups – a home visitation idea (best suiting smaller towns)
2017 – The call to influence culture (It’s about the way we think)
