Dave Mann — bio

“Thinking leads to behaviour. So if we want new results, we will first need to help people think or perceive of that thing in a new way!” — Dave Mann

Dave is a creative communicator and practitioner motivated by a desire to see an understanding of the Christian faith continuing and being valued in the public square in Aotearoa-New Zealand. He has innovated numerous outreach-related resources for churches, approached with a broad / holistic view, understanding the realities and challenges of local church life.

Distinct from this Dave has pioneered in the media space, the most well-known effort being the ‘Hope Project’ — a nationwide multimedia project that sees booklets delivered to most NZ homes, concurrent with public TV ads and web media, timed for Easter. The project is purposed to help open conversation between church and non-church people about Christianity while ensuring Christian messages are visible to the public at Christmas and Easter – because our nation had reached the point at which they were not. If we don’t keep the ‘Christ’ in Christmas and Easter no one else will.

Dave is the author of various books and booklets including “Because we care”, “That Leaders might last”, “The Elephant in the Room”, “In One Spirit” and “The Art of Storytelling – and of becoming an intriguing person.”

For education he is additionally the producer of the ‘Chronicles of Paki’ illustrated novel series which narrates portions of our nation’s early bicultural history (biographical and other), and is to be found schools, libraries and churches throughout our nation. On radio he narrates the ‘A minute in history’ series, telling stories about the background of many of our nation’s most treasured values – with a parallel video series created for social media use to augment public perspectives.

Dave is married to Heather. Together they have four boys and live in Tauranga.

Local churches together enabling national change

(Some of the topics of conversation)

1. The Rebranding of New Zealand — and how we respond strategically

A discussion on cultural change, and he inter-play of various cultural trends and how they might affect the place of religion in the future of our nation. How can this understanding shape how we engage as churches?

2. Christianity, biculturalism and the next forty years

Strategic and educational talks on the significance of Christianity to our history

A summary of our bicultural history is easy and compelling. A wider discussion on the interplay of various bicultural trends is useful for shaping where churches put focus regarding our bicultural dynamic and our opportunity/voice in Christian witness. (Resources: The Chronicles of Paki illustrated history stories, with classroom resources, and some Sunday School resources)

3. Understanding our Christian Heritage

(Strategic, educational for all groups)

Is this a ‘Christian’ nation — as measured by heritage and values? Or is Christianity a thing of the past, and irrelevant to our present and future? Where did our freedoms of speech and religion come from — or the equality of genders, or equality of races? How about our concepts of charity, or the otherwise crazy ideas of education and healthcare even for poor people? What about our systems of government and law, accountancy, and more? How connected are we as a nation with Christian ideas today — really? Hear stories from our history, and about trends in wider global ‘Western’ society toward a re-esteeming of our cultural heritage and identity as ‘Christian’. What might the future of these trend look like, and how could we speed the coming of good things? (Resources: Free podcasts, ‘A minute in history’ audios and videos, a 2026 new book on NZ’s values history, free Hope Projects booklets and various other books available via AllTogether.co.nz/shop ).

4. The plausibility of a strategy for national change

A stimulating workshop-discussion for senior church leaders / pastors on the rarely considered plausibility of and processes involved in ‘generating’ national changes in thinking – in view of Christian witness. We believe that, as NZ churches unite, more is possible than we are yet perceiving or attempting. With different thinking, we believe more is in reach than is being perceived.

5. City/Town Pastors’ Groups — A Vision of a Functionally United Church

(Strategic — for these groups)

Thoughts and discussion-facilitation on the ‘specialist’ topic of Church leadership — in consideration of its purpose and potential function via city/town pastors group, as also with a national view in specific ‘sectors’ of ministry. Capital-C Church leaders is often considered an idealism. We suggest it a plausible reality. What trends are at play amongst city pastors’ groups? At a highly practical level, what might a path forwards involve – while avoiding undue busyness for already-busy people? (Resource: The book, In One Spirit plus multiple articles on the topic).

6. The potential of our unity

(Inspirational – for combined church gatherings)

Jesus prayed for a united Church. What does a united Church look like at a church member level? What is its application in the neighbourhood, workplace and school? How can this be made realistic and practical? Furthermore, why might this be important? (We directly suggest the vision of a prayer meeting connected to every workplace and school to be the greatest of all possible visions for outreach that our churches could unite in – matched only by the importance of each church intentionally empowering its members with conversational, gospel and storytelling skills so they are made confident to engage everyday spiritual conversations).

7. Conversational Outreach (Methodologies for our times)

An explanation of the conversational paradigm for personal outreach (‘evangelism’), with a view to empowering and releasing every Christian to engage confidently with those around them. The premise of this talk is that the biggest challenge isn’t the sharing of the gospel itself, but the creating of a conversational context within which we might share it and encourage faith. How do you engage a positive and winsome conversation with someone you fundamentally disagree with? (Resources: Dave’s books Because We Care, and Elephant in the Room, free video resources for churches and small groups, and some specific other books via AllTogether.co.nz/shop)

8. Conversational Outreach for Hostile Environments

(Equipping with methodologies for our times)

A look at the people skills Jesus used in various conversations, including the use of questions, replying questions with questions, disagreeing without disagreeing, avoiding quotable quotes, and sometimes not even answering, or even deliberately confusing people — and more! We need to understand why — and then to learn these skills! (Resources: Free video resources for churches and small groups)

9. How to achieve an effective and sustainable mobilisation of church members

(Leadership equipping for pastors and their key leaders)

For the key church leaders in each congregation – how to build a sustainable outreaching culture in a local church, based out of simple, practical habit. How might churches actually mobilise their members – and sustainably so? Very few have ever applied what we can easily suggest – and resource churches to then do – while it is simple to do if the reason for doing so is perceived. (Resources: Dave’s two books Because We Care, and Elephant in the Room, plus four brief ‘seminars’ for church leadership teams, with a multiplicity of pulpit, small group, youth, video and other support resources – all NZ made and all free).

10. Training for church small groups — to make disciples who make disciples

(Leadership equipping for small group and youth leaders)

Three high-impact 30 minute training sessions (though longer is good, if there is space for it) that impart an overarching paradigm for intentional disciple-making through small groups — in synch with the intentional plans of the congregation they are a part of. This includes effective mobilisation to outreach — but the goal is bigger: Turning members into disciple-making disciples! (Resource: We have videos of Dave giving these 3 brief seminars to small group leaders in a local church – approx 30 mins each, covering 8 key lessons, to enable a REPETITION of this training annually for a few years – the goal being that members become experts in this brief curriculum, so the outcomes uniquely enabled by clarity in these very few and yet specific learning areas can be released.)

11. How to turn your church small groups into effective relational outreaching teams

(Leadership equipping for small group and youth leaders)

What might a sustainable habit-based approach to equipping and mobilising church members as everyday conversational witnesses looks like, and what it can achieve in a church small group. (Resources: Dave’s books Because We Care, and Elephant in the Room, and also free video resources for churches and small groups)

12. Effective Mobilisation of Youth to Reach Youth

(For youth leaders and their keen youth — or talking to all youth)

A discussion of the key strategic hurdles that exist to youth mobilisation (as witnesses to their peers) and how to overcome them. This includes (briefly — or as a second session) equipping to build a sustainable habit-based approach to equipping and mobilising — just as the above sessions do for local churches, but with strategies adjusted to suit current NZ youth ministry environment and dynamics. (Resources: Free video resources for both youth leaders, and for equipping their youth).

13. Many religions — What’s the Difference?

(Apologetics and strategy — as it’s a vital yet neglected topic)

Consideration of the significant differences that exist between the religions – to better understand our own faith; to perceive the cultural myth that all religions are the same; to have perspectives with which this important conversation can be more confidently engaged.

14. Why do Christians believe Christianity to be true?