Notices of opportunities & events throughout the nation
Certainly, the Gospel of Jesus is magnificently good news. How in his great love the one true and living God has come into this broken world, in Jesus his Son. How through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God offers us forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life with him now and for ever. How in Jesus the Kingdom of God has come near, but one day it shall be fully revealed, and all creation shall be made new.
If God has done all that, then the very least we Christians can do share is share the good news with fellow human beings.
Actually, it is only the Holy Spirit who can truly convince people to turn to God through faith in Jesus, and enable people to receive new life in him. It can only happen as the Spirit of God moves in power.
Nevertheless, God generously partners with us in all this, and calls us to be active in sharing Christ with others. If we Christians were doing that more often, and more effectively, would the church in western societies be declining in the way it is?
Sure, many people in secular western societies are a tough audience: sceptical, relativistic, individualistic, pleasure-loving, uninformed or misinformed about Christianity, apathetic, and sometimes hostile and angry. And in our multi-cultural, multi-faith society, many New Zealanders now come from radically different religious backgrounds.
All that makes it all the more important that we believers must faithfully share Jesus with people in our society, and do so well.
Are there some problems with Christian messaging, in what is said (or not said) by speakers in church, and what is said (or not said) in conversations by ordinary Christians? Do we lack sufficient confidence in the Gospel, or lack conviction that sharing Christ with others really matters? Or have we distorted the Gospel?
In speaking of Jesus and the Gospel, we may say little or nothing, or be vague or unclear. On the other hand, we may say too much. We may fail to convey love, empathy, or sensitivity. We may inadequately connect with people, or insufficiently listen. We may be too formulaic. We may come across as aggressive or intimidating. Or our manner and actions may discredit our message.
In our challenging environment, it is so crucial that both preachers and ordinary Christians share Jesus with love, clarity, confidence, and authenticity. That we give reasons for our faith, and do so with gentleness and respect. That we are sensitive, listen, and empathise. And that, above all, we speak as prayerfully led by the Spirit of God.
Mā te Atua koutou e tiaki e manaaki i ngā wa katoa May the Lord bless and keep you at all times
Every Monday night, from 8-9pm, we run a national prayer meeting on Zoom with 70-80 participants joining from throughout the nation. Come join us!
BECOME AN ACTUAL MEMBER OF NZCN
Individuals, couples, churches, and Christian organisations may all officially join NZCN. Becoming a member carries some benefits (see here), but is primarily about making a statement that you are firmly committed to biblical Christianity and to working together with other Christians.
Connecting people for employment, internships, or voluntary roles in Christian organisations and churches. This can include looking for people to join governance boards or to fill a need for a specific skill/project.
Employment Opportunities
Listed on our Job Board by our Church and Christian Organisation members
Numbers in brackets indicate the number of events currently listed in that category until the end of November.Some events have both online and in person options to attend.
Equipping the next generation with a comprehensive biblical worldview that resonates with them and makes them active champions of it.
Aimed at late teens and young adults ages 15-20 (school year 10 and up), we will tackle some challenging biblical worldview and apologetics topics—worldviews in conflict, sexuality and gender identity, and the origin of life and Darwinian evolution.
MiCamps much-loved family camp is a great way for you and your family to spend the long weekend.
Some of the highlights include; great speakers, worship, kid-free time for the adults, fun for the kids, amazing food, free time for your family, and comfortable accommodation to fit your budget.
Wonder and grief. For many of us, these are the entwined poles of our experience of creation. We feel the wonder of deep space and deep time and of an earth teeming with life, but also the scars and absences left by our hewing and delving, our restless consumption of nature’s “resources.”
The Christian doctrine of creation helps us make sense of these realities, and shows us ways to live rightly and well in this glorious and yet groaning world. But too few of us are familiar with its treasures. We are, in Christopher Thompson’s delightful phrase, “indoor Christians.” We don’t see, feel, experience, or care for the natural world as Christian faith would have us. We need to take our faith outside.
This two-day course is about learning to see creation as it really is—full of wonder and mystery and life, seen and unseen—and about learning to live well in this reality. We will explore these topics in the company of voices ancient, modern, and non-human.
Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Waikanae & Nelson
Come and hear the International Directors of Barnabas Aid – Patrick Sookhdeo, Rosemary Sookhdeo and Caroline Kerslake – talk about how war, disaster, famine and persecution are affecting the suffering church around the world.
A FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Getaway is a marriage getaway uniquely designed to help you and your partner escape the daily grind and focus on your relationship. For most couples it’s a chance to reconnect, re-establish the foundation and rekindle romance. For others, it’s a fresh start. For some, it will be the weekend that saves a marriage.
By learning and applying timeless principles for a healthy marriage from our trained team of speakers, you and your partner can:
Connect with each other on a deeper leveI
Improve the way you communicate
Anticipate conflict and handle it more constructively
Experience marriage the way it was designed to be
For those who are Pre-married / Engaged you will have an additional session on Preparing for Marriage. There is also a session for those navigating life in a blended family. This weekend will be a fantastic foundation to starting your married life together.
Many of us struggle to pray regularly and with confidence amid our everyday lives. Oftentimes, this is because we don’t know how to pray when we encounter the diverse challenges, obstacles, and opportunities in our homes, workplaces, churches, and communities. We are not alone in this struggle!
In this Venn Short Course, Praying the Prayer of Jesus: Inhabiting the fullness of The Lord’s Prayer for the whole of life, you will have the opportunity to explore the pattern of prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples, and to learn to pray alongside others. You will consider what it looks like to worship and serve God in every aspect of your life, to seek the reign of God for the good of your communities, to ask for God’s daily provision, to practice forgiveness, and to resist evil.
Thursday, 17 November - Program starts at 7am, Breakfast at 8:20
Limited earlybird pricing $35 per person, then $45 - includes full breakfast and programme. Come with friends & colleagues to mix, mingle, and network with others from across the city.
No set seating this year Bookings close Friday, 11 Nov for catering purposes No door sales
Considering the recent publicised failings of Church Leadership, this Carey Conversation provides some biblical and theological reflection on the nature of Church and leadership in Aotearoa today.
In this conversation, Jonny Weir (Carey’s Director of Ministry Training) will interview Frank Ritchie (Wesleyan Methodist minister and one of the authors of the Arise Church report). They will explore some of the potential problems with models of church and leadership being adopted today.
Dr Christa McKirland (Lecturer in Systematic Theology), Dr Michael Rhodes (Old Testament Lecturer), and Luke Kaa-Morgan (Te Pouarataki mō te hikoi) will also join the conversation to provide some biblical and theological reflections on what it means to be the Church and models of leadership that we could aspire to. There will also be opportunity for Q&A.
Would you like to have your organisation featured in our newsletter, post employment opportunities on our job board, or list events on our calendar?
You can! These are benefits we make available to Christian organisations and churches with current membership
New Zealand society is in a period of significant change, much of it away from the Christian faith and values. Christian voices in society are either ignored or scorned.
We need Christian voices which are positive, sensible, reasoned, well-informed, and clear.