In anticipation of our upcoming faith-and-film event, ICON, we’re digging back into our archives. In this episode, Pathways' Academic Dean, Grace Chamberlain, chats with our own Dr. Richard Goodwin about his recent book, Seeing Is Believing, and how the Spirit of God can speak to us in surprising ways—even through movies.

⛪ What is church for? It sounds like a straightforward question, but because our understanding of church (ecclesiology) is usually taught only implicitly, not explicitly, it’s one that is actually surprisingly complex. Richard interviews a panel of guests—Jeremy Suisted, Sophia Sinclair, and Nick Goodwin—about the reasons for church. And if this whets your appetite for more, then you might like to head along to CCCNZ’s ecclesiology workshop, (Re)Assembly: History and Hopes: https://www.cccnz.nz/events/

Many Christians long for a closer personal relationship with Jesus, yet often struggle to know how to foster genuine spiritual growth. In this episode, Rosie interviews Sam Harvey about transformative spiritual practices modelled by Jesus himself. Sam shares practical insights on how to nurture a richer prayer life - without the burden of just ’trying harder’. Sam pastors at Bay Vineyard Church in Napier and is National Director of 24-7 Prayer NZ. For resources and to find out more, visit https://www.24-7prayer.nz/

Modern society often ties productivity to success. But what if spiritual formation is less about efficiency and more about the patient cultivation of a flourishing garden? In this episode, Rosie sits down with Dr Maja Whitaker (Academic Dean at Laidlaw College and ordained Pastor) to explore the challenge of practicing contemplative spirituality in our fast-paced world - and what to do when a traditional, structured approach feels out of reach.

Most of us use digital media and technology all the time—but is it something churches and ministries really need to focus on? According to digital strategist Karl Udy, it’s essential that we think carefully about how we use digital tech. In this episode, Karl is interviewed by Richard about why churches should care about digital media and how they can begin to become more digitally proactive.

To connect with Karl, you can reach him at [email protected]

How can leaders stay mentally healthy? Richard is joined by counsellor, former pastor, and founder of Mind Health, Richard Black, to discuss how leaders in the church can stay emotionally healthy even amid the immense pressures of ministry.

Violence for Jesus? As absurd and oxymoronic as it sounds, there exists in our world extremists willing to perpetrate violence in the name of their religion—including Christians. This might seem like a remote possibility for the New Zealand church, but in a rapidly changing society, we can’t afford to be complacent. 

Richard interviews a world-leading expert on the topic, Doug Pratt, about religious extremism, how to spot it, and what to do if someone you know starts flirting with taking their faith to violent extremes.

The recent Church Life Survey revealed a disturbing truth about the New Zealand church: it’s ageing. Why is that a problem, and more importantly, what can we do to reverse that trend? Rosie is joined by Jake Mulder (author of Growing Young) Laura Hewett (youth pastor) and Mike Crudge (Baptist Union comms director)  to discuss helping churches to “grow young” by attracting young people. Get inspired about engaging younger generations to ensure that the Kiwi church survives and even thrives in the future. (Pssst! If your church didn’t participate in the Church Life Survey this time, let them know you want to do it next time—the greater the participation, the better the data! And if you want to read more of Mike’s musings on the survey, check out https://baptist.nz/church-life-survey-first-response/)

The recent Faith and Belief Survey gives us a brilliant insight into the spiritual landscape of Aotearoa. No doubt, you’ve heard the news: religion is on the decline. But did you know that most non-religious Kiwis still have some sort of spiritual beliefs. Chris Clarke, CEO of the Wilberforce Foundation, discusses this valuable research with Richard and explains what it means to live missionally as the church in New Zealand.

The Church Life Survey was recently conducted to give an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the church in Aotearoa. One of the key findings? The church in NZ is ageing - and that’s an ominous sign for the future. One of the masterminds behind the survey, Peter Lineham, joins Richard to discuss what this means for the church now and in the future. Due to Lineham’s background in the Open Brethren Heritage movement, he digs deep into data especially relevant to those churches.