We sit down with a church elder wrestling with big questions: How do we manage our capacity as churches and as individuals? Would our churches be missed if they disappeared? And how do we stay curious in a culture that values certainty? It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about presence, purpose, and the quiet power of asking open-ended questions. Whether you’re leading, limping, or somewhere in between, this episode invites reflection on why we do what we do—and who would notice if we stopped.

We are joined by the co-hosts of the popular Baptist NZ podcast ‘Biblical insights: The gospel and the land of the Bible’, who unpack their own journeys exploring the topic of Zionism. They discuss how a particular theological line of thinking and way of interpreting the Bible results in the justification of human suffering. In this challenging and personal conversation, they invite us to think beyond what might have been understood from the past to find God who “is on the side of suffering humanity.”

How can the experience of place-based institutions such as Sister Cities and Rotary Clubs inform where the church is at in 2025? Taylor shares from his research and offers some challenging insights and questions for us as the church.

Treating people with respect and without judgment when we disagree might be one of the hardest things to do, especially in our increasingly polarised world, society and church. Using personal stories and giving practical tips, in this episode, Hazel guides us in the art of disagreeing well.

Welcome to Season 4! We're starting with a compelling conversation with Bethany, who shares her journey of embracing authenticity in Wellington’s creative arts scene. She unpacks the dynamics of expressing her faith and identity as both a performer and a follower of Jesus.

As we close out 2024, we’ve got a couple of special guests commenting on what stood from the last year or so of episodes. Have a bit of fun with this AI review of The Changes Ahead Podcast! See you in 2025.

With the reality of less and less children and young people in our churches, perhaps it is time to listen to those who work directly with these generations – along with those generations themselves. Sarah is a Youth Development Worker calling the church to respect, uphold and value the voices and participation of children and young people as the church of today.

In this episode Sean, Cathy’s husband and Steven’s long-term mentor, shares from his decades of working with young people the importance of being present in people’s lives in order to speak into them before challenging followers of Jesus to embrace a faith that is not going to leave us comfortable and safe.

Anashuya shares her experiences of leadership and miraculous healing and how she has been and is being formed by both spaces. Ana invites us to think about what the future of the church might look like and where we are looking for its leaders. She shares the questions and wrestles that being ill and experiencing healing have raised.

With the recent release of Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care, we reflect with Jaimee on its implications, why it is so important to engage with this as churches and the desperate need for change in our spaces to do everything in our power to ensure abuse is no longer something anyone experiences in our spaces.