Nourishing Faith: Food for the Journey
January 30, 2025
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Gospel Conversations
This week's Gospel Conversation: Feb 16 Holy Innocents Matt 2:13-18
Sometimes it can be challenging to stick to our commitment to finding a challenge, good news and "so what?" in every Gospel passage. There are plenty of challenges in the story of the massacre of hundreds of innocent children. Where could we possibly find good news, or inspiration to live by? Lisa Emerson, Eddie O'Connor and Craig Smith rise to the challenge as they talk it through with Michael this week. (Particular thanks to Lisa for a last-minute fill-in!)
Watch the conversation by clicking HERE
Last week's Conversation. Feb 9th: Luke 5:1-1
As the year settles in, students return to school and university, and summer holidays recede, it's interesting timing to be reminded of Jesus calling his first disciples. Time to start afresh? What was it like for these fishermen to be witness to God Incarnate, filling their empty nets with fish, and then calling them to leave everything and follow? What would it be like for us to do the same? Lisa Emerson, Alec Clark and Mannie Marara join Michael to talk through some possibilities.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH CONVERSATION
See all the videos in this Gospel Conversation series on our website
For 2024 Conversations, click here.
Bite Size Conversations
Our Bite Size conversations (hosted by Strandz) are the perfect place to dig into a range of children's ministry leadership topics, over lunch or a cuppa. In February 2025, we'll be gathering online to host six fun conversations over Zoom.
Topics and Times
Radical hospitality and welcome (Tuesday 11 Feb, 12noon)
Communities created for connection (Weds 12 Feb, 1pm)
Children as theologians (Tuesday 18 Feb, 1pm)
Making space for questions and doubts (Weds 19 Feb, 7.30pm)
Unlocking intergenerational opportunities (Weds 26 Feb, 12noon)
Forming faith in the digital age (Thursday 27 Feb, 7.30pm)
Register below, and we'll send out a Zoom link at the start of the week. The link will be the same for each one, so feel free to jump onto any/all of them, if you're interested! BSCs are free, and anyone is welcome to join. Email us with any questions!
Register here
RESOURCES FOR LENTEN STUDIES
Lent is a time when traditionally we make an extra effort to meet weekly in a small group and dig deeper into some aspect of God, faith or the Bible. Here are some studies which you may like to take up this coming Lent.
Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent
"Saltproject" has a wonderful range of Lenten and Advent studies for those who want to explore more of God's beauty and challenge through art, poetry, nature or writers like C.S. Lewis. For year C, which we're in in 2025, they recommend the series on van Gogh. Here's what they say:
"Vincent van Gogh devoted his life to light.
The light of creation, the light of painting, the light of God’s grace – and the light in humanity, mind, body, and soul. The son of a Christian pastor, Vincent fervently set out to be a preacher and missionary himself, but his ministry eventually took the form of nearly 900 paintings shimmering with dynamism, with passion, and above all, with light.
The word “Lent” refers to the “lengthening” light, the growing days that, in time, will coax the sunflowers to open, the wheat fields to rise again, and the irises to bloom. What better companion on this forty-day pilgrimage, then, than Vincent van Gogh, this apostle of light?
In this Lenten devotional, the words of Scripture and the paintings and letters of Vincent van Gogh will be our guides. Each week, biblical texts and Van Gogh’s work throw light on each other, pointing toward simple, powerful practices you can try yourself, with your family or friends, or with your congregation."
Find out more HERE
Restoring the Story
The Diocese of Wellington has worked with Anne van Gend to produce a Lenten study based around her book, "Restoring the Story." Each week you have the chance to explore and discuss the rich variety of ways the Biblical writers chose to tell us about why Jesus died and how his life, death and resurrection "did something" that has changed life for ever. We also consider the practical question, "How is this Good News today?"
Copies of the study can be bought for $5 at the online shop for Wellington Diocese HERE.
The Hardest Part
Some of you may have downloaded and enjoyed the beautiful set of Advent devotions created by Kate Bowler (author of the popular podcast "Everything Happens"). She has now written a Lenten study which can be used for individuals, groups, or as a sermon help. Once again, it is thoughtful, compassionate, and honest. Here's what she says:
These Lent guides are designed to be a companion through this season as you pause, reflect, and find the courage to stay with the hard part, trusting that the good part is still coming.
Life is this strange, tender mix, isn’t it? Joy and sorrow, love and loss, heartbreak and hope, all tangled together. This year, we invite you to embrace Lent as it is—raw, honest, and tender. This is the season that asks us to stop pretending we’re holding it all together. It’s a time to pause, sit with what’s fragile and unfinished, and let God meet us in the hardest parts of our lives.
Access this free resource online HERE.
This is Good News
Produced in the Diocese of Waiapu
The word “gospel” means “good news.” That’s the story we’re invited to live inside and to be carriers of: the good news of God, of Jesus, the good news of the Church. We are gospel people, we’re the people of good news! We’re called to share these messages with our whānau, friends and neighbours, and with the world all around us – but first we need to see it for ourselves.
Six studies, for the six weeks of Lent, each engaging with some aspect of the good news story that we, as Christians, are part of. Woven into this are some themes that are part of the vision for the Diocese of Waiapu – flourishing, discipleship, connection, vocation, koru ministry, and whakapapa.
Access the study HERE
These and other resources can be found on the DEEPENING FAITH page of our website, which is updated as our seasons change.
Faith Communities Videos
See our website for the latest videos
Opportunities in 2025
Look to the Deepening Faithpage for updates on conferences and courses available in 2025 - for example, a Trauma-informed ministry course from Knox College, and the HOPE 2025 Conference in March!
HOPE 2025
https://www.laidlaw.ac.nz/events/hope-conference/
In a world where the toxicity of the contemporary Western church is regularly, and often justifiably highlighted, explore with us how contemporary churches can and should be places of transformation and healing.
Join us for Hope 2025 - an academic conference where theologians and practitioners can gather together to explore how contemporary churches are and can become flourishing communities. We will look at how God’s specific design for churches is that they are places of hope and restoration; both as overarching communities, and for individuals within these
communities. The conference will undertake a multidisciplinary and practical exploration of how, guided by the Spirit of God, we can positively create and sustain flourishing communities that heal and empower individuals within them.
Gathering the voices of practitioners, biblical scholars, systematic theologians, practical theologians, counsellors, and sociologists, the conference will discuss, explore, and draw some conclusions about how contemporary Western churches are and can become flourishing communities, which provide health and healing both to the overarching church body and to the individual bodies of which they are comprised.
Resources from Elsewhere
Te Tiriti?
As the hikoi has now taken place, what does that, or the Treaty Bill itself, mean for us down in the south of the country? What does it mean for Pākeha as well as Māori? Sometimes we do not realise ourselves why we and others should have such an emotional response to issues like this, but historian Dr Alistair Reese can perhaps help us understand that a little better. Check out his article HERE on Pākeha identity and the Treaty.
Pray the News with Anglican Missions
In a world filled with constant news, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the overwhelming negativity, conflict and need around us. Within those headlines is a powerful place to pray.
Pray the News is a weekly blog published by Anglican Missions to enrich the intercessory prayer life of the church as we pray into the biggest social, cultural and geopolitical headlines facing the world.
We believe that prayer makes a difference and is an active engagement with the heart of God. Sign up to receive updates every Thursday on issues that we can pray into - together.
The Bible Project
Are you familiar with 'The Bible Project'? The Bible Project help people experience the Bible in a way that is approachable and transformative, primarily through animated video bible studies. They combine beautiful illustration and robust theology into a wonderful resource that connects across generations.
Our lectionary is taking us through the Gospel of Mark right now. The Bible Project has a great video that gives an overview of the structure and purpose of Mark. Check it out here.
If you’ve been looking for something to use which isn’t Alpha but is aimed at the same sort of audience as Alpha, have a look at 321. It’s a new study series, made by an Australian Anglican priest in London who is making quite a splash as a speaker at the moment: Glen Scrivener. The course takes us through a basic introduction to Christianity in a way that encourages us to question and think, and always come back to Jesus. Best of all, it’s free! Click HERE to go to the website.
Deepening Faith: Children's Spirituality
There is another new course up in the brilliant resource, "Discipleship Pathways." This new, short, free, online course looks at the spirituality of children, and would be helpful for many of us! Whether you are wanting help in understanding your own children or grandchildren, or being ready for when children pop into church, or running a children's programme, it would be worth having a look at this.
There are also courses available on Intergenerational Communities, Preaching on Purpose, Baptism Unpacked, Children and Family Theology and many others. Check them out HERE.
The Deepening Faith webpage has a whole range of resources. Note that Anne Gover has recently gifted her huge range of study notes to anyone who will find them useful. These are simple-to-use, informative and engaging studies which cover biblical characters, books, baptism and a host of other topics. If you are part of a small group (or would like to start one) these will make your preparation easy! Find them in a dropbox folder HERE.
About Nourishing Faith Videos and Podcasts
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