On 11 and 12 February the Executive of the New Zealand Lay Preachers Association met in Dunedin to discuss the future of the association. The gathering resulted in a lengthy action plan and new ways to resource members.

We considered some tough questions around the purpose of the association, including, Does it still meet a need in today’s church? What do we need to do to keep it relevant into the future? Following extensive debate and discussion it was agreed that:

· We want to ensure we recognise and certificate those who our partner churches accredit as lay preachers.

· We want to promote training events for lay preachers throughout New Zealand to ensure as many as possible have access to resources and ongoing training.

· In the meantime we will not be publishing print resources for NZLPA members. We acknowledged that no single resource can meet the needs of our diverse membership. We encourage people to check out our website where we will post resources. Newsletters will be emailed to lay preachers throughout the year.

We took the opportunity to invite all lay preachers in Dunedin to join us for dinner on Saturday evening. This was a great interactive evening with lots of lively discussion. One lay preacher said, “It was good to meet new people who are trying to make a difference and to hear their stories.” Others commented:
"I found that the lively and thought-provoking discussions led to positive outcomes: which will benefit all lay preachers!"

“The planning event was a mix of focused hard work and generous southern hospitality, connecting with other lay preachers from across the motu and locally. It was well organised and well run. Thanks team!”

“The weekend was an extremely valuable time to reflect and refocus on the work of NZLPA now and into the future. It was also so great to meet some of the executive in person for the very first time!”

We extend our thanks to the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ and the Methodist Church of NZ for funding support that helped to finance the weekend.

We have three members stepping down from the executive this year, and we really need some new people to replace them. If you have a heart for lay preachers and have skills in keeping a membership database or looking after bank accounts please let us know.

If you aren’t sure just what the NZLPA is all about please contact me directly on lindajeanhall00@gmail.com, and I will be happy to help.