Thank You!

Dear Pastors

Today closes out my third year as a weekly blogger. Over this time we have seen the number receiving this blog get to 471. I am both humbled and most grateful for this. Some of you have gone out of your way to write to me a word of encouragement and sometimes a word of ‘correction’. Thank you for doing that.

My goal is to be helpful especially when it comes to the skills needed to face the new challenges of our day in leading and manging a local church. But it would be fair to say that if I can invite you and encourage you to think some more (actually a lot more) then I feel my writing is all the more worthwhile. I have long been of the conviction that as pastors and leaders we would do well to give more time to, ‘thinking more deeply and reading more widely’.

I would like to thank the five Pastors and one CEO who provide for me a really good sounding board, the younger pastors I have the privilege of mentoring and who keep me grounded, my guest writers who add valuable perspectives and insights, to my part time staffers Karyn and Liz who fill in many gaps and last but certainly not least to my wife Jeanette who listens to a few rants from time to time and puts up with the blurring of the lines between home and work. I appreciate you all. And finally you my readers thank you for allowing me a few minutes each week to say something to you that may at times wrangle a bit and disturb you a bit but hopefully also encourage you and most of all add some value to your life and ministry.

Next year I will be adding into this blog what I call a ‘diagnostic question’ about ministry, leadership, culture, trends etc. I am going to add a second blog called Gospel and Culture that will come out on Monday mornings having trialled it now for 10 weeks and from time to time we will offer you a few resources from our shop all of which I will explain more about at the start of the new year.

Finally, let me briefly share with you what is planned by way of workshops and seminars for the first half of next year.

• Alex Berenson is a former New York Times reporter and award-winning novelist. His new book, ‘Tell Your Children -The truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence’ is a must read. He will be speaking in a number of cities in NZ including a public meeting in Hamilton on Wednesday 19th February at 7.30pm.
• Dr Michael Brown is an apologist, writer and speaker from USA who regularly comments on cultural issues. He will be speaking in Auckland both to Pastors and the public on Tuesday 25th February. All information and registration details are here.
• Dr Patricia Weerakoon trained as a medical doctor in Sri Lanka. She is an academic and sexologist. I will be hosting a three meetings with her in Hamilton only on Thursday 26th March.
• Sam Allberry, an Anglican Minister from the UK speaks widely (with Ravi Zacharias Ministries) on issues of sexuality and identity. Sam will be undertaking a six day, five city speaking tour in May called, Is God Anti-Gay? Christchurch 18th May, Wellington 19th May, Taupo 20th May, Hamilton 21st May, Auckland 23rd May.
• Marijke Rancie, a Mum from Melbourne who has been catapulted into the Australian national news because she dared to protest about the sexualisation of her own children. Marijke will be here for a week in Hamilton and Tauranga and surrounds in July. Exact dates tbc. She will be speaking on the ‘sexualisation of children’.
• More coming in second half of the year.

More information will follow on the 5th February 2020. In the meantime please do not hesitate to be in touch.

I would like to wish you all a joyous Christmas, a relaxing summer break/holiday and a very happy New Year.

Blessings

Alan

Christmas Inspiration

Song: Pentatonix singing ‘Mary Did You Know’. Only 220m views!.

Quote: “...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succour in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.