Is it possible to be a strong, determined leader without resorting to Jobs-like control or Driscoll-style dominance? Explore how two Kiwi pastors led bold church transformation with courage, collaboration, and Christlike character.

Central Baptist, an ageing church in Tauranga, made the courageous decision to surrender leadership to a neighbouring church, Bethlehem Baptist, in the hope of revitalisation. Their story is one of deep humility and costly change—laying down long-held traditions for the sake of new life and renewed mission.

Structural changes won’t bring renewal to the church unless they are grounded in the costly, character-forming work of disciple-making. While style and structure have their place, the future of the church depends on its willingness to form disciples who truly live out the radical priorities of Jesus.

What if listening to someone didn’t mean agreeing with them? Inspired by Whale Rider and grounded in real stories from NZ churches, this reflection explores the quiet courage it takes to lead change without needing to win the argument.

Real change is possible in churches — even older, hesitant ones — when it’s led with courage, built on trust, and shaped collaboratively. These three elements consistently turned resistance into ownership in the congregations I studied.

Unfortunately, much of our thinking about what motivates people to change is deeply flawed. We think facts will motivate change; we think fear will scare people towards change; and we tell ourselves that people can’t change.

Here’s myth 1: the truth will set you free.

Gabriel Medina is arguably the best surfer in the world. So why would he seek assistance from Aussie coach Andy King? What could a deaf, former semi-pro have to contribute to such a remarkably talented individual? 

Pastors can navigate the demands of Christmas by using Pathways thinking to clarify the purpose of each activity and guide people toward meaningful next steps in their faith journey.

Once a Halloween skeptic, this year I tried a different approach and uncovered a rare opportunity to build community and foster connections in our neighborhood.

Ken Morgan ponders churches' tendencies to overdo the 'doing' and why the answer to our frantic busyness might come from a familiar (yet very uncomfortable) instruction from Jesus. 

All leaders, but especially those who seek to lead change in their organisations, must simultaneously be determined, flexible, and empathetic. But, an overemphasis on empathy will turn us into people-pleasers.

Why is that, and what can be done about it?

Why is it, wonders Ken Morgan that training and education often don't lead to genuine life change? What could we learn from the life and example of Jesus?

Ken Morgan wonders whether giving up on evanglism might not be a bad thing. Could the word 'witness' be more helpful?

The challenge with ‘seeking the welfare of our cities’ is that often, the places we live in are big. Overwhelmingly big.

In this post, I’ll explore the ideas of ‘incarnation’ and ‘parish’, which help us determine more specifically whose welfare we should seek.

Congregational leaders successfully bring about church change when they lead with determination, flexibility, and empathy.

My Master’s thesis squeezed into 1500 words.

“Seek the welfare of the city… and pray to the Lord on its behalf,” God says to Jeremiah.

Surprisingly, God seems to care deeply about our neighbourhoods and cities where we live. Here’s why we, too, should seek their welfare.

Today, I’ll be arguing that invitation really matters. Developing an invitational church culture is key to effective local mission. It matters for discipleship reasons; developing an invitational habit is a central part of being a ‘fruitful’ follower of Jesus. And invitation matters for hospitality-related reasons. How we invite people and what exactly we invite them to often determines how effective our invitations will be.

Invitation can be a powerful force, but that doesn’t make its implementation a straightforward exercise. As a young youth pastor, I learned, through a lot of trial and error, that harnessing the power of invitation requires several interrelated factors.

These are: a basic missional theology, the understanding that an event or program has been developed for the express purpose of invitation, trust that the said event would be ‘cringe-free,’ and power of accountability.

Let’s explore each of these in turn.