Connect 2023 Workshops

Friday Workshops

Pathway to Growth

Conference Room - 4pm

In promoting the theme Empowering Generations Hamish has been training people to run a discipleship programme called Pathways. It is a programme that deals with transitions and stage of life, spiritual growth and maximising gifting. It has worked well with both young and old! This workshop gives the opportunity for participants to experience key elements of the programme for themselves and to discern if it something they could lead in their own context.

Hamish Galloway

Hamish Galloway is presently the Moderator of the PCANZ. He lives in Christchurch with his wife Anne. Over the years he has ministered in a variety of parish and chaplaincy settings. He is presently based at Cashmere Presbyterian Church. Hamish has a passion for his moderator theme, Empowering Generations.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Pre-teens need youth group too!

Recreation Center - 4pm

Come and explore ways to run a preteens weekly youth group. Many churches have great Sunday church programmes but don’t run anything for this age group that is outreaching and fun during the week. We will focus on:  

  • Why a youth group for this age (9 to 12 year olds)?

  • What happens in this time? Why is food so important?

  • How to use the bible in creative ways?

  • Using a group like this to develop older youth leadership.

  • How to communicate to parents and involve families .

Andrew Tims 

Andrew Tims is married to Anna and has two preteen daughters. He was a ministers kid and has been worshiping in churches for 52 years. Andrew has worked as a children and family worker, Christian Camp chef and cabin leader and now is the youth pastor at St Andrew’s Presbyterian church in Wanganui. Here he runs two youth groups, and helps in a local boxing gym. He comes with a wealth of experience and is very creative. He loves coffee, baking creative cakes and playing cards (bridge) at a club.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Exodus: The God of Grace and His People. 

Recreation Center Mezzanine - 4pm

This workshop will help youth leaders to open the scriptures to young people, show the relevance of the Old Testament to Christian life and faith. The session will explore the book of Exodus, looking at its structure and the different theological emphases of each section, and demonstrate how the book of Exodus still speaks to us today, as the Word of God. 

John de Jong - Laidlaw College

John de Jong is married to Rebecca, and they are both from West Auckland. They have four children and were missionaries in Myanmar 2005-2017. John is a senior lecturer in biblical studies at Laidlaw College, teaching there since his return from Myanmar. 

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Saturday Workshops

Mental Wealth

The Laidlaw Collage Hall - 11:10 am

Learn to look after your mental health and the health of those you care for. This workshop will help you to:

  • Enhance your understanding of mental distress

  • Increase your knowledge to identify the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression

  • Build your confidence to check in on eight

  • Increase awareness of where to get the right help

 This Workshop has a distinctive Pacifica flavour but it will be helpful no matter what your cultural background.

This workshop is facilitated by the amazing team at Le Va

Le Va’s purpose is to support Pasifika families and communities to unleash their full potential. We support and encourage this by carefully designing and developing evidence-based resources, tools, information, knowledge and support services for the best possible health and wellbeing outcomes. And, we do this all while recalling our traditional values, and applying them safely, in a contemporary way. For more info go to https://www.leva.co.nz/

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Prioritising faith  

Conference Room - 11:10 am

How do we lead our people to a place where faith is at the centre of their lives and not just an optional add-on? This breakout session will lead participants through a personal vision process helping them to understand what their unique gift is and how to live their life with that as the first priority. 

Amy Page-Whiting 

Amy is passionate about seeing people find their true identity, knowing that they are loved and liked, and then stepping into the incredible adventure that God has made them for. She has the privilege of leading a church in Christchurch and is also the National Director for Arrow Leadership NZ. She is married to Bevan and has two teenage children and a border collie called Nola. She loves good conversation, coffee, dark chocolate, and action thriller movies. 

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Finding yourself in the story of Scripture 

Rimu Room - 11:10 am

Many of us struggle to read the Bible. We can feel like strangers, trying to make sense of its ancient stories, doing our best to listen but struggling to understand what’s going on. There are some seemingly crazy things happening on these pages; just think about it, Balaam's donkey talks to him, and Jonah gets eaten by a fish and spewed up on a beach. But is there more here than instruction and moral tales? Could these ancient texts have something to say about our lives here and now, today, where we live? What if these old stories form a united narrative, a story that points us to Jesus, and through Jesus, reshapes the way we see the world? Finding Yourself In the Story of Scripture is designed to help you re-read, re-think, and re-engage with the Bible, and to find yourself amidst the most amazing story ever told.

Donald Goodhall - Venn Foundation

Donald is interested in the intersection of art and faith, and is passionate about cultivating creative contexts in which theology can be fruitfully explored. He desires to see people awakened to the reality of God’s redemptive work in the world and is excited by the way in which the arts, education, and hospitality can come together to curate conditions for the transformation of vision. Donald delights in drawing from the riches of the Christian tradition to help people develop a deep understanding of the Christian faith and the way it touches all aspects of life.

Donald works for Venn Foundation as Director of the Residential Fellowship, a unique full-time study programme for young leaders desiring Christian formation.


This workshop is for Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Who am I? Personality, Passion and Paths to Growth

Lounge - 11:10 am

The enneagram (9 sided shape) is a personality typing system that helps you identify what drives you, where you put your attention - and what you might miss as a result - and how you impact others in good and not so good ways. As a self-awareness tool it offers layers of insight which means it's useful for many seasons of growth and ongoing development. 

Roxy Gahegan

Roxy is the minister at St Peter's Presbyterian church, Ellerslie and also a spiritual director and enneagram coach (in her spare time). She loves gardening, cooking, reading, playing collaborative games, and watching French movies. She's married to Mark and they have two adult children and a one-eyed cat called Trinity.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Connecting with Community Teens

Part 1: Creating a space

Recreation Center - 11:10 am

This workshop will explore the key elements required to create a positive youth community for unchurched teens.

Mike Turinsky

Mike spent almost two decades as CEO of the Young Life NZ Trust and a community pastor. He is committed to helping local churches grow and empowering them in coal-face ministry. He has extensive experience with youth and family development, life coaching, camping ministry, outreach, and non-profit management. He loves the outdoors and helping people find their God given purpose.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Discipling with the Scriptures, Exemplified from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Recreation Center Mezzanine - 11:10 am

One of the challenges of teaching the Bible is working out how to move from “what it meant” for its original hearers to “what it means” for God’s people today. This session suggests ways you can consider a biblical passage when aiming to disciple others in a sermon or small group discussion. Material from a recent message on 2 Corinthians 5:1­­-10 titled “The Sustaining Promise of Future Presence”  will be used to exemplify some of these suggestions. This session will be suitable for those with some experience or aspiration to teach the Bible.

Chris Northcott - Laidlaw College

Chris Northcott supports the School of Theology at Laidlaw College as a Professional Teaching Fellow, although most of his time is spent working on a PhD on the history of biblical interpretation. Prior to his doctoral studies Chris was the youth pastor for his church; Lincoln Road Bible Chapel in West Auckland. Chris is married and has four young children and is also self-employed beekeeper with his own small-scale commercial honey business. His goal in ministry has been to help Christians to develop deep roots for their faith so that they can stand strong and take wise action in the secular climate we find ourselves in, and ultimately be found pleasing and faithful to the Lord Jesus.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

WOW - Word.On.Worship

The Laidlaw Collage Hall - 12:10 pm

" .... worshipping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with a right heart ..." John 4:24

Word.On.Worship - What does worship look like for you at this time of your life? What does it look like for our youth? In this techno digital culture - where does worship fit in? How do we connect with the congregation? How do they engage with you? Bored much? What does it look like when we worship? What is cultural responsiveness in worship? WOW is a workshop which will unpack His word in practical and interactive ways. You've already got it - you just have to activate those pathways to worship Him in Spirit and in truth! Get ready for some WOW time!

Roz Tuitama

Roz Tuitama is a Samoan (villages Vaiala, Pu'apu'a) born in NZ. She is currently an Assistant Principal at a full primary in Mangere East. She has been in education for over 25 years as a teacher; performing arts specialist and digital lead. She has been involved with leading worship teams at her local church Pacific Islanders Presbyterian Church Newton; has led worship for nursery, primary aged, youth to adults; worship lead for missions teams to Africa, Asia & Pacific regions. She is a singer songwriter and musician. Roz is married to Nanai John Tuitama (Falelatai) a Youth Justice coordinator and they have 3 adult children Nia, Elias and Hope. She loves the Lord and loves to worship!

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Why being Presbyterian matters

Lounge - 12:10 pm

This session is for anyone who wants to find out more about our Presbyterian tribe. Whakapapa and story are important. Knowing who we are and where we come from gives us a better sense of where we are going. Come with your questions and find out why it’s good to be Presbyterian!

Jordan Redding

Jordan is the minister at St Heliers Presbyterian Church in Auckland. Before that he was a university chaplain in Dunedin. When he’s not writing sermons and hanging out with people, he is on his guitar or reading a good book. He lives with Alva (human) and Pogo (cat). Jordan lectures on being Presbyterian at the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership and loves being Presbyterian.

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Spiritual disciplines and rhythms for life

Rimu Room - 12:10 pm

A number of years ago Venn put out a book called The Hare and the Tortoise: Learning to pace ourselves in a world gone mad. In it we said “we live in a hair-raising world...we literally raise hare-raising individuals.

We raise them and we reward them...While our generation may have mastered the art of the frantic life, we are not the first to struggle with it. The Greek moralist Aesop, whose tale we have borrowed for our title, recognised the problem over two and a half millennia ago; and philosophers and theologians down through the ages have continued to confront it. The gospel itself paints quite a different picture. It is a life marked not by haste and drivenness, but by faithfulness.” The book has helped many people to engage with spiritual practices over the years as they have sought to have their lived formed in gospel-shaped ways.

Join me for this workshop shop as we pick up this important conversations and consider the place of spiritual practices in our own lives. We’ll consider why do practices matter, where have they come from, and how might they become a part of our day-to-day lives?

Michell Young - Venn Foundation 

Michelle Young is the Director of Summer Conference and Public Events for Venn Foundation. Originally from Paeroa and the daughter of pastors, Michelle grew up in a family who were deeply embedded in the local community. She studied Geography at the University of Auckland and after graduating, took up a role in her local church for five years, completed a Graduated Diploma in Theology, and then managed a non-profit trust in South Auckland. She has worked at Venn for the last decade – an organisation the seeks to serve the church through helping people to think deeply, live faithfully, and serve wisely.


This workshop is for Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Discipleship that Fits

Conference Room - 12:10 pm

The art and science of discipleship can at times seem confusing. The good news is Jesus modelled for us the way to disciple in different settings - from 1-on-1 through to crowds of thousands - this workshop will help us unpack what Jesus' method teaches us about how to disciple well.

Amy Page-Whiting 

Amy is passionate about seeing people find their true identity, knowing that they are loved and liked, and then stepping into the incredible adventure that God has made them for. She has the privilege of leading a church in Christchurch and is also the National Director for Arrow Leadership NZ. She is married to Bevan and has two teenage children and a border collie called Nola. She loves good conversation, coffee, dark chocolate, and action thriller movies. 

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Thriving in the Face of Conflict 

Recreation Center Mezzanine - 12:10 pm

In my experience, most youth pastors leave ministry all together not because of lack of fruit but because they often find themselves trapped in a pattern of distressful complex conflict with their Ministers and/or Parish Councils. In this workshop, I will be drawing from my experiences in ministry, and from my unsystematic reading of conflict management and resolution. In addition, I will be relying on Genesis 2 and Amanda Ripely’s work on Conflict and de-escalation strategies.

This workshop is very participatory and is for Ministers and Youth Pastors, in particular those trapped in a pattern of intractable conflict.

Jeff Odhiambo

Jeff Odhiambo is the Minister of St John's Bucklands Beach. Jeff has been in active ministry for the past 20+ years, in Kenya, Nepal, America, and in different parts of Aotearoa New Zealand. He is comfortable in large or small church contexts as he has served in both. Jeff aims to use his extensive background in intercultural engagement to foster more understanding across cultures.  He always becomes animated when he is engaging in conversations that foster and deepen interpersonal and intercultural relationships. Jeff is a passionate advocate for a life lived seamlessly in the community.

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Navigating Kiwi Culture out of a Traditional Pasifika World

Recreation Center - 12:10 pm

This workshop will focus mainly on our Pasifika cultural strengths as Christian’s but also talk about some important challenges our NZ born Pasifika youth face in today’s modern-day society.  This workshop will look at different challenges our youth face today but also highlight the importance of our cultural values and how it can help shape us in our walk as Christian’s.  Although this workshop will be shared from a Samoan perspective, there will be a lot of elements that will apply across all our Pasifika cultures. 

Anae Mark Tuifao

Born and raised in Otara by his Samoan parents, Laititimalu Failelei Sipili (Sataoa/Lefaga – Savaia) and the late Aimasi Tuifao Anae (Falelatai – Matautu/Faleasiu).  Growing up within the Manukau Pacific Island Presbyterian Church, Anae currently serves as a deacon and Sunday School teaching young adult ministry at Otara Pacific Island Presbyterian Church with his wife (Fa’ailoga Tuifao Anae - Falealili/Siufaga/Faga) and three children (Ryzmin, Mariyah and Aimasi). Aligning his passion for his Samoan heritage, Anae pursued a career as a Social Worker, focussing on his Pasifika community within the space of mental health.  Anae has been working in the space of suicidal ideation for the last five years with a focus on Pasifika youth.  

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Sunday Workshops

Justice in Action!

The Laidlaw Collage Hall - 9 am

As followers of Jesus we are called to work for the transformation of society using the gospel values of justice and compassion. In this workshop you will hear inspiring stories of justice in action through the lens of Presbyterian Support Northern, one of seven Presbyterian Support regional organisations in NZ, which together is one of Aotearoa’s biggest social service agencies. We will also explore together the part that you can play in ‘saying yes to justice in action’ in your community.

Anne Overton and Sharon Ensor

 Anne Overton is the Community Relations Manager for Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) and has been in her role for 12 years.  Her focus is to encourage and support congregations to engage with their local communities through a creative and community led development lense. Her latest initiative is Communities Feeding Communities located at 1207 Dominion Road, Mt Roskill, a partnership between Northern Presbytery and PSN.

 Sharon Ross Ensor is a Presbyterian minister who has worked in parish ministry roles in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton. She has also been the Director of the Presbyterian Church Schools’ Resource Office. Currently she is working for Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) as the Presbytery Liaison Manager, a role which works to strengthen the connection between PSN and the Presbyterian Church.

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Anne Overton

Sharon Ensor

Connecting with Community Teens

Part 2: Sharing about Jesus

Lounge - Sunday 9 am

The Gospel or good news is the most important message that we can share with young people, however often it feels like the hardest message for us to communicate. In this workshop we will look at helpful ways to present the gospel message to teenagers who can’t even spell Jesus.

Mike Turinsky

Mike spent almost two decades as CEO of the Young Life NZ Trust and a community pastor. He is committed to helping local churches grow and empowering them in coal-face ministry. He has extensive experience with youth and family development, life coaching, camping ministry, outreach, and non-profit management. He loves the outdoors and helping people find their God given purpose.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Youth Ministry Nuggets

Conference Room - 9 am

In this workshop Neville will share from 36 years of youth work experience; insights mistakes and meanderings. Come with your questions and Neville will share his wisdom.

Neville Bartley - SUNZ

Neville has been involved in youth ministry for 33 years and for much of that time was a Youth Pastor based in Baptist churches. He is passionate about training, supporting and equipping both leaders and young people to be all they can be in Christ. I am passionate about seeing young people take their faith into their daily lives and be Jesus to a hurting world.

As National Youth Ministry Leader for SUNZ, his key areas of responsibility are the oversight of the youth schools, churches and camping ministries, and providing pastoral care, support, encouragement, guidance and leadership to both staff and volunteers.

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Real not plastic!

Conference Room - 9 am

A disclaimer being used way too much these days: I'm plastic...There is a decline in the use and confidence of young people with their pasefika languages and cultural practice. The church played an important role in providing safe contexts to learn and maintain the Pasefika languages dating right back to the 1950's. A recent report by Leo Moana shows a growing decline in the loss of a number of our Pasefika languages. Come along to hear more about the stats AND let's share - to see what we can do to start growing the language again in our places of worship.

Andrea Bakulich-Tele'a

Andrea is a New Zealand born Samoan Croatian, 24 years of teaching in schools predominantly Maori and Pasefika. She grew up in Newton PIPC, the home for Pasefika who travelled to New Zealand dating back to the 1950's. Andrea was blessed to hear the accounts of these precious decades from some of the key pioneers and the children of the early PIC church. Andrea was blessed to grow up in church activities and groups that sustained the use and practice of Pasefika language and culture as part of faith journeys of the PIC.


This workshop is for Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Strengths Discovery

Rimu Room - 9 am

Gallup Strengths Finder (or any other personality assessment tool), identifies your unique talents and your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. Growing in self-awareness is vital for longevity in ministry and contributes to a healthy team culture. This workshop is an introduction to both the Gallup Strengths Finder tool and the benefits of growing in self-awareness. 

Brad Kelderman

Originally from Auckland, but now living in Dunedin, Brad has been the Youth Advisor for the Southern Presbytery for the past 10 years. Before his current role, he was a youth pastor in a number of different contexts. He loves a good personality test and has a bunch of experience coaching people using the Gallup Strengths Finder tool. 


This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

A smart approach to mentoring teens

Recreation Center - 11:30 am

In this workshop you will get the chance to steal Epic Ministries decades of experience in mentoring young people using their custom built, highly engaging mentoring tool.

Epic Ministries Waipukurau

Epic Ministries is an innovative youth work agency which is part of St Andrews CHB, Waipukurau. The team at Epic have 20+ years of experience ministering to community and church kids and lots of wisdom to share. https://www.epicministries.co.nz/


This workshop is for Youth Leaders

Evangelism made easy

Recreation Center Mezzanine - 11:30 am

In a world of misinformation, dis- information and fake news. Let’s be clear about what the gospel is and how to share it confidently with the youth of this Nation in a loving and respectful way.

Evangelism Explosion NZ has teamed up with EE Indonesia and want to give you a taste of EE4G. A tool that God is using to equip youth leaders to share the gospel and make disciples of young people all over the world. EE4G has three main purposes in equipping youth leaders to:

  • Explain the Gospel clearly to youth.

  • Bring youth to faith in Jesus Christ

  • Equip youth to share the Gospel with other people.

Come and hear real time testimonies of youth leaders who have seen amazing results through God’s grace and the implementation of the EE4G tools within their youth community.

Lewis Bacon

Lewis Bacon is an Evangelism Enabler who volunteers his time with EE Ministries NZ. An organisation that trains and equips Christians through the local church to reach people of every age group, culture and nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is also the founder and director of I Speak Your Language Ministries NZ which equips churches to reach speakers of other

languages. After finding Christ back in 1993 he has spent the last 30 years sharing the gospel and helping other Christians to do the same.  

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

HELLO SOCIAL MEDIA MINISTRY!

Conference Room - 11:30 am

SOCIAL MEDIA MINISTRY, when did churches need it? YESTERDAY!! Establishing ministries within church is a part of its DNA, Sunday school ministry, youth ministry etc but starting a new ministry is always tricky, so let’s figure out together if your church is utilising social media to its full potential and how you can use your social media to give people a window into your church/youth group without having to physically join! You may have also thought about other pathways for your youth to lead? HELLO SOCIAL MEDIA MINISTRY!!

Masele Bakulich-Tufeao

Masele Bakulich-Tufeao is a crazy & cool Samoan, Croatian from Māngere who is the Northern Presbytery Youth co-ordinator and Intercultural Facilitator. Masele is passionate about making youth feel like they belong in our churches, she also loves to explore new ways to do ministry and sharing it with others. She is born and bred in Newton Pacific Islanders Presbyterian Church and is still serving there today. Masele is married to her Skux Husband Logo Tufeao.

 This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults

Whanau Friendly Taster

Rimu Room - 11:30 am

The Whānau Friendly process has been developed to help churches reflect on their current ministry and discern in which ways God may be leading them in the upcoming years. This workshop is your chance to have a ‘taster’ of the Whānau Friendly process-to discover what it involves, how it may work for your context, and the opportunity to ask questions, and discuss the process with those involved in developing the tool.

Karo Wilson - Presbyterian Children’s and Family Ministries

Karo has a passion for seeing young people discover who Jesus is, and where they belong within God’s family. Karo is currently Acting Director for PCFM, a role that puts her creativity and experience to good use. She is blessed to be able to pair her PCFM work with a local ministry role, focused on Community-based Children’s ministry. Outside of work, Karo can be found competing in local quiz nights, drumming in the local Pipe Band, or on stage in local theatre productions!

This workshop is for Youth Leaders

SELF-CARE AS SELF-TENDING

Lounge - 11:30 am

‘Self-care is a term you may hear a lot. often attached to messages of consumerism, or with a focus on looking after yourself so you can keep working for other. But what happens if we stop thinking about ourselves as machines? In this workshop we reframe self-care as ‘self-tending’. We explore the purpose of self-care, asking how it might fit in with Kingdom principals. We also provide opportunities to share, discuss, and unpack your own practice of self-care through this new lens.

Kyle Hastelow

Kyle Hastelow is the Associate Youth Enabler for Presbytery Central. He is passionate about supporting people in ministry towards more holistic and sustainable practices of wellbeing.

This workshop is for Emerging Leaders, Youth Leaders and Young Adults