Ōtautahi Programme

Daily Schedule

The Ōtautahi leg of Little Revolutions is held at Tūranga Library on Cathedral Square and the adjacent Novotel Hotel. Morning Tea and Lunch are provided each day.

9am

9:30am

11am

12pm

1pm

3pm

4.10pm

5.40pm

Arrival, coffee and tea provided.
Mihi Whakatau on Day One

Morning Main Gathering

Workshops Session 1

Workshops Session 2

Lunch

Workshops Session 3


Evening Main Gathering

End of Day

Main Gathering Keynotes

Friday Morning Gathering
9.30-10.50am

Faithful Resistance: Naming the Powers, Embodying Hope
JR Woodward, V3 Movement Seattle

Friday Evening Gathering
4.10-5.40pm

Postcards From The Global South
Oscar Muriu, Nairobi Chapel Kenya

Saturday Morning Gathering
9.30-10.50am

Forming Communities of Absurd Hope
Bree Mills, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Saturday Evening Gathering
4.10-5.40pm

Persevering the Pain of Renewal
Bishop Anashuya Fletcher, Diocese of Wellington

Workshops

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)

    Culture is the invisible force shaping everything in a church, often more than vision or strategy. Like gravity, it’s rarely noticed but always present, either pulling us toward comfort or lifting us into mission. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to intentionally create a missional culture that forms people for maturity, fuels Spirit-led movement, and aligns the church with God’s purposes in the world.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    Church-planters are often required to be nimble and adaptable, navigating a wide range of relational and logistical challenges. Yet in the midst of this busyness, it’s easy to become consumed by tasks while neglecting prayer—the lifeblood of any new Kingdom venture. In this workshop, Clint explores how prayer can be woven into the very DNA of new worshipping communities and the lives of those called to lead them.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    Imagine a community of sixty cynical, jaded, and spiritually burnt-out young adults—drawn in and then spat out by the traditional church. Now picture an Anglican priest forming a kind of monastic order out of precisely these people, and journeying with them for over three years. That’s the story of Vocatio. Drawing from Spanky’s new book, this workshop explores what discipleship can look like among those who are done with church—but maybe not done with Jesus.

  • Novotel Hotel

    The UK Bible Society’s recent report, The Quiet Revival, reveals that over two million more people are now attending church compared to 2018—driven largely by a young and remarkably diverse demographic. In this workshop, Chris Clarke unpacks these surprising findings and hosts a conversation about what they might mean for the future of the Church in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Friday
11am-12pm

Friday
12pm-1pm

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)

    Discover the key building blocks to identify, develop, and release the next generation of leaders who are both missionally driven and creatively equipped for today's changing world. This workshop will provide a practical framework, based on doctoral research, with key outcomes for how you can invest in the next generation. Whether you're a pastor, mentor, or ministry leader, you’ll leave with tools to encourage and raise up the next generation of innovative leaders.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    We live in a polarised cultural moment, and yet Jesus called His Church to be “one”. What it does it look like to hold love and unity alongside deep differences and disagreements? Dale will share from ACN’s experiences building a broad coalition of very different church leaders in Auckland.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, The River Ōpāwaho is a church community passionate about empowering people to discover their identity, calling, and purpose. Over the past three years, they’ve courageously reoriented their community around mission, reimagining  Sunday gatherings, leadership structures, and staffing in the process. Come and hear their story: the breakthroughs, the bruises, and the hopeful signs of new life emerging.

  • Novotel Hotel

    A financial cliff is coming for much of the Aotearoa Church. From large institutions to local parishes it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain ministries as we once did. But this crisis also offers new opportunities for lighter, more nimble expressions. Our panelists bring a wealth of experience on how we get away from the ABCs (attendance, buildings, cash) and reorient our resources towards mission.

Friday
3pm-4pm

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)


    In a world shaped by the Powers, the church is often tempted to reflect the culture rather than Christ. To be faithful and fruitful in the mission of Jesus, discipleship must move from the margins to the center of church life, guided by structure, shaped by the Gospels, and rooted in the Sermon on the Mount as our eschatological manifesto. This workshop will help you design a discipleship pathway that forms everyday followers of Jesus who resist the Powers and embody His way in the world.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    Church plants often begin with small, committed teams. Building a worshipping community takes time and perseverance—and that can be tricky when we feel our kids are missing out. In this workshop, Diana will explore how we can create meaningful spaces where all generations can participate, even before we have momentum or critical mass we might hope to have later.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    The Well is a Wesleyan Church in Ōtautahi Christchurch with a heart for raising resilient missional disciples who live and lead out of the overflow of their life in Christ. The Well has recently commissioned and sent a new church plant, Kōmanawa Wesleyan Church, in Casebook (Christchurch). In this case study, Clint will look at the journey they’ve been on around moving from a church plant to a church planting church and the specific challenges they have faced around discipleship, mission, and leadership development.

  • Novotel Hotel

    The past five years have been a time of monumental shift in the Aotearoa Church. Covid-19, political polarisation, and church scandals. This panel of experienced leaders will explore the challenges they see as most crucial for the Aotearoa Church today.

Saturday
11am-12pm

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)

    This workshop explores how churches and organizations can undergo meaningful revitalisation by aligning their systems and structures with a missional vision. Participants will examine barriers to change, learn strategies for cultural and systemic transformation, and discover how to lead with purpose in shifting toward a mission-focused future. Ideal for leaders seeking not just renewal, but deep, lasting change that fuels gospel impact in their contexts.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    Ministry is rapidly shifting toward more self-supporting and bi-vocational models as the Church faces ever greater financial challenges. Yet this shift also offers new possibilities for how we live lives of deep purpose while also managing the financial realities of everyday life. In this workshop, Justin draws on three decades of experience navigating this tension, offering practical tools to help leaders think creatively and sustainably about their calling.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    Over the past decade, All Saints Burwood has charted an inspiring course of parish renewal. In contrast to the decline seen in many Anglican churches across Aotearoa, this community has grown into a vibrant hub of worship and discipleship. In this workshop, Rev. Carolyn Robertson reflects on their journey—sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and the key insights they’ve gleaned along the way.

  • Novotel Hotel

    For many, evangelism has become a loaded word—entangled with coercion, manipulation, colonialism, and methods that feel more like marketing than Good News. And yet, deep down, many of us still ache for a way to speak meaningfully about what Jesus has done for us and the world. This panel invites us to reimagine evangelism: conscious of its complex past, but courageously dreaming of new, beautiful ways to share the story of Jesus in our time.

Saturday
12pm-1pm

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)

    The fall of high-profile leaders has become a tragic norm, exposing a crisis that strategies and systems alone can’t resolve. In this session, we’ll unmask the Powers of domination that distort leadership in the church and explore a deeper, Jesus-shaped remedy. Christlike leadership is not about control or charisma, but about self-emptying love, humility, and faithful service. We will either become a scandal ourselves, or embrace the redemptive scandal of leading in the self-giving way of Jesus.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    The Little Revolutions Curriculum is a 9-month journey for leaders and small groups who want to plant new churches or grow worshipping communities in their local context. Over the past year, we’ve supported eight communities to plant or renew—and we’re launching new cohorts in July and August. Come along and see if it’s for you.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    For the past five years, Mark and Kirsty Johnson have been taking the good news of Jesus to new-age festivals across Aotearoa, engaging with seekers, spiritualists, and modern-day mystics. Their journey has recently led them to relocate their family to Golden Bay, where they’re witnessing a surprising movement of faith and baptism in one of the country’s most unlikely places. In this workshop, they’ll share stories from the fringes—and what it looks like when the Spirit moves outside the usual spaces.

  • Novotel Hotel

    In church planting, there are few places to hide. Small teams step out with big hopes—and often face equally big disappointments, tensions, and moments of confusion. In this workshop, Maja Whittaker explores how the discipline of reflective practice can help us make sense of what’s happened, and discern how to move forward with grace, truth, and deeper self-awareness.

Saturday
3pm-4pm

  • Tautoru / Main Room (Level One)

    This workshop explores the vital role women play in pioneering new expressions of church and advancing innovative ministry. Through stories, strategies, and practical tools, participants will gain insight into how to lead courageously and creatively in church planting contexts. Join us as we challenge barriers, celebrate calling, and envision a future where women lead boldly in the mission of God.

  • Ngā Purapura (Level One)

    When we’re called to minister to a people and a place, our families come with us—often experiencing the full range of church life’s highs and lows. In this workshop, Diana offers a holistic view of ministry leadership and invites us to imagine a vision of whānau on mission—where all ages are honoured, and everyone is encouraged to bring their unique gifts and passions into the shared life of the community.

  • Auaha Hīhī (Ground Floor)

    Paul is part of a small Anglican parish near Nelson, and has been experimenting with ways of doing local mission and disciple-making for the last five years.  In this case study, Paul will share what has worked and not worked in his context, focussing on two aspects: how community-facing ministries can lead to disciple-making; and equipping ordinary Christians to engage in local mission and disciple-making.

  • Novotel Hotel

    "How do you change the culture of a church?", that's the question Nathan set out to answer in his Master's thesis. He interviewed pastors who’d successfully led their churches through substantial change and discovered that successful change depends on emotionally healthy leaders. This workshop will unpack his findings, and will help you to identify ways to move forward on the journey of church renewal.”