For Pastors

Send us Fan Mail Conspiracy theories. Why are they so prevalent, and are Christians more gullible than most? And what happens when a conspiracy theory leads towards something worse - radicalisation? Indeed, could the next terrorist come from the pews of your church? In this episode, Vic Francis asks these questions and more of Maja and Dave Whitaker, pastors and academics from Christchurch who hav...

Send us Fan Mail Why are so many scandals rocking Pentecostal churches in New Zealand and Australia? This question, debated in the Alphacrucis Bible college staffroom, led four Pentecostal academics and pastors to investigate, asking what's going on, why is it going on, what should be going on and what can be done about it? In this episode of For Pastors , Vic Francis interviews the Rev Dr Ad...

Send us Fan Mail Artificial intelligence. It's all around us. As pastors, what are the advantages - and the potential disadvantages - with the way we handle AI as we follow our call and lead our churches? Can something non-human yet so captivating help bring us or our people closer to God? In this episode of For Pastors , Vic Francis interviews Andy Shudall of Eastgate Christian Centre and Ro...

Send us Fan Mail Pastors don't do it for the money. But we do need money to exist. And we understand it's a sacrificial life. But we don't want to disadvantage our families. And we are trusting God. But we also want to be smart, and faithful, with money. In this episode of For Pastors , Vic interviews Grant Harris of Windsor Park Baptist and Bruce Anderson of DecisionMakers about th...

Send us Fan Mail For over four decades, the Rev Dr Patricia Allan has advocated for the victims of abuse in the church, work which was recognised with the awarding of an ONZM in the New Year's Honours list this year. Patricia is now 88, and calls herself an unlikely warrior or firebrand. In this podcast, she reflects deeply on her journey of advocacy, what it has cost, and how to ensure churc...

Send us Fan Mail Conflict. It’s all around us – on the world stage, in our families and workplaces, often deep within ourselves. And it’s in our churches – from the volume of the music to centuries-old theological debates. Yet we hardly ever talk about conflict, and as a result we often do it pretty badly. In this podcast, Vic Francis talks to the Rev Dr Karen Kemp from Laidlaw College, an expert...

Send us Fan Mail Vic Francis is joined by Father  Bishoy Mekhaiel in an exploration of the Coptic Church out of Egypt, and its small but vibrant presence on the New Zealand Christian scene. Vic and Bishoy explore the foundations of the Coptic church, its first Pope Saint Mark (writer of the Gospel of Mark) and Orthodox Christianity, something little known in New Zealand. For Pastors is brought to...

Send us Fan Mail Vic Francis is joined by Sam Harvey and Richard Black, and asks in the wake of recent scandals with Philip Yancey and Shawn Bolz - and so many others before them - whether there's a better way to pastor and lead a church. For more information on Vic and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz, or search us on Facebook or Instagram. And if you would like to support this...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Vic is joined by Fran Francis and Glenn Melville, looking at what pastors need to do to "do well" in their lives, marriages and ministries. For further exploration, you can read Glenn's PhD research here or at http://hdl.handle.net/10292/15555; and access Hagberg and Guelich's spiritual life inventory here or at http://www.janethagberg.com/uplo...

Send us Fan Mail This week's podcast takes a different tack - a Q&A, where youngish pastors Amy Tait and Barry Dunn ask older, seasoned pastor Nigel Dixon their burning questions of ministry.  For more information on Vic Francis and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz, or search us on Facebook or Instagram. And if you would like to support this podcast, please become a member a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Vic is joined by Pastor Don Barry and Major Susan Goldsack, looking at the often-vexed question of length of tenure in our call to ministry and how long to stay and when to go.  For more information on Vic and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz, or search us on Facebook or Instagram. And if you would like to support this podcast, please become a member...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Vic is joined by Pastors Odele Habets and Brent Davie, looking at the beauty and wonder of the small to medium-sized church, which let's face it is the size of church most of us are pastoring. For more information on Vic and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz, or search us on Facebook or Instagram. And if you would like to support this podcast, pl...

Send us Fan Mail Archbishop Justin Duckworth lives in the tension of being part of the establishment, and yet deep down being what he calls an "edge" dweller. In this podcast, we hear how Justin navigates that tension, and of his challenge to the church of Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information on Vic Francis and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz, or search us on Faceboo...

Send us Fan Mail In this second episode of a seven-part pilot, the new For Pastors podcast considers what happens when tragedy strikes, either personally or in our congregations, and we as pastors have to process deeply while still fronting up the next Sunday and the Sunday after that. And the Sunday after that. For more information on Vic Francis and Solace, check out our website at solace.org.nz...

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of a seven-part pilot the new For Pastors podcast goes in search of young pastors, with older pastor Vic Francis talking to younger pastors Aaron Hardy and Alisha Wiseman about their experiences and how we can unlock a new wave of young leaders in our churches. For more information on Vic Francis and Solace, check us out our website at solace.org.nz, or searc...