For Pastors

Wrestling with AI

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528454/fan_mail/new] 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 Rob Stacey of Tauranga Central Baptist about the good, the bad and the ugly of AI. For further thoughtful processing, Andy suggests this message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8C1pnDrWhg [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8C1pnDrWhg] For more information on Vic and Solace, check out our website [https://www.solace.org.nz] or search for us on Facebook or Instagram. And if you would like to support this podcast, please become a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/forpastors [https://www.patreon.com/c/forpastors] Enjoy the podcast!

Ministry, Money and Me

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528454/fan_mail/new] 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 the delicate subject of Money, Ministry and Me. Enjoy! Some helpful links you might like to check out: DecisionMakers (where you can get hold of Bruce): https://www.decisionmakers.co.nz [https://www.decisionmakers.co.nz/] Windsor Park Baptist (where you can get hold of Grant): https://www.windsorpark.org.nz KiwiSaver tool: https://kiwisaver.decisionmakers.co.nz [https://kiwisaver.decisionmakers.co.nz/] Mindful Money on ethical investing: https://mindfulmoney.nz [https://mindfulmoney.nz/] Christian Savings: https://www.christiansavings.co.nz/churches-and-charities/ministry-loans [https://www.christiansavings.co.nz/churches-and-charities/ministry-loans]

Speaking Truth to Power

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528454/fan_mail/new] 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 churches can be safe spaces. Speaking Truth to Power may be an uncomfortable episode of For Pastors - but it is an important one.

Making Friends Out of Conflict

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528454/fan_mail/new] 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 in conflict, to find out how we can handle it better. Welcome to Making Friends Out of Conflict. If you want to know more, check out the Centre for Church Leadership [https://www.centreforchurchleadership.nz] and their range of master classes [https://www.centreforchurchleadership.nz/masterclasses].

Out of Egypt, He Called Them

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528454/fan_mail/new] 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 you by Solace. If you would like to know more about us, 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 at https://www.patreon.com/c/forpastors [https://www.patreon.com/c/forpastors]