Big Ideas for 2026
Big Ideas Nights exist to help us think Christianly—not just about individual passages, but about life as a whole with the whole of Scripture open before us. In a world that pushes quick takes and simple answers, we’re learning to slow down, hold truths together, and wrestle thoughtfully with God’s Word as it speaks into complex questions.
Artificial Intelligence: Wisdom in an Age of Machines
11 May
AI is no longer a future idea—it’s already shaping the way we think, create, and relate to one another.
But as these tools become more powerful, the questions become more pressing: What is AI for? What should we trust it with? And how do we use it without losing something deeply human?
Join us for a Big Ideas Night as we explore the ethics of artificial intelligence and consider how a Christian vision of wisdom, responsibility, and humanity speaks into this rapidly changing space.
7.30 pm, Riccarton High School staff room
Baptism and the Physical Life of Faith
17 August
Throughout the Bible, God gives his people physical signs to remember his covenant promises and saving works — think circumcision and Passover - marking his faithfulness across generations. Today, those Old Testament practices have been fulfilled in Christ. Yet Jesus still gives his people something tangible: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Why?
Why does the Christian faith include physical signs at all? What does baptism actually do—and what difference does it make to our life with God?
In this Big Ideas Night, we’ll explore baptism not simply as a point of debate, but as a gift: a visible sign that helps us grasp spiritual realities, and shapes how we understand belonging, identity, and faith.
For a conversation partner in the task we’ll be engaging with a recently released book “Washed by God: The Story of Baptism” by Karl Deenick. Karl is a lecturer in Theology and Practical Theology at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
Formed by Our Phones: A Christian Response to Digital Life
21 September
Smartphones have reshaped the way we live—how we think, relate, rest, and even what we desire.
But they’re not neutral.
From constant distraction and anxiety, to the pull of entertainment and pornography, our digital habits are quietly forming us. The question isn’t whether we’re being shaped—but how, and toward what.
In this Big Ideas Night, we’ll explore how technology influences the heart, drawing on insights from Scripture and contemporary writers. Together, we’ll consider what it looks like to follow Jesus with wisdom and intentionality in a world of endless scrolling.
Helpful background reading for this seminar will be “12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You” by Tony Reinke and John Piper.