Equipped to build one another up
Most of us instinctively think in binaries: professional or amateur, serious or casual. There’s a middle space.
In running, you see it in people who train hard, fuel with purpose, and care about outcomes—without being professionals. You could call it elite-recreational. It’s a useful category beyond sport. It helps make sense of the kind of ministry the New Testament assumes.
Since Campus Church was planted in 2008, we’ve been committed to training Christians for gospel ministry—not just full-time roles, but everyday ministry done by ordinary Christians. And we think it matters.
The vision of the church in Ephesians 4 is a beautiful picture of a body equipped to build itself up in love. Each part of the body does its work to see the whole body mature in Christ—no longer tossed about by every wind of teaching, but holding fast to the faith.
Last week 11 women from Cornerstone joined 108 others in Hanmer Springs for the annual Women in Ministry Retreat. They had the privilege of hearing Nancy Guthrie unpack a topic close to her heart: emptiness. As they traced this theme through the Bible, women were trained in how to see Christ in all of Scripture, and pointed back to him as the only one who can bring lasting fulfillment.
“I really loved getting away to WiM last week. It was so refreshing to lift my eyes beyond our own ministry context and see how God is at work across local churches in New Zealand. It’s easy to get stuck in our own bubble, but this conference reminded me I’m part of something much bigger—God at work building his people across history. And having Nancy Guthrie there was a definite highlight!” — Christina Denmead
Pray that as these women lead and teach God’s word, that they would keep returning to Christ as the one who fills them, and point others to do the same.
Many from Cornerstone also joined more than 500 women at the Women’s Christian Convention on Saturday to be trained in biblical theology with Guthrie. “Through the talks and workshops, I was reminded how accessible the Bible is, that by asking simple questions we can discover precious truths about God and the amazing, good news of Jesus. A few basic tools and outlines can make all the difference to how we read…I’ve never regretted setting time aside for these opportunities and will be booking in for many more in the future.” — Judith Taylor
Around 550 women from around New Zealand gathered at the Lincoln Event Centre for Nancy Guthrie's Biblical Theology Workshop for Women.
In a few weeks, the staff team is heading to the Reach Australia National Conference. They’ll join over a thousand church leaders from across Australia and New Zealand to be refreshed by the word and equipped for their various roles in leadership. Conferences like this enable church staff and leaders to exchange ideas, share encouragements and face common challenges together. They’d appreciate your prayers while they’re away.
We’re a church that invests in training because we’re convinced that the church is worth it.
“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…to present her to himself as a radiant church” (Ephesians 5:25–27). If that is how Jesus sees his bride, it is only fitting that we give ourselves to equipping his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.