Tuesday 11th August saw Christian leaders from Auckland and beyond attend the event ‘Christian Women Connecting for Global Impact’ at AUT. They met to share their stories and hear from Amanda Jackson about the experiences of women around the world. In her role as  Executive Director of the Womens Commission,  World Evangelical Alliance, Amanda sees firsthand the challenges faced by  women across many nations as they seek to understand and live out their lives as women of faith.

The evening was also the launch of Women as One, the NZ and South Pacific Women’s Commission, recently established under the  umbrella of the NZCN. The Commission has a vision to provide a platform to Connect, Equip and provide an opportunity to hear the Voices of Christian Women in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Leaders Janet Tuck and Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau shared their hopes and aspirations for the Commission. They see a real opportunity to connect Christian women across New Zealand and the Pacific region from different denominations and ethnic backgrounds.

Attendees shared their stories in relation to four key words: Leadership, Opportunity, Woman and Church. The journey has been hard for some, with the stories quite ‘gritty’ and honest. However the evening was one of real warmth and connection. There was a lot of laughter, and some new friendships established. The few brave men who attended were provided with women’s wigs in order to ‘blend in’ more easily. Glyn Carpenter sporting a long white wig almost looked the part!

Feedback from the night has been very positive, with several telling of a sense of God calling them to be there, and a real excitement about what might come next.

Click on the images above to see them (or the slide show) enlarged.

Special thanks go to:

• Agnes Naera and Chantelle Lincoln from AUT for the wonderful hospitality and opportunity to run this event as part of their diversity week
• Amanda Jackson for visiting and inspiring us with her vision for women around the globe, and to husband Lewis for his wit and wisdom
• The wonderful women who attended the evening and participated so honestly and graciously
• To our God who continues to inspire, equip, empower and guide us on our journeys

We look forward to the NZ & South Pacific Women’s Commission “ Women as One” developing a range of activities and opportunities for engagement. Watch this space.

See Amanda Jackson’s blog post, Stained-Glass Ceilings for more about her time with us.