On Friday last week, I jumped into a mighty Nissan Safari with Spanky Moore and Jason Shaw for a classic lads’ mission down to Kaikōura. If you’ve ever made that drive, you’ll know how beautiful it is with snowy mountains crashing into the sea. Kaikōura has to be one of the most stunning spots in our diocese. It’s also home to an equally beautiful church community: the faithful people of St Peter’s. This parish has a deep heart for creation. Their community gardens, hospitality, and eco-faith practices speak volumes. So it was a real privilege to spend Saturday with their leadership team, running a Wayfinder session and seeking God’s direction for the future of the parish.
The Wayfinder process is a guided workshop that helps parishes discern God’s vision for their future by bringing clarity, unity, and practical direction. Rooted in prayer and collaboration, it gives leadership teams space to name where they’ve been, what they value, and where they sense God leading next. It’s not about strategic plans or corporate models, it’s about listening to the Spirit together and responding in faith. Together we mapped out a simple but powerful goals framework: a bold ten-year vision, three-year priorities, a one-year focus, and three-month goals. I won’t go into detail here but what I can say is that the Spirit was present, people were honest, and there was a deep sense of unity and momentum by the end of the day.
Rose Parsons, who serves as Elder Care Worker at St Peter’s, sent through this reflection after the day:
“Thank you to Jason, Brad and Spanky, for your big effort to come all the way down to Kaikōura to offer the Wayfinder Course. I think it has given us a bold vision and I personally feel more secure knowing more clearly what our joint direction is. I think as a parish we have to overcome the temptation to try and have all the answers before we begin – this would leave no room for God's miracles and to have the community come on board.”
What a beautiful challenge, to leave room for miracles. That’s at the heart of what Wayfinder is about. It’s not about perfect plans. It’s about opening up space to listen, dream, and move together in faith.
Want to host a Wayfinder at your parish?
We’d love to see more parishes go through this process. Wayfinder helps leadership teams name what matters most, discern together, and clarify practical steps for the road ahead.
If you’d like to book a Wayfinder for your parish or find out more, contact Spanky Moore: pioneers@nelsonanglican.nz
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
On Friday last week, I jumped into a mighty Nissan Safari with Spanky Moore and Jason Shaw for a classic lads’ mission down to Kaikōura. If you’ve ever made that drive, you’ll know how beautiful it is with snowy mountains crashing into the sea. Kaikōura has to be one of the most stunning spots in our diocese. It’s also home to an equally beautiful church community: the faithful people of St Peter’s. This parish has a deep heart for creation. Their community gardens, hospitality, and eco-faith practices speak volumes. So it was a real privilege to spend Saturday with their leadership team, running a Wayfinder session and seeking God’s direction for the future of the parish.
The Wayfinder process is a guided workshop that helps parishes discern God’s vision for their future by bringing clarity, unity, and practical direction. Rooted in prayer and collaboration, it gives leadership teams space to name where they’ve been, what they value, and where they sense God leading next. It’s not about strategic plans or corporate models, it’s about listening to the Spirit together and responding in faith. Together we mapped out a simple but powerful goals framework: a bold ten-year vision, three-year priorities, a one-year focus, and three-month goals. I won’t go into detail here but what I can say is that the Spirit was present, people were honest, and there was a deep sense of unity and momentum by the end of the day.
Rose Parsons, who serves as Elder Care Worker at St Peter’s, sent through this reflection after the day:
“Thank you to Jason, Brad and Spanky, for your big effort to come all the way down to Kaikōura to offer the Wayfinder Course. I think it has given us a bold vision and I personally feel more secure knowing more clearly what our joint direction is. I think as a parish we have to overcome the temptation to try and have all the answers before we begin – this would leave no room for God's miracles and to have the community come on board.”
What a beautiful challenge, to leave room for miracles. That’s at the heart of what Wayfinder is about. It’s not about perfect plans. It’s about opening up space to listen, dream, and move together in faith.
Want to host a Wayfinder at your parish?
We’d love to see more parishes go through this process. Wayfinder helps leadership teams name what matters most, discern together, and clarify practical steps for the road ahead.
If you’d like to book a Wayfinder for your parish or find out more, contact Spanky Moore: pioneers@nelsonanglican.nz
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
