Nineteen participants joined the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) Group Leaders’ Training on 31 March (7:00-9:00 PM) and 1 April (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM) at Oamaru Baptist Church.

The participants came from four church groups, Salvation Army Oamaru (7), All Nations Church of Hope (3), Waitaki Life Group (1), and Oamaru Baptist Church (8).

The TEE Aotearoa training team is thankful for the support of their respective pastors – Paul and Jocelyn Smith (Salvation Army Oamaru), Sam and Dawn Ghoorah (All Nations Church of Hope) and Andy Aguilar (Waitaki Life Group).

Our Next Step Commitments

• Organise a city-wide small group programme (coordinate between the four churches that participated) – Jonan will follow up with the pastors.
• Talk to your leadership.
• Exchange phone numbers and emails of training participants – Jonan will follow up.
• Pastors meet to encourage and coordinate on TEE – pastors could share ideas and pray for groups in each church. 
• Ask the Lord what you can do to follow up on this training 
• Invite some people to form a group.
• Share the TEE model with your church.
• Think outside of the box.
• Pray for TEE to spread in Oamaru and that God will lead you to a specific person.
• Order some books from TEE Aotearoa and move forward in faith.
  
  Source: Ann’s notes

Thank you, Ann and Lewis and TEE Aotearoa!

We thank Ann Borquist and Lewis Varley for offering their precious time to train us. We salute your commitment to Jesus’ Great Commission through TEE Aotearoa.

Thinking of Lewis having an early morning trip from Hamilton to Wellington, then with Ann, flying into Timaru and travelling to Oamaru on 31 March, and then the trip back makes us value dearly the training that we received from you. May God bless you and your respective families.

Acknowledgment of support

TEE Aotearoa appreciates deeply and is thankful for the following organisations and persons: Oamaru Baptist Church, Hopevale Trust, Century House Bed and Breakfast (host), Arnel and Jane Casitas (host), Brendan and Deana Grant (host), Jewel Castillon (host), Gleniti Baptist Church, and many others who prayed and helped make this event a success.

PHOTO CREDITS: Ann Borquist

Why does Oamaru Baptist Church need it?

One of the many challenges we faced in the past few years was fulfilling the growth vision that pastors and leaders had laid out in the last two decades.

The Baptist Church’s growth vision is clearly stated and elaborated in two documents, “Church Consultation and Self Study, February 2001” and “Oamaru Baptist Church a New Vision for 2008”.

Last June 2022, when I started my pastoral work with OBC, the first thing that I did was research the vision of the church.

As I delved into the church’s archives, I found the two valuable reports I mentioned above, which I am using as references in my pastoral leadership.

Conducting the Group Leaders’ Training is one of the steps in fulfilling the Baptist Church’s vision in the last 20 years. We have partnered with Theological Education by Extension Aotearoa (TEE Aotearoa) for this endeavour.

We need the Group Leaders’ Training because we want to grow.

Join us in our desire for growth. Pray about joining the Group Leaders’ Training on 31 March (7:00 to 9:00 PM) and 1 April (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM). Read the poster below for further information. Thank you!

This is a training on facilitating a Bible study group using the TEE resources.

A registration fee of $50.00 per participant covers materials (Bible materials and leaders’ guide) and lunch.

Hopevale Trust is sponsoring the travel expenses of our resource persons.

The training is open to interested participants from other Christian churches in Oamaru and nearby towns.

Read about the resource persons from TEE Aotearoa who will come and conduct the training.

Ann Borquist

Rev. Dr Ann Borquist serves with Arotahi/NZBMS, TEE Aotearoa and International Ministries, ABCUSA.  

She works alongside partner Baptist conventions in Asia-Pacific and worldwide in theological education, pastoral care, holistic development, servant leadership, cross-cultural mission training, and refugee work.  

She lives with her family in Wellington. 

Lewis Varley

Lewis Varley is from the UK, has lived in NZ for six years, and worked as a missionary in Bangladesh for 17 years. 

He has been involved in TEE for many years and is passionate about seeing God’s people equipped for service and strengthened in their faith. 

He is a lecturer at Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies in Gordonton, Hamilton.