Christine Stride is the Executive Assistant to the National Leader. She is a member of Titirangi Baptist Church, in Auckland.
This is the second article in a three-part series introducing the Acts 2 Movement that is beginning this year. It is based on the presentation our five Regional Leaders gave at our national Hui last November. Read the first article: A movement for such a time as this.
At the heart of the Acts 2 Movement are five pathways — five dimensions of Christian life and discipleship that together paint a picture of what a healthy, mission-shaped follower of Jesus might look like. They're not a checklist, but more like a compass.
What makes these pathways compelling is how holistic they are. Discipleship conversations in our churches often tend to emphasise one dimension over others, for example some lean heavily on Bible knowledge, others on evangelism, others on social action. The Acts 2 pathways hold all these together, and ground them in relationship with God, with each other, and with our communities.
Here's what each pathway involves, and what it could look like in an Aotearoa context.
Te paipera tapu — Bible
Deepening biblical literacy for transformation.
This isn't just about reading the Bible more. It's about learning to read Scripture in ways that form us, shape our communities, and help us discern what God is saying to us in our particular place and time.
Globally, one of the Acts 2 Movement’s goals connected to this pathway is praying and working towards Bible translation for the 1,159 languages that still have no Scripture in their own tongue. For New Zealand churches, this pathway could include partnering with organisations like Wycliffe Bible Translators, sponsoring a specific language project, or simply committing as a congregation to deeper engagement with the Bible together.
For children, it might mean learning about the incredible diversity of languages in the world and praying for people who don't yet have the Bible in their own words.
Whakawhiti kōrero — Story
Engaging in meaningful conversation. Sharing the story of what God has done in your life.
Every one of us has a story. The question is whether we know how to share it and whether we can put words to what God has done in our lives in a way that is natural, honest, and accessible to someone who doesn't share our faith.
This pathway is about helping people find their voice. It's about creating environments in our churches where testimony is practised and celebrated — not just the dramatic conversion story, but the everyday experience of God's faithfulness, presence, and transformation.
"Every single one of us has a story to tell in terms of our relationship with Jesus. Are we prepared to share that story?" — Peter Foster, Regional Leader
Luke Kaa-Morgan described this pathway in te reo Maori as Whakawhiti kōrero — exchanging stories, or having conversations, not giving a presentation.
Whakawhanaungatanga — Friends
Cultivating quality relationships with neighbours and community.
One of the most countercultural things a Christian can do in 2026 is genuinely know their neighbours. The Friends pathway is an invitation to take seriously the relationships we have — or could have — with the people around us.
Relationship takes time. It can't be rushed, and it certainly can't be manufactured as a strategy. But it can be intentional. The Friends pathway invites churches to think about how they are encouraging their people to build genuine connections with those outside the church, not as a prelude to evangelism, but as an expression of love and care.
From a Māori perspective, “Sometimes I might need something from a person, and I receive that, other times I may be able to gift someone something, and they’re the ‘receiver’. There’s value in both those spaces of giver and receiver.”
Whakawhanaungatanga is about becoming family with whoever the wind blows us towards.
Manaakitanga — Care
Care is perhaps the most immediately accessible of the five pathways. It asks: who is in need around us, and how are we responding?
The Acts 2 Movement global goal connected to care is reaching a billion people with practical support. That's a staggering number — but it's made up of millions of small acts. A meal delivered. A lawn mowed. A listening ear. A warm welcome.
Manaakitanga, in a Māori context, carries a deeper meaning — it's about honouring the mana, the dignity and worth, of another person. Care isn't just doing things for people; it's seeing them. It's making room. It's allowing someone to be known.
Whakatika — Justice
Participating in restoration and reconciliation.
The Justice pathway invites us to ask where God is already at work making things right and to join in. This might mean advocacy for the vulnerable, support for refugees, engagement with issues of environmental care, or standing alongside those whose voices are not heard.
One of the Acts 2 Movement global goals is to stand with the persecuted church, the millions of Christians worldwide who face real danger because of their faith. For New Zealand Baptists, the Justice pathway (as it was described at Hui) connects our comfortable faith to the costly faith of brothers and sisters around the world.
Whakatika is about participating in acts that see something corrected or made right again, said Luke Kaa-Morgan, Te pouarataki mō te hīkoi Treaty Guide.
"People may not know we're there but something's made right and justice flows like a river."
Held together in He Haruru Nui
What ties all five pathways together is the vision they share: a people formed by Scripture, living out their story, rooted in genuine friendship, overflowing in care, and committed to justice. A church that looks like what we read about in our Bibles in Acts chapter 2.
He Haruru Nui — the great sound, like the rush of a mighty wind. The Acts 2 Movement invites New Zealand Baptists to lie on the whenua and listen for that sound — and then to respond to whatever the Spirit is saying.
The third and final article in this series will get practical: what does engagement with the Acts 2 Movement – He Haruru Nui actually look like for your church, your family, your youth group? And where do you start?
To learn more, visit the Acts 2 Movement page on the baptist.nz website: acts2.baptist.nz
Image credit: @felicia-manolaches-images
