What's the new National Leader of the Baptist Union of New Zealand been thinking about lately? Find out in this video update from Chris Chamberlain – see the abridged transcript below.
Kia ora, New Zealand Baptists. We're in that season of joy, resurrection, celebration - Easter. It's a great time to reflect on the good news of Jesus and what God has done for us in Christ.
I wanted to talk a little about the year 2033, which is seven years away, and will be a milestone for Christians. It will be 2000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus, the founding of the Church at Pentecost, the Great Commission, even 2000 years since the very first Christian martyr.
Globally, every denomination is beginning to think about what they’ll do between now and that important date.
We are part of the Baptist World Alliance which has hatched and rolled out the Acts 2 movement, a movement rooted in second chapter of the Book of Acts. Aotearoa Baptists are calling it He Haruru Nui ‘the great noise’, a reference to the rushing wind of Pentecost.
The Acts 2 movement incorporates five pathways, different dimensions of Christian life and discipleship and I am certain there's something for everyone in this amazing project our global Baptist family are beginning to engage with.
The five pathways are less a checklist and more like a compass; things we can do as Christians to love our neighbours and communities. Things like praying for the more than 1,000 languages and people who still do not have a copy of the scriptures in their tongue. Or sharing your faith story. Intentionally cultivating relationships in your community. One pathway is associated with caring practically for the people around us. Another is standing with the persecuted people in our world. As I mentioned before, there's something in there that everyone can do.
The Acts 2 movement He Haruru Nui asks us to believe that what God has done at Pentecost, God would do again in our time. And you don't need to look very far to know that in our world, we desperately need the work of the Spirit. We desperately need the Church to stay focused and to celebrate and lean into the Resurrection. We need the Church to be a Kingdom people who are ignited by a vision of what God has done. And the Acts 2 movement, He Haruru Nui is our opportunity to join in a big global project.
At the National Support Centre we're pulling together resources to help our churches engage with it – click here for more information. It’s something we can play about with so it fits our own contexts, and our own local churches.
This is all just starting, but my sense is that over the next seven years, this is going to be something that really grows.
More ‘Together:...’ columns by Chris Chamberlain
Together: Kingdom people (23 March 2026)
Together: When children struggle, the Church responds (9 March 2026)
Together: week one with Chris (16 February 2026)
