Jan is the Children & Families Catalyst for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, and a member of the Baptist Women New Zealand (BWNZ) board alongside Tanya Lameta, Roi Nu Maran, Robyn Bloomfield, Jane Cong Ye and Jody Payne.
Baptist Women New Zealand exists to advocate for the full and equal participation of women in the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, bringing gospel renewal to all people.
Auckland retreat day
Earlier this month, sixty women from across Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland gathered at Carey Baptist College for a day of word, wisdom and worship.
Those who attended were blessed with rich storytelling as a diverse group of eight women shared personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness. The stories covered a range of life experiences, such as grief, health issues, parenting and relationship struggles, and God’s calling.
Though each of the stories reflected different journeys, they were connected through faith. Each speaker shared of how God had spoken to them (word) and the wisdom they have gained, and humbly illustrated a posture of worship as they testified to God’s faithfulness in the deepest valleys as well as on the mountaintops of life.
In addition to creating space for storytelling, we were also blessed with amazing kai, time for connection, and prayer - and hopefully everyone left having made new friends.
A huge thank you to the women who shared their stories with such honesty and vulnerability – you were inspiring! Thank you also to the Hosanna Lighthouse Baptist Church team for starting our time together with wonderful sung worship, and to my fellow board members, Tanya Lameta and Roi Nu Maran for their hard work.
Personal reflections
As I reflect on this day, God spoke to me personally about two key themes.
Firstly, the role of grief in our lives.
Grief impacts us whenever we lose something that is important to us whether that be a person, our health, a relationship or our dreams of what we hope life will be. I was struck by how important it is to grieve and mourn well.
The second theme that emerged for me was the importance of having a village, a community of people around us who pray, support and walk with us through the highs and lows of life.
God’s people are stronger together.
Spaces are available on the BWNZ board!
We would love to have more women join our board from across the country. Information on nominations can be found here hui.baptist.nz/nomination-submissions
All nomination forms need to be submitted by 5pm, Thursday 10 September 2026.
Upcoming Events
BWNZ retreats are happening in Christchurch and Nelson too and we hope to make this a regular event.
- Known: Knowing God, Knowing Me | Saturday 29th August, 9:30am-4pm, Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, $50.
- October 17th in Nelson (more details to come)
Images supplied.
