Laidlaw Centre for Church Leadership exists to bless, love, and serve the Church of Aotearoa New Zealand by providing her leaders with the tools, support, and guidance they need to flourish.
Abide is one of the ways CfCL is outworking this aim offering:
A national gathering point for church leadership teams to learn with and from each other about best practice for church leadership in Aotearoa.
A distinctly Aotearoa conference – developed by and for Aotearoa’s church leaders.
Opportunities to connect with church leaders from different denominations and church networks.
Time and space to receive prayer and ministry and to be led in worship rather than always having to give and lead.
We have more than 20 New Zealand pastors and leaders contributing to the various sessions this year. And we are thrilled to have a few overseas guests joining us this year, including:
Pete Greig (UK) Pete is the increasingly bewildered founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement. He and his wife Sammy, a professional counsellor, serve as Senior Pastors of Emmaus Rd Church in the south of England. Pete co-hosts the Lectio 365 daily devotional and brings leadership to Waverley Abbey, a 1400 year old place of prayer just outside London. His award-winning books include Red Moon Rising, God on Mute, How to Pray and How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People. Pete and Sammy split their time between a river boat on the River Wey, south of London, and an island retreat off the south coast of England where they host and mentor leaders.
Laura Barringer (USA) Laura is a full-time teacher, a part-time writer and speaker, and she is coauthor of A Church Called Tov as well as Pivot: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture. She previously co-authored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. A graduate of Wheaton College in the United States, she resides near Chicago, Illinois with her husband Mark and their three beagles.
Mark & Trudi Sayers (Australia) Mark & Trudi live in Melbourne’s east with their daughter Grace and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. Trudi is the National Director of 24-7 Prayer Australia and is also a pastor at Red Church in Melbourne where she has invested in building a culture of prayer over many years. Trudi’s passion for prayer has grown in fervour through witnessing first-hand the power of prayer to bring renewal in her own life and corporately for the Church. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Reappearing Church and A Non-Anxious Presence.
