Resources
Christian Women in Governance retreat resources
In June, a group of women from the Christian Women in Governance Network gathered for our first-ever retreat — a milestone moment held at the beautiful Clearwater Resort in Christchurch.
The gathering brought together women involved in governance across Aotearoa, each passionate about developing their leadership within a Christian framework. It was a rich time of learning, encouragement, and connection, shaped by an outstanding lineup of speakers:
Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors
Steven Moe, Partner at Parry Field Lawyers
Charlotte Cummings, Counsellor and Licensed Private Investigator
Jody Hohaia, Lecturer at the University of Canterbury
Each brought deep insight into the responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities of governance — all grounded in a shared vision of serving with faith and integrity.
Here are the resources for this retreat.
Formation Reflection Tool
This is a useful tool designed for Board members to complete separately. It may be useful to discuss together the learning opportunities you each discover with this tool, and plan ways as a Board that you can develop in the relevant areas
Mapping Board Skills
Here are two useful tools for mapping the skills that each person brings to the Board and highlighting the skills you might need to look for in your next new Board member. The tools work in tandem – first the members individually fill out the questionnaire, then the results are collated in the skills matrix. You may want to tailor the questions to your unique situation
Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry
As we grapple with the profound sadness surrounding the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, it’s helpful to revisit the key insights and recommendations from this report and consider their potential impact on the work of Christian charitable organisations.
Charlotte Cummings, who has specialist knowledge in this field, has prepared a 12-minute video message to share important points for your reflection.
The Commission's report, titled Whanaketia - Through Pain and Trauma, From Darkness to Light, inspires hope that light may emerge in our nation through the work of this Inquiry. Read the full transcript below.
Our policy manual
We have recently been working to update our Wilberforce Foundation policies. We know that writing policies and keeping policies up to date is a challenge for many charitable organisations we are connected with. So, we have decided to make our Policy Manual available for download from our website.
This manual also includes our Code of Conduct, which is a key document for our team.
Please note, you will need to do our own due diligence in making policies fit for purpose for your setting, and the Wilberforce Foundation accepts no liability should you choose to utilise any part of this Policy Manual.
We are also happy to share an editable version of this document, for ease of use. Feel free to contact us, if this would be useful for you.
We will be adding more policies over the coming months.
Faith in Action Report
The Faith In Action Report profiles the 3,200 registered church entities and 1,000 para-church organisations across New Zealand. For the first time, trends across denominations & geography over the last decade have been compiled to provide insights into where the church is growing and shrinking across Aotearoa.
You can read more about the report below or contact us to view the webinar with James.
Nga Here Podcast – The Many Connections
Ngā Here - The Many Connections, is a podcast jointly funded by the Wilberforce Foundation and Scripture Union New Zealand. It explores the many connections that exist between creation, the Bible and living in Aotearoa.
Host James Beck explores what the Bible might have to say about the way we live and the way we care for creation. There are currently three seasons of Ngā Here - The Many Connections, with a fourth season in production.
You can listen to Ngā Here - The Many Connections on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Faith & Belief Report 2023
We are delighted to have now released the reports from the 2023 Faith and Belief Study, Te Patapātai Whakapono.
This is a national study of faith and spirituality in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research explores the hopes, fears, and longings of people living in this nation, how they engage with spirituality and religious faith, and our society’s current perceptions of Christianity, Jesus, and the church. Two studies have now been completed – one in 2018, and another in 2023. The studies were commissioned by the Wilberforce Foundation and undertaken by the independent research firm McCrindle. Each of the studies involved a nationally representative survey as well as focus group discussions to better understand the key insights that emerged through the survey.
On this website you will see reports from both the 2018 and 2023 studies.
These pieces of research are commissioned and made available to spark discussion in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is our hope that they are of value to you.
Also available is a short highlights video from our combined launch alongside the New Zealand Church Life Survey, as well as a full video from our Christchurch launch event.
