3 December 2020
Kia Ora Everyone,
Thank you for your support over 2020. Although it has been a strange year – at least, not the year that I had in mind – God has been faithful.
It was lovely to finally get together with most of you in Christchurch on the 5th November. Really great to be encouraged by God’s word and have those conversations that we’ve missed out on. Thanks to Costa, Lachlan and John McClean for your input into the day.
Remember Gideon?
I have been digging into the Gideon story of the Judges (6-8). While Gideon (‘Hacker’) was a faulty, it is interesting to see how the angel of the LORD first approached him: “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior!” (Judges 6:12). At that point Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Midianite marauders! We can picture him spinning around to see who the angel was really talking to. Valiant? Warrior? Me?
Sometimes we can feel like this. We might wonder what we have to offer in ministry or how we can possibly do anything worthwhile in the church. But, as we look at the Gideon story, we see that God was in the process of shifting Gideon’s focus off himself onto God. Remember the weird story about the 300 soldiers who lapped water from their hands? Again, this was God reminding Israel that he could use whoever he wanted to accomplish great things for him. 300 soldiers who lap water like dogs can defeat a whole swarm of camel-riding invaders.
As we turn our thoughts to summer holidays and preparing ourselves for 2021, take some time to ask yourself where it is that you find your confidence. For Gideon, it was the God who brought Israel out of slavery (6:8) and who is saying to you “I will be with you.” (v.16). We serve the same God.
So long…
Multiply wants to take this opportunity to farewell those apprentices who are moving on to the next phase of ministry. We trust that God would use those lessons learned during your apprenticeship to enrich and inform what God has in store for you next.
…Til next time
The Training Days and Conference dates are locked in for 2021. See you there!
| Thursday 25 March 2021 | Auckland |
| Thursday 24 June 2021 | Christchurch |
| Friday 17 & 18 September 2021 | TBC |
| Thursday 18 November 2021 | Christchurch |
God bless, and an early Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2021!
Geoff Macpherson
Updates – August 2020 – Multiply Conference
19 August 2020
Hi again everyone,
The Multiply directors met yesterday to pray and think through the next step for our conference (28-29 August). As you would appreciate, we needed to adjust our plans to work with the current uncertainty.
Multiply is going ahead with the Challenge Conference 2020 and Advance Conference | Raised Forever with hubs in the main centres.
We will now run hubs in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin (details to follow). We will rework the program to take into account the use of video, but by gathering in cohorts at the hubs, it means that you will still be able to spend time discussing the talks and hanging out with others.
Multiply has reduced the ticket prices because a significant cost component is venue hire and catering. Now you can register for the Challenge Apprenticeship Day for $25 and Advance Conference for $35.
If you have already registered and paid full fees, we will be in touch to discuss your options and reimbursement.
We are also keen to talk with you if you live outside of one of these main centres but would like to get in on the action. We want to help you set up a hub in your town, pleases send us an email if you are interested. You can also register your details here, and we will contact you if a hub is set up in your region.
We realise that it won’t be quite the same, but in unusual times like these, it is more important than ever that we pull together to support the gospel cause in NZ. While it is frustrating and challenging, we don’t despair. We know that the Lord is still sovereignly ruling and directing all the affairs of the universe.
Thanks for your support and patience. Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@multiply.co.nz.
We will be posting details as they become available, so keep an eye out for updates, here and on Facebook.
Geoff Macpherson
General Manager
www.multiply.co.nz
14 August 2020
Kia Ora Everyone,
In light of the announcement that Auckland will remain under level-3 restrictions until 27th August, we now need to adapt our plans for the Advance Conference | Raised Forever and Challenge Conference 2020. The restrictions prohibit in-person gatherings of 10 or more people and also prohibits travel to and from Auckland.
Sadly, this does mean that we will not be able to gather in Auckland as we planned. However, now that we do know what is happening, we at least have some parameters to work within. The Multiply directors are currently evaluating how best to proceed.
Fortunately, we are all much more adept at using technology for alternative ways of gathering. Be assured, however, that we won’t simply try to dump everything that was planned for in-person delivery into an online format. We are working on an alternative program that works better for online delivery.
We have already spoken with supporting churches in the main centres to see if they can make their facilities and expertise available for local attendees to gather. That way, you will be able to gather with others and enjoy in-person interaction. So far, things have been falling into place.
Again, pray for us, and for our churches, as we work through these fresh challenges.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@multiply.co.nz
Geoff Macpherson
General Manager
www.multiply.co.nz
13 August
Hi Everyone,
In light of the current Level 3 lockdown rules in place for Auckland, and the Level 2 conditions for the rest of NZ, the Multiply directors are evaluating how best to proceed with the Advance Conference | Raised Forever and Challenge Conference 2020, coming up at the end of August. Obviously, this has presented a fresh challenge for us which we are keen to provide clear communication on.
We will wait for Friday’s announcement before we come back to you with an update on how we will proceed.
If the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora gives the all-clear and we return to normal conditions on Friday, we will look at carrying on as planned.
However, we are aware that the current restrictions may cause further issues for travel and some disruption to flights. We will seek to respond to any fresh challenges in the situation accordingly. There are some different options we are thinking through.
Pray for us, that we would have wisdom and courage. Pray above all, that the Lord Jesus will be honoured and made much of.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@multiply.co.nz.
Geoff Macpherson
General Manager
www.multiply.co.nz
Multiply General Manager Role Announcement
7 October 2019
The Multiply Network is pleased to announce Geoff Macpherson as its new General Manager. Geoff comes to Multiply with over 20-years leadership experience in local churches in both urban and provincial New Zealand.
He is passionate about seeing churches in Aotearoa New Zealand working together to raise up missional leaders who will evangelise churches into existence across denominations.
“The longer I’m involved in ministry I realise that the church in New Zealand is too small for each group or denomination to be trying to do everything on its own,” says Geoff. “We need to work together, sharing our knowledge and resources for the glory of Christ.”
Geoff joins the Multiply team as General Manager to spearhead the development of missional leaders through apprentice training days, local training events and our annual conference in Auckland. He will also be freed up to assist churches across the country develop and run church-based apprenticeships, and expand and deepen the fellowship of trainers across the country.
Geoff has a Bachelor of Arts, and a Masters of Divinity from Birmingham Theological Seminary in the United States.
Geoff will also invest 1 day a week as principal of Grace Theological College (www.gtc.ac.nz), and until the end of 2019 will spend 2 days a week pastoring Trinity Church in South Auckland as he transitions out of that role.
“Grace Theological College and Multiply are both non-denominational ministries that seek to bless and serve the wider evangelical church in NZ,” states Geoff. “I’m excited about this new role and look forward to building on the good work that Dave Giesbers has done.”
He and Marie have been married for twenty-five years and have three sons.
Dave Giesbers stepped back in April from Multiply to join the City on a Hill church in Wellington as a ministry apprentice. You can read about the details of that move here. We will have an opportunity to formally thank Dave for his five years of service at Multiply at our October National Conference.
Dave Giesbers – Leaving Multiply
After 5 years having the joy of serving the Multiply network, my wife Rachael and I have made the decision that it is time to finish up. This has been a hard decision to work through as I have been and remain committed to the work of Multiply. I have particularly loved over the years seeing what God is doing around NZ, across different denominations and networks, as together we seek to evangelise churches into existence. It has been wonderful meeting and becoming friends with so many of you, hearing your dreams and the stories of God at work, and it has been a privilege praying with you. There is a real sense in which I wanted to continue doing this work for many years to come. So why am I leaving Multiply? We have felt God growing in us a desire to be serving in pastoral ministry, and the study and training that will prepare us for that.
I have loved being freed up with Multiply to see churches strengthened and planted, and gospel workers raised up. I have also come to realise that I am passionate about being on the front lines of gospel ministry, teaching God’s word, encouraging, caring for and leading his people and sharing the wonderful gospel news.
To that end, our family has moved to Wellington where we have joined the City on a Hill Evangelical Church family. I have started some theological study, and will start an apprenticeship with City on a Hill at the end of April 2019.
Going forward we are confident that God will continue to work through Multiply to identify, enable, and unleash missional leaders to evangelise churches into existence across denominations, throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. I am really looking forward to seeing a number of new churches kick-off in 2019, and gathering with apprentices around the country at the training intensives. I am looking forward to continuing to hear the stories of God working amongst the different churches around the country, and benefiting from the learning being shared across the network. More than any of that I look forward to, and pray for God to unite us in a single purpose – to see more churches planted to reach more people with the gospel.
Our ongoing prayer is that God would continue to use flawed people such as you and I, to extend his kingdom across Aotearoa. That in the years to come we would marvel at what he has done, seeing the gospel sound forth from churches all around NZ, plucking people from death and bringing them to life in the gospel, growing his people into the image of his son, raising up a generation of gospel workers, and churches planted as a result. Stay tuned for some exciting updates on the Multiply network in the coming months.
If you would like to be kept in the loop on our journey, you can sign up for our prayer updates here: www.cityonahill.co.nz/daveandrach.
Your brother,
Dave Giesbers