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The Power of 5 - lay leaders' programmes

It takes its inspiration from the biblical story of Jesus feeding the 5000 and is the culmination of hundreds of hours planning. It's Equipping the 5000 (Equip5000) and it's coming soon to a town near you.

Equip5000 is a five year project designed to support an estimated 5000 congregational leaders from Co-operative Ventures and Presbyterian parishes as well as those serving on regional and national church organisations.

The project will involve seminars and provide an umbrella for the promotion of opportunities available through other agencies and groups.

Equipp5000 has been spearheaded by a group of seven people - three experienced lay leaders and four field staff - who share a vision about the untapped potential of lay leadership. Through a series of "talkfests", they have developed a project firmly based on the Presbyterian leadership tradition that is also user friendly for 21st Century audiences.

For two members of the group, Equip5000 reflects their belief that there are skills within parishes around the country that are under-used. Nola Stuart, an experienced lay leader from Riverton in Western Southland and Tanya Duncan, an elder at St James English Language Church in Wellington, are enthusiastic about the practical solution Equip5000 offers to challenges facing the church.

Nola held positons on Presbytery and the Council of Assembly prior to her recent appointment as Moderator for the Otago-Southland Synod. But it was a long association with the Association of Presbyterian Women (APW) that brought the under use of lay skills to her attention.

"In the 1980s, APW offered training programmes at its conferences. Afterwards we would often hear that the skills members had learned in pastoral care and other areas were never fully utilised afterwards," she says.

"Equip5000 recognises that vigorous lay leadership is vital to the life of the church. The challenge now is to come up with programmes that are responsive to cultural needs."

As Tanya is quick to point out, Equip5000 deliberately avoids a "one size fits all" approach to leadership.

"A high level of knowledge already exists out there. Equip5000 will offer people a basket of opportunities to broaden their skills and ultimately, strengthen the life of the parish," she says.

Following its promotion through church networks, the project team will establish task groups to organise and implement programmes that fall under the project's broad umbrella.

Equip5000 offers medium term programmes with long term benefits that the planning group are confident will benefit increasing numbers of people as the project gains momentum. For infomation on Equip5000, send a message to: Equip5000(at)paradise.net.nz or phone Project Team Leader Graeme Nicholas at Ph: 03 377 3314.

Aslo see the equip5000 web pages.