Kupu Whakapono -Confession of Faith
From this land of Aotearoa New Zealand
we confess that we believe in and belong
to the one true and living God,
who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Love before all love.
We believe in God the Father,
sovereign and holy,
Creator and nurturer of all,
Father of Jesus Christ,
sender of the Holy Spirit,
and Judge of all the earth.
We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
truly human and truly divine,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
For our sin he was crucified
and by the power of God was raised from death,
forgiving us, setting us free and bringing to birth God’s new creation.
Now ascended, he calls us to repentance and faith
and restores us to God and to one another.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who inspired the Scriptures and makes Christ known,
who transforms hearts and minds
and gathers us into the community of Christ,
empowering the Church in worship and in mission.
We belong to this triune God,
women and men,
young and old,
from many nations,
in Christ he iwi kotahi tatou, [we are one people]
witnesses to God’s love in word and action,
servants of reconciliation,
and stewards of creation.
As God’s people,
we look forward in hope and joy
to the return of Christ,
to the new heaven and earth,
where evil and death will be no more,
justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God
We serve the Church through:
Training
Our flagship training event is Connect, the national youth leader’s conference which is run in July each year. We are also available to provide training workshops in your region or church.
Resourcing
We develop resources for youth ministry, and share them through our website, along with thousands of other resources we recommend.
Advocacy
We represent the issues and needs of young people in the Presbyterian Church at a local, regional and national level. We are also available to act as an advocate for youth leaders and can provide advice.
Meeting Up
We help youth leaders meet other youth leaders in their region and around the country, to support each other and figure out ways to work together.
Matt Chamberlin
National Youth Director
Matt is the National Youth Director. His role is all about the direction PYM is going and about the direction our church needs be heading in to continue to engage young people. He works with local churches and presbyteries helping them think through and explore the kind of faith communities they need to be for emerging generations of young people and young adults. Matt is also keen to support youth ministers and is very involved in curriculum development and training of our people. Matt also oversees the the PYM Internship programme, the overall direction of training components of PYM and relationships with presbyteries.
Gordon Fitch
National Youth Manager
Gordon is the National Youth Manager for the Presbyterian Church. His role is about managing the ministries of PYM, supporting youth workers, being a resource and sharing resources, hosting training and PYM events, advocating for youth ministry and best practices, assisting in networking and promoting other organisations events.Gordon also oversees the PYM website and communications such as the Buzz.
