Workshops
Auditorium
A Conversation with Aaron Hendry
Aaron Hendry (he/him) with MC Neill Ballentyne (he/him)
Queer rights are shaped by policies, laws, and the wider political landscapeābut how can we influence change? Join Aaron Hendry and Neill Ballentyne for a Q&A style discussion about politics and advocacy. Learn how you can engage in advocacy, agitate for change, and make your voice heard in ways that empower and uplift both you and your community. Whether you’re new to political action or a seasoned activist, this conversation will leave you with practical steps and a renewed sense of hope.
Corner Room
Te Ao MÄori & Decolonising Faith
Geremy Hema (he/him)
Mana TakatÄpui runga i te marae, i roto hoki i ngÄ hÄhi, me ngÄ hapori ā TakatÄpui leadership and presence on our marae, in our churches and communities. What are the issues? A session for the MÄori community or for those who wish to learn more. Balancing being MÄori with being queer and with being Christian.
Youth Room
Inviting Allies on the Journey:
Why Knowing Our āWhyā Is Important
Amanda Pilbrow (she/her)
A conversation exploring the journey of becoming an affirming ally and how, through education and example, we might invite and build our faith communities. Knowing our āwhyā can enable us to have grace-filled conversations into areas otherwise seen as roadblocks. Helping ourselves and others understand and navigate changes in our belief structure and experiences.
Chapel
Conversion Practices Insights: Findings, Progress, and Church Resources
Andre Afamasaga (he/him) & Taine Polkinghorne (he/him)
In this workshop, representatives from the Human Rights Commission will present findings from their Conversion Practices Insights Report. Building on their 2023 session at the Awaken / Maranga Mai Conference, this workshop will revisit the discussion on conversion practices and explore the resources available to both survivors and churches.
Workshop Slot 2
Saturday 1.30pm
Auditorium
Panel ā Embracing the Rainbow: Faith Leaders on the Journey to Inclusion
MC: Glenn Bennett (he/him)
Panelists From:
- The Methodist Church: Peter Norman (he/him)
- The Catholic Church:Ā Fr Stephen Berecz (he/him)
- The Anglican Church
- The Presbyterian Church
- The Salvation Army
For many faith communities, the journey toward full LGBTQIA+ inclusion starts with difficult questions and deep discernment. This panel brings together faith leaders at different stages of that journeyāfrom those just beginning to wrestle with inclusion to those actively working to create affirming spaces. Through honest conversation, weāll explore whatās working, what we might do differently, and what we can learn from other traditions.
Weāll also tackle the tough questions: How do we bring about structural change? Whatās possible for those returning to non-affirming spaces? And how do we hold onto hope while working for reform within challenging systems?
Whether your community is just starting out or well on its way, this discussion will offer insights and encouragement for the road ahead.
Corner Room
Connect Well: Creating Healthy, Lasting Relationships as Rainbow People
Rev. Nicola Sian Frater (she/them)
Successful relationships with others, in the end, are mostly about growing in our relationship with ourselves. This workshop will cover: “Limerence” the brain drug triggered state of “falling in love” and premature bonding; what is true compatibility?; and the problem of trying to communicate when both triggered at the same time. This is not a communication problem. It is a dysregulation problem. These conflicts feel terrible and even fatal to our relationship. Yet they don’t mean we are incompatible, they just mean we are human. How do we repair after one of those terrible conflicts? The principles we will cover apply to all human relationships.
Youth Room
Understanding Gender Identity: Language, Inclusion, and Allyship
Mace Malcolm (they/them)
In this workshop we will explore key concepts such as what gender is, common identity terms, the importance of pronouns, and strategies for using gender-inclusive language. This session will also provide practical guidance on how to be an active ally to gender-diverse individuals in personal, professional, and faith spaces. Whether you’re new to these topics or looking to deepen your understanding, this workshop will offer valuable insights and tools to foster inclusivity and respect for all.
Chapel
Holding Space for Yourself: Self-Care in Tough Times
Kay McCabeĀ (she/her)
Navigating faith and identity can be deeply fulfillingābut it can also be exhausting. How do you support yourself when times get tough? This workshop will explore practical ways to recognise when you’re reaching your limits, set boundaries to protect your well-being, and hold your ground when your space is being challenged. Weāll also talk about the unique experience of coming out as a Christian in rainbow spaces, where responses are often shaped by past harm, and how to engage in these conversations while keeping yourself safe. Come and learn strategies for self-care and standing strong in who you are.
Workshop Slot 3
Saturday 3.30pm
Auditorium
Do You Still Talk to Grandma? – Navigating Hard Conversations with Love and Accountability
Brit Barron (she/her)
How do we hold onto both justice and relationship when the people we love hold harmful beliefs? How do we challenge ignorance and bigotry without shutting down the possibility of change?
In this workshop, author Brit Barron invites attendees into the tension between accountability and relationship, while unpacking key themes from her book Do You Still Talk to Grandma?
Through storytelling, discussion, and reflection, Brit will help participants explore how they can tell difficult truths, set boundaries, forgive, and love people who say or believe problematic things without sacrificing themselves, their values, or their beliefs.
This workshop is for anyone struggling with the tension of loving those whose beliefs hurt them, whether in faith communities, family, or beyond. Come ready to reflect, wrestle, and imagine new ways forwardāones that make space for transformation, and hope.
Corner Room
Te Ao MÄori: Sharing Stories
Dr Te Aroha Roundtree & Jacob Tobin
with MC:Ā Geremy Hema (he/him)
He KÄinga Wairua mÄ te katou. A discussion of our commitment to ensuring that our places of worship, mightĀ offer a spiritual home to everyone with Dr Te Aroha (Methodist) and Jacob (Ratana).
Youth Room
Theology 101: Understanding Clobber Verses
Peter Lineham (he/him)
Theology 101 will examine the clobber verses, and how we should respond to them. It will set this in the wider context of how we understand the place of the Bible in our faith, and possible ways to read the bible that are life-giving.
Chapel
Embodying Freedom: A Queer Liberation Meditation for Self-Sovereignty
Petra Zaleski (she/her)
This session engages the sacred practice of divine reading, or ālectio divinaā. Entering into our text, āWild Geeseā, by the late poet Mary Oliver weāll be invited to consider the intrinsic worth and beauty of our selves as we respond to the inner invitations of Spirit.
Workshop Slot 4
Sunday 1.30pm
Hall
Pacific Rainbow+ Peoples and their Journeys with the Christian Church in Aotearoa New Zealand
Seutaāafili Dr Patrick Thomsen (he/they)
Drawing on data from the Manalagi Project, NZās first Pacific Rainbow+ Health and Wellbeing Project funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, this presentation will discuss how Pacific Rainbow+ peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand, storied their relationship to the Christian Church. This will include journeys into faith, experiences of navigating (both positive and negative) relationships and connections, conversion therapy, and the shift toward indigenous spiritualities that many participants shared with the research team.
Corner Room
Neurodivergence and the Church: Inclusive Faith
Staci McLean (she/her)
For many neurodivergent Christians, church can be both a place of connection and a source of struggle. Sensory overload, social barriers, and exclusion can make participation difficultābut church should be a space where everyone is valued and can belong.
This workshop explores the challenges of church life, the intersection of neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ identity, strategies for self-advocacy, and practical ways to foster inclusion.
Together, we will navigate how to build welcoming, accessible, and affirming faith communities where all can fully participate and thrive.
Youth Room
Theology 201: Reclaiming the Expansiveness of Scripture
Steff Fenton (they/them)
This interactive workshop explores how queer and trans people, along with their allies, can reclaim scripture by centering the lived experiences of being LGBTIQA+. Together, we will explore key principles of queer theology, engage practical steps to read the bible restoratively, and trial our own queer interpretations of scripture.
Chapel
Reclaiming Our Sexuality: Pursuing a Healthy Sexual Ethic
Lexee Blackmore (they/them)
Sexuality is a core part of being human, yet many of us have inherited beliefs about sex and relationships that no longer serve us. This conversation-based workshop is a space for LGBTQIA+ people to explore, question, and reimagine sexual ethics in a way that aligns with our personal values, faith, and lived experiences. Through shared reflection, we will unpack some of the influences that have shaped our views and consider how we might approach sex and relationships in ways that are more authentic and healthy. This is a sex-positive, inclusive, and non-judgemental space where we can learn from one another and kÅrerorero about these themes with curiosity and care.Ā
Please note, due to the discussion based format, this workshop will be capped at 20 people.
