What is it all about?

Many of us live with a deep longing. We feel that there is a way the world should be: we sense that life is a gift, that the world is purposeful—made for flourishing and wholeness. We also feel that things have somehow gone wrong and need to be put right. In our communities, in our homes, in our own lives, we sense the need for healing and restoration.

The Christian faith dignifies our deep longings about the world—there is a way the world should be. And it announces hope: the world is marked by beauty and meaning, created and sustained by a good God—it is full of purpose. In the face of the world’s turmoil, it declares good news: in Jesus Christ, God is acting to heal and reconcile our world. Actually, each of us are called to join with God’s unfolding restoration of all things, across the world and right here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This is the bigger picture, the enlarged vision that Scripture gives us of living hope through faith in Jesus. The gospel calls every person to live a life marked by wonder, imagination, deep thought, rich feeling, love, courage, and service. Even more than this, it calls us to learn how God’s gift of new life through Jesus transforms every aspect of life: your work, your studies, your relationships, your inner life, your families and community. Down through the ages, across cultures, God has been calling women and men into this new, world-changing relationship through Jesus. And now, he’s calling each of us.

Venn Summer Conference creates space to take in this true big picture. It’s a deeply thoughtful and joyful week of transformative learning that will enlarge your vision for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the calling of the Church, and for the renewal of the world.

Details

8–15 January 2027
St Peters School, Cambridge
Fully residential
Ages 18–30

“I have been to a few conferences in my time but nothing quite like this. It has encapsulated for me so much love and wonder, challenge and difficulty, but was also restoring. Every part is curated so beautifully and I am beyond thankful. Not exaggerating, this has been the most impactful week of my life (excluding my choice to follow Jesus) – thank you so much! I believe every young adult needs to experience this if they could.”

—Dan, 2024

The Week

The Christian gospel draws us into an enlarged and life-giving vision of reality. Summer Conference is space for you to engage seriously and hopefully with some of the really big questions. Across the course of the week, we’ll be asking: Who is God? Who are we? What type of world is this? What is the Church? and, How are we to respond?

Thoughtfully curated, the conference unfolds day upon day, with each day addressing major themes of the Christian faith. Taken together, these themes cover the biblical story from Genesis through to Revelation. This means that by the end of the week you’ll have traced the unfolding arc of Scripture.

Here are the themes of each day:

• Friday: Entering into the week together
• Saturday: Who is God? And what are God’s purposes for the world God created?
• Sunday: What does it mean to be human?
• Monday: What’s gone wrong with the world?
• Tuesday: Who is Jesus and what does he mean for us today? What is redemption? Who is the Holy Spirit?
• Wednesday: What is the history of the gospel in Aotearoa? What is the Church?
• Thursday: How should we engage culture faithfully in 21^stcentury Aotearoa, New Zealand?
• Friday: How do we keep growing in faith?

What can I expect?

The week isn’t just about gaining knowledge. Our prayer is that you’ll come to know God, and through that encounter, come to know yourself, others, and this whenua better. Stepping deeper into relationship with God changes us—and through this relationship, God transforms the world he sends us to.

At Venn Summer Conference, you’ll experience a dynamic, expansive, and integrated way of learning that engages the whole of who you are: mind, body, and spirit. It’s not just about knowing about God, but about coming to know God more; it’s not simply about ideas, but about wrestling with the deepest truths about the world and humanity. This conference will change how you think about the world—but, even more, it will help you explore who God is and what this means for your life. This is life-giving learning like you’ve never experienced it before.

The conference is for young adults 18-30 years old. It is fully residential, and held at St Peter’s School, Cambridge in the beautiful Waikato. Across the week, you will be immersed in rich teaching, creative response, and life-giving worship. There’s good discussion and fellowship, field trips, and space for reflection and prayer. The week will be full, but there is also plenty of time each afternoon to relax, enjoy the local area, and have fun.

During the week you can expect to:

• Make space to engage with the big questions of faith and life.
• Explore the ideas and stories that have shaped and are shaping New Zealand culture.
• Hear from engaging and thoughtful speakers who love God, love the Church, and love this whenua.
• Be challenged about how you live, and discover new practical and hopeful ways to respond.
• Eat well, laugh loud, talk a lot, and perhaps even disagree at times—all while making new friendships and deepening old ones.

The good news of Jesus Christ changes everything, including how we learn. It’s our hope and prayer that through this week, God will enlarge your vision for his good purposes for the world, and draw you deeper into life.

Venn Summer Conference is
proudly supported by: