Vocational Progamme - Venn Foundation

Three weekend retreats, eight weekly dinners, and three follow-up discussions to explore what it means to live a wise life.

What is it all about?

Living well isn’t always easy or obvious. Our everyday lives of working, relating, planning, and creating often call for significant decisions about what is good and right. Should I pursue further education or consider a job change? How can I best contribute at church? Should I start a new business? Do I have that conversation with a difficult colleague? What does it look like to parent well? How do I do the best for my family or friends?

The Vocational Programme is designed to help you wrestle with these questions by considering what it looks like to live a wise life and make wise decisions.

Who is it for?

The Vocational Programme is for people in their late 20s to late 40s, who want to get better at navigating life’s challenges, questions, and opportunities.

It’s for people who are committed to following Jesus in the world, who desire to wrestle with the Scriptures, think deeply, pray, and grow in their faith alongside others. You will join a cohort of people who hunger for a deep relationship with God, and who want to live out their vocations well in a complex and changing world.

Hospitality

Home and work life can place pressure on your time and energy. With this in mind, the Vocational Programme is designed to be welcoming, life-giving, spacious, and varied. The meals and hospitality are a key part of the learning environment.

Group learning

We learn best with others, gaining from their insights, questions, and experiences. During the Vocational Programme, you will join a group of people from diverse work and life backgrounds to explore what it means to live wisely before God. Each programme is limited to a maximum of 24 people.

“The Vocational Programme helps you engage Christ and culture together. It helps you learn to use the mind God gave you to make wise choices, seek input, and be fruitful in your job and world. I feel richer because of the team’s investment in my life and my marriage!”

—Dan, Auckland 2018

The Programme flow

In the first teaching block, looking at The Wise Life, we respond to important questions: What is wisdom? How do I become wise? What shape does a wise life take? And, in what ways can Scripture help me live wisely?

In the second teaching block, focusing on Navigating Wise Courses of Action, we ground our learning by responding to the question: How do we make wise decisions amidst the complexity of life?

At the conclusion of the eight-week intensive, we follow up with three dinners at monthly intervals.

Time

There are three weekend retreats at the beginning, middle, and end of each intensive. The teaching evenings are held once a week over the eight-weeks. Following the conclusion of the intensive, we invite the cohort back for three, monthly follow-up conversations.

The programme will require around five hours each week, which includes reading and reflection, as well as the dinner conversation and teaching. The three non-residential weekend retreats are in addition to this.

Upcoming Dates

We are excited to announce upcoming 2024 programme dates for Christchurch and Auckland:

Christchurch

Weekend Retreat: 9-11 February
Eight consecutive Thursday Evenings: 15 February through to 4 April
Two Saturday Retreats: 9 March and 6 April
Follow Up Evenings: 6 May, 10 June, 1 July

Auckland

Weekend Retreat: 26-28 April
Eight consecutive Wednesday Evenings: 1 May through to 19 June
Two Saturday Retreats: 25 May and 22 June.
Follow Up Evenings: 31 July, 21 August, and 25 September.

If you are in another location, please register your interest here and we will let you know if we are coming to your city.

Pricing

Individual $1,250

What it includes

Pricing includes all teaching, meals, materials, and resources.

Help for parents

Recognising the additional cost of childcare, we offer a 10% discount to assist parents.

Find out more >>

The Team

Rev. Dr. Nathan McLellan

CEO and Senior Teaching Fellow

Rev. Dr. Nathan McLellan is Venn Foundation’s CEO and a Senior Teaching Fellow. He is passionate about helping others develop a sound and deep understanding of the Christian faith and the way it relates to all aspects of life.

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Dr. John Dennison

Director of Resources and Senior Teaching Fellow

Dr. John Dennison is Director of Resources at Venn Foundation. He is passionate about helping others to make room for God, to learn to pray as well as think and work.

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Michelle Young

Director of Summer Conference and Public Events, and Teaching Fellow

Michelle Young joined Venn at its establishment in September 2013 and currently serves as a Teaching Fellow and the Director of Summer Conference and Supporting Contexts.

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Lucy Collingwood

Hospitality and Events Coordinator

Lucy Collingwood grew up in Christchurch and graduated from Lincoln University in 2015 with a BSc in Plant Science. She worked for Farmlands in a range of roles, most recently Business Development, before leaving her role in 2018 to participate in the Residential Fellowship.

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What is it all about?

Who is it for?

Hospitality

Group learning

—Dan, Auckland 2018

Curriculum

The Programme flow

Time

Upcoming Dates

Christchurch

Auckland

Pricing

What it includes

Help for parents

The Team

Apply now for Christchurch and Auckland 2024!