The Talk Sessions

JP and Craig Gemmell Counsellor discuss the difficulties of relationships around Christmas time and the season of reflection.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's a former professional baseball player, the founder of the Orlando Magic Basketball Team, an author with over 100 books, the father of 19 kids (14 adopted) a cancer survivor, a man who loves Jesus and this is an interview about a single verse of scripture that will feed your soul and you will not want to miss. www.patwilliams.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday evening we talk to Kiwi born Brother Peter Bray the Vice Chancellor at Bethlehem University in the Holy land about his work among both Christian and Muslim students in Palestine and about his international award for services to Education. We also chat with Mena Antonio the CEO of Caritas.org the Catholic agency for Peace, Justice and Development, the second largest NGO in the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Freytag is a former US Navy Leadership expert who loves Jesus and is a Senior Consulting Partner with the Ken Blanchard Companies. We discuss how we can lead without ego and with huge impact in people outcomes in faith, business and in our personal lives. www.kenblanchard.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More stories of bad leadership in the faith and the secular world are appearing daily. JP discusses the poor standard of leadership in the legal industry with Steph Dyhrberg of Dyhrberg Drayton Employment lawyers from Wellington about the need to care for employees and change leadership behavior. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/law-society-president-jacque-lethbridge-resigns-after-critical-culture-review-report/SJSEA6SJ3FCIAAE7A7TQ6NDE6M/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/about-us/ Sunday evening I discuss a damning report on NZ Education with Olliver Hartwich, the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. We are receiving daily reports about low academic outcomes, increasing rates of absenteeism and an ever-increasing rate of student m​ental health crisis.  ON a world stage. we are dropping like a stone. Join me for a vital conversation about the future of education in NZ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr George Simons work is around how we influence and change people's behaviour.  As an author and psychotherapist, he specialises in anxiety and anger management, comprehensive personality assessments, mental health professional training, and consultation to businesses and organizations on how to deal with problem characters. As a man of faith, he shares a simple but profound truth about how to dynamically impact the people we want to help move forward in faith, life and mental health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://orama.nz Orama on the Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf carries a significant spiritual legacy in NZ as a place of rest, restoration, connection, and prophetic vision Dean McQuaid and the leadership team at Orama have cast a new vision for 2023 that has a deep connection to the original vision from 1963 and a fresh perspective for the future. Dean discusses the new Discipleship school, the art and creative worship focus,  and the opportunities to serve in a practical servant ministry and simply the opportunity to come and rest and recover among some of the most exquisite landscapes in the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frances Tagaloa is a lawyer, the Global Chief of Staff for Campus Crusade for Christ and a survivor of abuse within the church. She has been making submissions to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Abuse in Care in the Church and now sits as an advocate for survivors of abuse and a courageous voice for the thousands of Kiwis who have suffered sexual abuse under the care of Christian leaders from across nearly all denominations.  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6987649680805355520/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A small group of Australian Anglicans including the former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies have split and formed their own new denomination. Rev Dr. Mark Durie from the ​Melbourne School of Theology and I discuss the implications of when we stray from the teachings and create our own theology. Also, I chat with Nigel Dixon the Vicar of Holy Trinity in Tauranga about the need to build an authentic community and stay in the center of Jesus' teaching. https://www.mst.edu.au/faculty/mark-durie/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did we get to the place where schools were becoming the default parents for our children being involved in teaching subjects that belong firmly at home with the care of parents? Have we abdicated our responsibility? Are schools picking on our moral failure? JP Chats with Dr. Tim Hawkes the recently retired long-serving Principal of  The King's School in Paramatta, Sydney. In. the Anglican tradition, Australia's oldest independent school was founded in 1831 by the command of King William IV of England.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marina Cantacuzino is a British journalist and storyteller, she is the founder of The Forgiveness Project and discusses with me the power and process of forgiveness in the face of tragedy and injustice. How do we restore those who have been imprisoned for crimes against humanity? What does the bible say about forgiving those who have committed sin against the community? Forgiveness is at the very heart of who we are in the Christian faith, but do we really forgive each other or do we hold fast to shame? https://www.theforgivenessproject.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Peachey talks with Becky Starkenburg, Dean of Students at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and Aaron Kuecker President of Trinity Christian College in Chicago Illinois about the idea of Radical Generosity we have been called to in living out the gospel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One child every five weeks is killed in this country in domestic violence.  JP Talks to Jane Searl the CEO of Child Matters a Kiwi Not for Profit that serves the needs of children and who has become a voice for voiceless children who suffer at the hands of violent parents and caregivers. We also talk with Dave Atkinson the CEO of Parting Place who offers care, support, and training for parents struggling in 2022. We discuss how Prevention is better than cure. If you think this matters, join JP on Sunday evening at 8.00 pm https://www.childmatters.org.nzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Peachey talks with Donald McMenamin a Professional Teaching Fellow of Counselling in the School of Social Practice at Laidlaw College about Narrative Therapy and the power of the stories that form us. And I discuss the career choice of Counselling with Lisa Spriggens head of Counselling at Laidlaw College. https://www.twoislandsandaboat.com https://www.laidlaw.ac.nz/staff/donald-mcmenamin/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we are talking Christian leadership in the secular world. Michael Easley was the CEO of a large American Not for Profit for 22 years and shares his journey, mistakes, and successes as he discovered and applied how servant leadership and the intersection of self-awareness and empathy impacted in a non-Christan context. Michael discusses his book "The No O's Of Leadership" and how this model fits across, faith, business, and not-for-profit leadership. https://noosofleadership.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Sunday evening I talked with Dale Ahlquist the President of the G. K. Chesterton Society of America. Chesterton was a prolific author, theologian, poet, crime writer, and author of over 5000 broadly published articles on faith and biblical morality though sadly, hardly known in 2022 to the wider Christian audience. Gilbert Keith Chesterton whose writing was the single biggest influence in C.S. Lewis's conversion from atheist to a Christian believer. J R R Tolkien. and T S Eliot became disciples of this mans thinking and perspective on faith. https://www.chesterton.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join JP and Ty Benbow, Associate Professor at Warner University to discuss the theology and practice of generosity in our Christian walk.  We are called to be radically generous with our resources, our influence, and our time. Why do we live in scarcity when one of the biblical themes is generosity and abundance?  https://warner.edu/christianity-and-the-call-to-generosity/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday evening bible teacher, missions trainer and pastor Michelle Hoverson and I have a deep conversation about the person, personality and work of The Holy Spirit. https://aboveandbeyondmissions.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The topic for this week's Talk Session with JP is about the RNZ article on deliverance and the harm being done by the Celebration Centre in CHCH https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/472109/ex-celebration-church-members-believe-deliverance-harmed-themSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Peachey chats with Alex Vesley who is the grandson of Jewish psychologists Viktor Frankl. Frankl, one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century and whose influence remains as vital today as was his most famous work 'Mans Search for Meaning written 75 years ago. Alex Vesley tells stories about his grandfather, a holocaust survivor and disruptive thinker and we discuss how Frankl's work continues to have a direct impact on today's poor mental health epidemic. https://viktorfranklamerica.com/vfia-films/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Crouch was appointed in 2017 as the first British Cabinet Minister of Loneliness. It is estimated that up to 10 million Britons experience little or no human connection on a daily basis. We discuss the issue of being alone in a connected world and the work she is involved in to change the lives of ordinary Britons.  https://www.traceycrouch.org.uk Ruth Lawson-McConnell is a highly skilled and sought-after counsellor working in the specific area of attachment. How attachment drives our relationships and mental health and what the model of the Godhead, The Trinity tells us about connection. https://ruthmcconnell.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JP talks with Nigel Dixon Author, a Church Growth consultant and the Vicar and Pastor of HolyTrinity Anglican Church in Tauranga about building community when your church is in decline and creating "profound belonging".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Peachey chats with Sue O'Callaghan from ImpACT.  For more information about ImpACT visit: impact-mentalhealth.com/about-us/ Also a helpful resource about teenage trauma: teenagetoolbox.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Peachey talks with The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon and discusses "Why leaders are a pain - telling the truth in the parish". The true role of Pastors the church has forgotten about. https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/william-willimon https://willwillimon.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would you like for God to change, shift and heal in your life? 

Joined with author and Pastor Howard Webb about his organisation "Love your neighbour". We need a new model of church in 2022. What would you like the church to look like and feel like so that you can feel at home inviting friends, family, and other communities inside? 

The Talk Sessions talk about Reputation this week. 

Is partying part of your church culture and who are you inviting to the feast? Michael Rhodes is an Old Testament Theologian at Carey Baptist College who lives among poorer communities he has a deep passion for what God has encouraged us to do for the poor and that includes feasting! 

As a Christian is the Jewish culture relevant to you? Are the practices a part of your Christianity?  What is the relevance for you of Jewish culture, festivals and understanding in modern Christian theology and practice? John talks with Michael Thomas, who's been involved in Messianic ministry for nearly 20 yrs. https://celebratemessiah.co.nz/.../michael-teresa-thomas/

Why do so many church leaders fall from grace? Why is spiritual abuse becoming a far too common conversation? How do we keep our leaders and our congregations safe?

Is manhood under fire? How are our men doing? How do we support them?

How are we treating the treaty when it comes to matters of faith? John Peachey talked with author of Bible and Treaty Keith Newman. Listen to the interview here! 

Does science mess with your faith or enhance it?

Do you think we should keep our disagreements off social media?

Where do you feel like your real spiritual growth comes from? In a small group, sitting in the congregation, with a mentor who is personally discipling you, or in your own private space alone?

What really is the role of the church in 2022? We all know it's about spirituality, right? Well, maybe yes, maybe no... This Sunday evening on The Talk Sessions, we ask a single question. What do you really want from church? It could be a controversial question. It might be an easy question to answer.  

What does God say about who we are in all our mess and confusion? Compassion in Medicine and Compassion Fatigue- who loves the lovers of people? Who cares for the carers?

This Sunday we are discussing the long tradition of a famous NZ School who has produced some of NZ finest athletes and is steeped in Methodist tradition of service. How is the school managing to hold to its tradition in 2022 and how has the transition to coed education affected that tradition? Are Christian values set still applicable for today's youth? How do you maintain values in world that is pressing down on you at every corner? Join John Peachey from 7-9pm this Sunday evening on The Talk Sessions as we discuss Christian values in today's youth

We discuss service in an age of entitlement and personal rights.

Do we really believe the church is being persecuted? All this and more in this week's Talk Session!

We talked about debt and how easy it is to fall into it. We started by talking with Christians Against Poverty CEO Sam Garaway about strategies to combat the debt trap. 

Is it fair for an employer to expect staff to have a vaccination? We chatted with employment lawyer Alistair Espie from Duncan Cotterill who set us straight with the legalities and the conversation went from there.

We talked about change. It's the only thing that is constant in our lives so how comfortable are you with it? We asked what is the biggest life change you've experienced recently and how did you get through it? Do you think a lot of change is healthy or unhealthy for a person?   We spoke with speaker, author and mentor Tanya Unkovich.  

This week we took a deep dive into the intriguing world of conspiracy theories. They've been around since the beginning of time, why are they so alluring despite a raft of factual information from many credible sources, why is it that so many Christians are susceptible? At the moment it seems like there's a conspiracy around every corner with Q-Anon to 5G towers, vaccinations to the One World Government.  How do you identify a conspiracy theory? What information can we trust from the media?  We're chatted with Sheridan Voysey a writer, speaker and broadcaster who has does extensive research on this and then heard all sorts of different opinions from callers.

We talked about Dads and how their role has changed over the years. We started by chatting with Clint aka Randall from The Edge who has two littlies with his thoughts on being a Dad along with his struggles and highlights.  There were some great thoughts on the importance of Dads place in the family and lovely reflections on childhoods.

We talked about success and what is it? How do we define success?  How has this changed over time? Is there a Christian definition of success? We chatted with businessman Murray Thom who left school at 15 with no qualifications. By the age of 23 he was Managing Director of CBS Records New Zealand, the youngest Managing Director of that group in the world. He's responsible for the Great New Zealand Songbook, The Great Australian Songbook also The Great New Zealand Cookbook, The Offerings and so many other initiatives.

We take it for granted that church consists of the usual components, worship, sermon, prayer, cuppa tea. But why and where did this become the norm? And is the sermon a necessary part of it? There were all sorts of thoughts and opinions, have a listen.

We had an open mic night but the topic quickly moved to tattoos and whether they're good or bad. All sorts of different opinions came through.

Friendships are on the decline in some parts of the world with busyness and mobility cited as reasons.   In America people reported having less close friends than in previous years, with roughly half citing three or fewer.    We asked listeners whether friendships changed over the years and do you agree that it's harder to maintain friendships?

The Government recently published a discussion paper on criminalising hate speech. We asked whether it needs further legislating and how do you find the balance between freedom of speech and protection. We chatted with the Hon Kris Faafoi who explained the intention behind it and also lawyer Liam Hare who has concerns with it.