Forward with hope – the future of AAANZ
Are there things we should change?
Does our current structure still serve our purposes?
Should we set new goals?
The AAANZ weekly mailings throughout those months will include looks back, looks forward, ideas to think about, photos, history, and more. The information from those mailings will be added here week by week so you can see it all in one place.
JULY 2, 2025
Something big* happened 30 years ago. We’re celebrating that milestone this year – and looking ahead. Stay tuned for opportunities to share memories, ideas, and more, as we look back to the past with joy, and forward with hope.
More to come next week!
*AAANZ was founded (as a network) in 1995. But maybe you knew that already!
JULY 9, 2025
Who have we been?
An early brochure introduced AAANZ this way:
AAANZ – A network and resource for keeping in touch with the Anabaptist movement in Australia and New Zealand. An inter-denominational gathering of Christians met in Tasmania in May 1995 to explore their varied connections to the Anabaptist movement. Out of this meeting, the Anabaptist Network of Australia and New Zealand was created to link and support those interested in Anabaptism. In 1998 it was incorporated as the AAANZ.
Initial gathering in Tasmania, 1995
Conference in Wollongong shortly after incorporation, 1999
Conference in Melbourne, 2001
Lunchtime at conference in Canberra, 2005
JULY 16, 2025
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been looking at where AAANZ has been – and where it might be going. As we look forward with hope, we invite you to ponder with us –
What should stay the same about what AAANZ is and does?
What should change?
Where are we going, and how do we best get there?
The conversations at the next three Third Way Thinking online gatherings (August, September, and October) will look at these questions, and more. We hope you’ll plan to join us and add your voice.
JULY 23, 2025
We’re looking forward with hope to what might be next for AAANZ. This week, we’re inviting you to ponder these questions:
What does AAANZ mean to you right now?
What could it mean to you in the future?
We’ll be mulling over these questions, among others, at our coming three Third Way Thinking sessions. The next one is Monday, August 4. Please plan to join us, even if you haven’t been for a while – or ever! These will be important conversations.
AUGUST 1, 2025
What does AAANZ mean to you right now?
What COULD it mean to you in the future?
What’s our primary reason for existing – and what type of activities should be our priority?
Everyone reading this will probably have different answers to these questions – and we consider that diversity a strength rather than otherwise. But the year we turn 30 is an excellent time for some introspection – and to hear from as many of you as possible about what you’d like the future of AAANZ to look like.
We’re planning three special “Third Way Thinking” sessions over the coming three months, and we encourage you to join as many of the three as you can. Over those three online gatherings, we’ll look back to what has been – forward to what could be – and then talk about the activities and structure that we’d need to have in place to turn our ideas into reality.
And nothing can happen without people – so we encourage you to think and pray about where your energy, creativity, and skills might overlap with where AAANZ could be going. Our online discussions over August, September, and October will culminate in a meeting where we make some decisions together about the future of AAANZ.
SESSION 1: Monday, August 4, 6:30pm – 8pm AEST
Focus: Looking back – celebration, reflecting, and pondering; asking God to help reveal strengths and past mistakes so we can learn from both.
Goal: Talk about what has been good – and what didn’t meet its potential – in AAANZ’s past.
Session facilitators: Mark & Mary Hurst
SESSION 2: Wednesday, September 3, 6:30pm – 8pm AEST
Focus: Looking ahead – possibilities and hope; looking for where God is moving and acting and how we might join him in the world.
Goal: Talk about what you want out of your connection with AAANZ in the future.
Session facilitator: David Champness
SESSION 3: Tuesday, October 7, 6:30pm – 8pm, AEST
Focus: What structure and activities would best help us reach our goals?
Goal: Reflect on what we all heard in the previous two sessions and talk about possible futures.
Some practical notes about the sessions –
You may be used to our standard online gathering format, where we spend the first 30 min catching up before the more formal program starts. In these sessions, we plan to start within 5 min of the starting time. If there’s time remaining at the end, we’ll use it for catching up then.
We’ll use the regular Third Way Thinking Zoom link for all three sessions.
AUGUST 6, 2025
The first of our three planned sessions for “Forward With Hope” took place on Monday evening. Thank you to Mary and Mark Hurst for leading us through a look back at the AAANZ of the past, and facilitating a discussion with thoughtful questions.
Did you miss last week’s special message about these online conversations? You can read it here. We really hope to see you at the next session on September 3, as we work toward important decisions about our shared future.
AUGUST 13, 2025
We’re taking August, September, and October to ponder the future of AAANZ.
As you think about what might be possible, we invite you to consider –
How much do you want to be actively involved in an Anabaptist network or group? What could you offer that would bring you energy, joy, and meaning?
Conversations will continue online and at our Weaving Hope gathering later this month. We hope you’ll join in where you can, and that you’ll continue to hold this process in prayer.
AUGUST 20, 2025
What could AAANZ do?
What could AAANZ be?
Where should we focus – and what should we leave behind?
We want to hear from you about your ideas, thoughts, and dreams for the future of Anabaptism in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Please join us online on Wednesday, September 3 for Third Way Thinking – in episode 2 of our 3 planned sessions, we’ll look to the future. Details are online.