The need to rest is a big feature of contemporary life. In the midst of these changing times, many people have been returning to the wisdom of the Sabbath, and learning to lean in to this ancient, delight-filled practice of God’s people. Here at Venn, Sabbath-keeping is something we’ve been embracing. We’ve been learning about the Sabbath personally, and thinking and writing about what good Sabbath practice looks like. You can find some of this work in our new book How to Sabbath Well: Learning ...
Jun 30, 2023•54 min•Ep. 15
It’s a commonplace of contemporary life that we’re struggling to rest. Whether you’re a student, a worker, or a parent of small children, resting well is a challenge. We live busy lives and there is so much to do. Anxious, we fiddle with our work/life balance, we try to schedule “me time”, but it’s all, well, a bit hard. In this context, it might seem counter-intuitive to talk about the Sabbath. Given how white-knuckled time management has become for many of us, how is a regular rule of rest goi...
Jun 12, 2023•52 min•Ep. 14
What is the nature of the artist’s vocation? And how exactly does art convey meaning? What might it mean for Christians to be artists? Such questions are commonplace when it comes to faith and art. It’s also questions like these that have shaped the thought and career of writer, philosopher and teacher Dr Adrienne Dengerink-Chaplin. Dr Chaplin was in New Zealand earlier this year on a teaching and speaking tour, which included the Venn Conversation Evening, “Why Art and Artists Matter”. The next...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 13
Welcome to part four in our series of conversations with women and men who are seeking to follow Christ in the whole of life. In this episode, host Sam Bloore is joined by Mark Mayhew to talk about his journey of understanding how the gospel speaks to everything we do, and how God has drawn him deeper and deeper into a gospel life. Mark Mayhew is founder and director of Peregrine, a purpose-driven strategy and ventures firm. He trained in Civil Engineering and spent the early part of his career ...
Jan 02, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 12
Mark Compton started his career as a screen printer, working for 12 years with a company that specialised in fine-art screen prints for many of the dealer galleries in Aotearoa, New Zealand. He then worked for three years as an artist himself, specialising in paint and print-making, producing numerous paintings of native birds, cheeky nods to the unfolding recession, and much more. Mark is also a qualified builder, providing another context to make, problem-solve, and create beauty; building has...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 11
Welcome to part two of our new series of conversations with women and men who are seeking to follow Christ in the whole of life. Today, host Sam Bloore is joined by Dr. Jin Russell to talk about what a "portfolio career" means, why she's so passionate about children and families, and what it means to pursue excellence rather than success. Throughout her life and career, Jin has responded to a call to know, understand, and care for the health and wellbeing of children and families. She is a Consu...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 10
Host Sam Bloore talks with Rebecca Dow about education, policy, and living well as a single woman deeply committed to family and community. Rebecca lectures in education at Laidlaw College, helping to form the next generation of teachers. Her experience in education has been extensive and diverse: she has been a teacher, Deputy Principal, consultant, and policy researcher and advisor to the Spokesperson for Education. Here, she shares her vision for education: for Rebecca, good learning is not s...
May 06, 2022•56 min•Ep. 9
Welcome back to our latest podcast series, The Good of Work. In this third and final episode, Sam Bloore is joined by John Dennison and Olivia Burne, who hosts the conversation. Previously, we’ve explored the meaning of work in light of God’s purposes for creation, and we’ve looked hard at the ways in which work has become corrupted and distorted by the fall. But what about the good of work now? What has God done to redeem our work, and what exactly might that mean for our 9-5 lives? How should ...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 8
Work is a key aspect of human flourishing. Indeed, as we explored in our first episode in this series, ‘The Good of Work,’ it is part of our vocation as human beings. But to only speak of the goodness of work is to neglect more pressing questions. Even when we understand God’s intentions for work, many of us experience it as difficult; at times, it is futile or senseless. Whether we’re confronting the way elite sport misshapes identity, or the often emotionally and physically taxing toil of tert...
Jun 11, 2021•59 min•Ep. 7
It’s striking: we spend the majority of our waking hours working to secure what we need, and (hopefully) contributing to the flourishing of our common life. And yet when it comes to understanding the good of our work, most of us mumble, or reach for a cliché. What does God make of your work, and why does he care? What does it mean to work well, and why should I care? In the first of a new podcast series, Sam Bloore is joined by Andrew Shamy and Julia Bloore to explore together the good of work. ...
May 13, 2021•51 min•Ep. 6
In the first episode of this two-part series, Sam Bloore and Andrew Shamy take a deeper dive into the life and imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. In 2020, Andrew offered a Conversation Evening and article, titled "There and Back Again: How Reading Tolkien Can Restore the World to Us." In his talk and article, Andrew helped us see how Tolkien's imagination and the genre of fantasy literature offers recovery of meaning in the world, an escape or flight to reality, and consolation in the midst of our d...
Jan 04, 2021•51 min•Ep. 4
In the second episode of this two-part series, Sam Bloore and Andrew Shamy continue their deep dive into the life and imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. In 2020, Andrew offered a Conversation Evening and article, titled "There and Back Again: How Reading Tolkien Can Restore the World to Us." In his talk and article, Andrew helped us see how Tolkien's imagination and the genre of fantasy literature offers recovery of meaning in the world, an escape or flight to reality, and consolation in the midst o...
Jan 04, 2021•52 min•Ep. 5
Spring 1 - Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons Song: Spring 1 Artist: Daniel Hope, Max Richter, l'arte del mondo, Werner Ehrhardt Licensed to YouTube by IMPEL, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, LatinAutor, and 7 Music Rights Societies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaCib0B8T24 Johann Ludwig Bach - Kyrie (Rheinisches Kantorei) Song: Christe eleison Artist: Rheinische Kantorei Album: BACH, J.L.: Missa brevis / Cantatas (Max) Licensed to YouTube by AdShare MG for a Th...
Sep 18, 2020•39 min•Ep. 3
In this episode, Sam and Nathan talk more about Pentecost, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and what this means for the Christian life. Spring 1 - Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons Song Spring 1 Artist Daniel Hope, Max Richter, l'arte del mondo, Werner Ehrhardt Licensed to YouTube by IMPEL, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, LatinAutor, and 7 Music Rights Societies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaCib0B8T24 Johann Ludwig Bach - Kyrie (Rheinisches Kantorei) Song Ch...
Sep 11, 2020•34 min•Ep. 2
In our first three-part series, Sam talks with Venn's CEO, the Revd Dr Nathan McLellan, about the doctrine of Ascension, Pentecost, and the Church. Earlier this year, Nathan wrote a piece for Common Ground exploring the "forgotten doctrine" of the ascension and what it means to call Christ our victorious king and high priest. In this first episode, Sam and Nathan talk more about the ascension. Johann Ludwig Bach - Kyrie (Rheinisches Kantorei) Song Christe eleison Artist Rheinische Kantorei Album...
Sep 04, 2020•38 min•Ep. 1
Welcome to Venn Presents, a series of conversations exploring the depth and richness of the Christian tradition, between your host Sam Bloore and members of the Venn team and wider Venn community. The topics will be wide-ranging: from exploring Christian faith and doctrine, to engagement with wider culture, including family, business, the arts, education, music, and sport. For more on Venn Foundation's work and resources, go to www.venn.org.nz.
Aug 30, 2020•2 min
