Theology for Lunch: Conversations about God and mental health

Mental health is a massive mission field for the church, as we serve a God of healing, restoration, peace and fullness of joy. But the church can also get in the way of people finding good mental health; our theology can build barriers of shame and blame.

Join a conversation about our amazing God. What is good theology in the face of mental illness and the deep struggles people are going through?

'Theology for Lunch' is a free series, brought to you by the emerging Mental Health Network of church leaders in Aotearoa.

12 noon for 1 hour

2026 Series

Wednesday 22 July: Julia Grace

Thursday 13 August: Kath Bier

Thursday 15 October: Rev. Dr. Wayne Te Kaawa

Thursday 19 November: Ngāwaka Salā Setiu

Previous videos are available to view for free at:

https://www.conversationscounselling.nz/theology.html

Julia Grace is our top public speaker and musician addressing a wide audience, and well known across the church in NZ. Author of ‘Be Kind to Your Mind’ mental wellbeing resource book. Julia gets to have a lot of conversations with a lot of people; what is she learning about what good theology sounds like?

Kath Bier is Vicar of St Mary’s Anglican Parish, Silverstream, Upper Hutt. Kath brings to ministry a successful career in radio, a keen mind and a wholehearted willingness to follow Jesus. God has been speaking to Kath recently about shame, and how to help people move into the victory that Christ has won for us.

Wayne Te Kaawa is Kaiwhakaako Matua Senior Lecturer in indigenous theology at Hoani Tapu St John's College in Auckland. He stands in a mighty whakapapa and has added multiple layers of leadership in the areas of ministry (including Moderator of Te Aka Puahou Presbyterian Māori Synod, lecturer at Otago Uni, research & books. His pastoral heart has taken him deep into the areas of mental health, trauma, death & grief.

Ngāwaka Salā Setiu is a Māori and Samoan educator, facilitator and founder of CareCNC (Care Cultural enCounters), based in Waimahana Bay in the Far North.

What if not knowing is not something we need to fix, but a place where humility, relationship and trust can grow? Drawing from Christian faith, te ao Māori and lived experience, Ngāwaka will explore how we might accompany people through suffering and mental distress without needing to explain everything, solve everything, or always be right—yet still offer the gifts of our presence, mauri and manaakitanga.

Hosted by Silvia Purdie, Conversations Seminars:

https://www.conversationscounselling.nz/seminars.html