Spreydon Baptist Church 1960-2000 - Knox Centre for Ministry and ...

people also saw their involvement in these as being very significant
in their personal growth in faith. Eventually in 1981
these were changed into home groups with an upper limit of
about fifteen, and in addition ministry groups for evangelism,
music and drama were begun to run alongside them. These
two changes in the style of worship and development of small
groups made it possible for many more people to participate in
the ministry of the church and to exercise their gifts in its life,
either in the Sunday worship or in the small groups. ‘You discovered
gifts, abilities and passions you never thought you
had.’ 25 These were important changes to connect with a generation
of young adults wanting more participatory, less controlled,
and more informal and expressive forms of church life
as well as music that connected with their own culture. It was
part of the process of contextualisation that was to make
Spreydon such an effective church from the mid 1970s
through to the mid 1980s
As the church grew, gradually other people were added to
the pastoral staff. The first was Bill Gray taken on part time in
1974 with particular responsibility for the evangelistic visitation
still being carried out with a team of thirty involved.
When he went to pastor the Oxford Baptist Church in 1976,
Paul Askin was taken on, part time at first, then full time in
1977, with particular responsibility for the house churches.
The visitation programme, which was proving less effective,
was brought to an end. After Askin came Gerald Tisch and
Adrienne Calvert, the latter beginning a craft group, the first
foray into community ministry. In 1980 Lionel Stewart and
Brian Andrew joined the pastoral team.
25 Interview 26/04/00.
NZJBR 9, Oct. 2004 14