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Refresh 2026
Mount Maunganui Baptist Church
January 5th-7th, 2026
Reenergise your faith - Go deeper with God.
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Make a fresh start for 2026 by spending the first 3 mornings (9:00am - 12:30pm) in beautiful Mount Maunganui. This is a chance for you to hear from some of NZ’s most interesting and relevant Christian thinkers. No pretense, no agenda, just straight forward Biblical truth from enthusiastic and knowledgeable followers of Jesus.
Why not make the commitment to challenge your
faith and start 2026 with a purpose!
Speakers
Mark Johnson
Priest in charge at St Tom's, Newtown, Wellington
Originally from the United States, Mark has served in various ministry capacities, including as the director of the Minneapolis base of Steiger
International ( a ministry with its roots in YWAM) and as the pastor of The Salvage Yard Church, where he ministered to the counterculture community. After relocating to New Zealand in 2011, Mark became the supervising chaplain at Victoria University in Wellington and later led the wonderfully diverse St
Tom’s Church in Newtown.
His innovative “St Tom’s on Wheels” ministry, a mobile Jesus community, has taken him and his wife Kirsty adventuring across New Zealand, where they’ve witnessed a remarkable hunger
for God, among spiritual seekers at festivals and new age gatherings. Their frequent visits to Golden Bay over this time fostered such deep connections,
that Mark and Kirsty and their two sons have recently relocated there to help lead the local Anglican parish and continue their ‘Wheels’ ministry.
Dr Greg Liston
Senior Lecturer at Laidlaw College
Dr Greg Liston is a Senior Lecturer in Theology at Laidlaw College in Auckland, New Zealand. Previous roles include being the senior pastor of a suburban Baptist church and business management consulting. Greg holds PhDs in quantum physics and theology.
He is the author of several books including Starting with the Spirit (with Myk Habets) (T&T Clark, 2024), Kingdom Come: An Eschatological Third Article Ecclesiology (T&T Clark, 2022) and The Anointed Church (Fortress Press, 2015). He is married to Diane and has two adult children.
Sam Bloore
Teaching Pastor and Theological Lecturer
Sam Bloore grew up, and still returns to holiday, in the Far North and has a deep appreciation for small town and city life. He studied medicine and bioethics at Otago University, and worked as a doctor for five years, before a gradual career change saw him join the staff of his church and complete a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology. Sam is passionate about the intersection of faith and culture – in particular how individuals establish and enhance a personal, Christian spirituality that is stable and sustainable.
His recent roles have included teaching pastor at St Paul’s Symonds Street and lecturer for Venn Foundation’s Fellowship Programme. In 2025 he completed a Doctorate of Ministry through Fuller Theological Seminary. Sam, Julia, and their three young children live in Auckland and are happiest on, in, or near the sea. His sessions at Refresh 2026 will include discipling emerging adults, the current identity crisis in culture, and a theology of surfing.