History of Promise Keepers New Zealand
Promise Keepers was established in New Zealand by a core group of men who attended the "Seize the Moment" conference at Boulder, Colorado 1994.PROMISE KEEPERS '94: SEIZE THE MOMENT
Upon their return to New Zealand they sought to establish Promise Keepers in New Zealand. 200 men attended the "Seize the Moment" Men's Camp at Willow Park to share the vision of Promise Keepers.
PROMISE KEEPERS '95: RAISE THE STANDARD
In the USA Promise Keepers held 13 conferences with 720,000 men attending. In New Zealand Promise Keepers NZ held a number of "Share the Vision" rallies throughout the country. Their purpose was to encourage men to become Promise Keepers. During 1995 Key Man training sessions were held at regular intervals. Two conferences were held. At Otaki 400 men attended and in Auckland almost 800 were present.
PROMISE KEEPERS '96: BREAK DOWN THE WALLS
In the USA 22 conferences were held with 1.1 million men attending. In New Zealand three conferences were held in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch with 3,982 men attending. Many, inspired by corporate worship and great local speakers, went on to meet regularly with other men to begin living out the process of keeping promises.
PROMISE KEEPERS: '97 THE MAKING OF A GODLY MAN
On October 4th the "Stand in the Gap" prayer rally was held at Washington. This has become a landmark event regarding Christian men. Paul Subritzky represented NZ along with delegates from 57 other countries. The rally impacted USA conference attendance in '97. Here in NZ, our three regular conferences were attended by 4,340 men. Excellent testimonies were shared of God moving among men.
PROMISE KEEPERS: '98 TAKE A STAND
While PK USA weathered the transition to being donation based, momentum continued in NZ. Many men had by now been meeting in small accountability groups for several years. This has allowed real growth to occur, sometimes for the first time. We pioneered our own theme "Take A Stand" while the USA went with "Live A Legacy". The conferences were noted for the powerful practical sessions where men applied the teaching while still at the conference. Attendance was 4,350 giving a cumulative total of about 14,000 men since we started. Approximately 50% of men each year are first time attendees.
PROMISE KEEPERS: '99 CHOOSE THIS DAY
Another milestone is reached as we take a conference to Dunedin. Other countries are now also holding events, while the USA also has a full schedule.
Four conferences were held including Dunedin for the first time. Men were challenged in their commitment to Jesus in every area of their lives including sexuality. 4,600 men attended. Ministry to men in many local churches also started to mature. Approximately 50% of men each year are first time attendees.
PROMISE KEEPERS: 2000 GO THE DISTANCE
Quality of the events continued to improve with more depth and impact than ever. An option for single men was launched successfully, resulting in three events running simultaneously on the Saturday morning of each conference. Regional events, training and ongoing communication, including the new e-zine INFOMALE occupied the rest of the year.
PROMISE KEEPERS: '01 TURN THE TIDE
The focus was men’s impact on the community and how that is worked through. Many men nailed their sins to the “cross of Christ”. The young men’s event “Passage” (now “Transition”) reached a new level.
PROMISE KEEPERS: '02 STORM THE GATES
Momentum built with the highest attendance so far– 5,260 men. Innovations included dramas and more visual media. The focus was God as Holy Spirit. Key concepts: Vision, Passion, Discipline and Risk.
PROMISE KEEPERS ’03: THE CHALLENGE
First time an event was held in Tauranga. Focus on God as Father and the meaning of being a ‘REAL MAN”. Attendance 6,000
PROMISE KEEPERS ’04: MEN on FIRE
The 10th Anniversary was marked by more spiritual battles than usual but there was satisfaction in overcoming these problems. “Transition” grew as more young men responded to the call to work towards becoming spiritual champions. Cumulative attendance reaches 43,566
PROMISE KEEPERS '05: THE AWAKENING
"The Awakening" Events marked a significant shift to deeper experiences of God. Many men were truly awakened into greater focus and passion about their spiritual life.