Some more

OPPORTUNITIES FOR

GOD

CELEBRATING GOD’S LOVE TO US

Part 2

Introductory Letter

Even before some years of ordained ministry I began, in my travels, to assemble

a number of useful ideas/resources that I believe to be good practice for

Churches to do! During my years at Bognor, Huddersfield and Mossley (South

of Oldham) I added hugely to this collection but I had no time to ‘write a book’!

Now retired from stipendiary ministry I have turned to implement my great

passion which I strongly believe God wants me to do: to share with as many

people as possible ideas of practical opportunities that will be helpful and

fruitful (and in some ways great fun) in sharing how we can spread the greatest

news of all, salvation in Jesus. As we know the privilege of knowing Jesus brings

a responsibility of sharing Him.

This book is offered (with all my other booklets and leaflets) in humility. Can

we use some of these ideas in our community to bring people closer to God?

One could be easily overwhelmed with so many of these suggestions, some will

be new to you, some you will be doing and some will not be practical or possible

or even right for you. However, some may be new to you, some you’re not doing

and maybe could, some will be practical and possible and right for you. ‘Some

seed falls on good ground and yields a harvest’ and the Lord assures us of a

Harvest! Some suggestions are similar but not identical!

I am extremely grateful for all the assistance given by Mr Robbie Lumb in

helping to prepare this booklet.

Please share this book and other books with as many people as possible and

look out for further booklets from me!! Website address:

http://wewanttheworldtoknowjesus.weebly.com/

Richard Lindsay

August 2017.

1) Events Checklist

My colleagues and I found it very helpful when ‘organising’ an event to have a

checklist. For example: -

Name of event/Date and Time of Event/Date in Church Magazine and Local

Papers/Admissions Price/

Source of Prizes/Refreshments/Posters/Name of organiser.

2) Following up Baptism

Many families could be encouraged to bring the child back the following week

(especially if the child was baptised outside the main service) where the family

are ‘presented’ to the congregation with a ‘warm’ welcome: maybe a gift!

Hopefully the family would be given a Parish magazine with the name of the

baptised in it.

3) Mature Times

This is a monthly publication that contains useful articles for the mature

person. It is published in newspaper format and is free! In Mossley I ordered

50, the congregation took others for their friends/neighbours too.

4) Compline

This short evening service of Compline can be very helpful at the end of Church

meetings/study groups or on its own.

5) Another Poster

Come in

Enjoy its peace

Speak to the Lord who created you and who loves you and let Him speak to your

heart.

6) Ten ideas to enhance Easter Day

I was given this excellent leaflet and I want to pass the contents to all reading

this booklet, please see Appendix 6.

7) Teddy Bear Parachute

Teddies/Soft Toys: parachuted from the Church tower: a prize for the best

parachute and a prize for the furthest distance accomplished. Family and

friends and neighbours etc. sponsored a ‘bear’ for the owner of the ‘bears’

favourite charity e.g. (Cancer/Christian Aid/Church Organ Fund/School Fund).

Church could make much money with stalls, raffles, tombola’s, refreshments

etc. Leaflets of future Church events could be given out to all present.

Very popular and great fun!

(See Appendix 7).

8) Worship Audit

A very helpful guide to examining what we need to often ask ourselves! Please

see Appendix 8.

9) The Ark Bus

A yellow double-decker bus was transformed by South Leeds Churches

into a social and activity centre for local teenagers

and other groups.

Launched by Churches in Lofthouse,

Rothwell, Oulton and Methley, the ARK Bus (Left),

fitted with WIFI and video games, it hit the streets to

give local teenagers a safe place to hang out. It also

can be used to teach the elderly and vulnerable how

to use tablets and computers and how to access the

internet.

The project was the idea of the Revd Mandy Rhodes, Vicar of Lofthouse

Parish Church. She said, “It is, primarily, about taking God’s love out into the

world beyond our Church walls and showing others that they are loved and

valued beyond measure.”

Could our local Churches come together on this?

10) An Emergency Defibrillator

A new emergency defibrillator has been installed on the wall of St Peter’s

Church in the heart of Harrogate town centre – and has already been deployed.

The initiative to have the lifesaving equipment in a prominent place on the

Church wall, right opposite HSBC Bank, was conceived by Rev. Sue Pearce a

member of St. Peter’s clergy team, whose husband John’s life was saved by a

defibrillator.

The unit is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and was funded by

donations.

Could at least one be available in your area?

Could our local Churches, etc., buy one for inside each Church?

11) Annual Baptism Celebrations

It may well be good to have a celebration service for everyone. Personal

invitations to those families who have recently celebrated a baptism and their

Godparents. Every week around 6,000 adults take on the role of Godparents to

a child baptised in the Church of England, let’s keep in contact with them too!

Another opportunity of a handout for them to keep!

12) Resource for Bereavement

Whilst visiting Bridlington Priory, I came across an A5 leaflet entitled, ‘Some

prayers and words of comfort for the bereaved.’ These leaflets were for the

public to pick up and keep. Would this be an idea for other Churches to make

available and encourage our congregation to give out to friends/neighbours

who are suffering bereavement. (See Appendix 12).

13) Services in Residential Homes

Many Parishes have Residential Homes (often more than one). Maybe we could

do more for these residents and staff! Some information for the notice boards

would be helpful and the dates/times/venue of the next service to be held.

14) Let them know

Are we taking every opportunity to inform people of Church activities in the

Parish? The internet? Service Sheets? Posters in shops? Libraries? Community

Boards? Pubs? etc. Are our Church noticeboards well presented – interesting and up to date?

15) Favourite Hymns

Maybe once or twice a year, there could be an opportunity for people to come

and sing their favourite hymns. This could well be an opportunity of inviting

non-Church people. Sometimes people are happy to say why they have chosen

that hymn. If there is more than one tune to the hymn, they could be invited to

say which they would prefer.

16) Presentations from the Uniformed Organisations

Those Churches who have access to the Uniformed Organisations may well

have an opportunity of requesting that from time to time, they do a

presentation of the Gospel in the Church Hall. Most notably in my last Parish

the Brownies did an annual Christmas presentation – which centred on the

Nativity and traditional and modern carols. Presentations of Awards also took

place at this service, though often awards were presented at a Church Parade.

17) Christian items to purchase in Church

There is a lack of Christian shops even in large

towns. Christian shops will probably be very glad

to supply stock for a Church bookstall. A selection

of cards, Christian books, Christian stationery etc.

often on a sale/return basis! The Church shop

would open at least once a month, a few weeks

before Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter etc. It

could also be opened for Baptisms and

Confirmations. Profits could go to a Charity!

18) Further Library opportunities

Some years ago, local Churches, together, staged an exhibition at their local

library on ‘One Baptism’. From time to time/regularly, perhaps we could join

with other Church people and take on this theme or similar.

19) Christian Aid Week

Some Churches still collect from door-to-door and that enables people to give

when maybe they did not have another opportunity. Some Churches have a

special collection for Christian Aid. Some Churches have special events (e.g. a

grand quiz/ a lunch of soup and bread). Another idea is to give 5 envelopes to

each member of the congregation the Sunday before Christian Aid week

inviting them to approach family and friends, and to return the envelopes the

following Sunday.

Could there be some very basic training (this could be from a leaflet) for a

Christian Aid collector. They could be commissioned during the Sunday Service

prior to Christian Aid week

20) Help for Holiday Makers

Parishes might consider opening their Church halls, manned by volunteers so

that people who have come to see a Church or a near-by tourist attraction can

eat a picnic meal and buy refreshments. And, where a beautiful medieval

Church has to be locked for fear of theft or vandalism, a rota of volunteer

caretakers might be arranged.

New leaflets or guides about Churches, might include general information

about other places of interest in the area, such as the nearest café or pub, where

toilets can be found and what times the buses run.

21) Welcome Cards

A card in the pew (or easily accessible) for ‘not strangers but friends we have

not met’. Example:

22) Laying on of Hands/The Sacrament of Anointing

The Laying on of Hands could be part of Anointing, or could be done separately:

both could be made more available than in the past. More prominence could be

given to these Acts of God’s grace by having information about them in Parish

literature and, by notices in Church of the regular opportunities to receive these

blessings. E.g. A weekday service/once a month at the Sunday services: either

before the service, during the service, or at the end of the service.

23) Collecting Boxes

Our Church or Charities could benefit greatly if every member of the

congregation took a box for their loose change. I found that even non-church

people would support the work of the Church with such a box. The boxes can

then be collected in from time to time.

24) Knitted Figures

A present from the Church. Our Mothers Union knitted Mary and baby Jesus

figures to be given out to all children at the Baptism Service, or at the Christmas

Party.

Welcome to ………… Church

If you are new to us and would like to join our congregation or if you wish

to know more about what it might mean to follow Christ, we would be

delighted to help. Please complete this card and hand it to ………………...

Name: Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss………………………………………………………..

Email:…………………………………………………………………………………...

Address (Optional):………………………………………………………….……

Telephone/Mobile Number (Optional):……………………….............

Thank you for completing this card. PTO

PTO

If you have a friend or relative from this Parish who you know

would appreciate a visit, please fill in their details below and hand this card

to ……………

Name: Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss………………………………………………………..

Email:…………………………………………………………………………….……...

Address:…………………………………………………………………………..……

or is ill in ………………………………… Hospital/Care Home/Hospice.

My name is:…………………………………………………………………..……….

Thank you for completing this card.

25) Details of Supported Charities

A Church in Cromer had on a part of the side wall covered with A4 Landscape,

cards with the names and details of the various charities the Church supported,

e.g. Church’s Ministry among the Jews, Scripture Union, London City Mission,

Tear Fund etc. The information was useful.

26) Prayer Topics

At the heart of our response to God’s love is of course prayer, and hopefully all

members of our congregation will join in praying for growth (See Appendix 26).

It is very useful to have these topics to give out to all, as well as a poster in

Church, and from time to time to appear in the Church magazine.

27) School visits to Church

As well as frequent services in Church, class visits are also important. Twice in

Primary School, Year 3 and Year 6, tours of the Church building were included,

followed up by the teacher and/or priest in school with a quiz paper. Hopefully

at least once in secondary schools this opportunity could be given by the priest

and further questions and answers afforded.

28) Filming a ‘Year in the life of our Parish’

Someone could, probably, be found who would be prepared to record a fairly

comprehensive film of the events/work of the Parish, e.g. Advent to Advent.

Copies of this could be made available to lend out to Baptisms / Weddings / Enquiries/New People etc.! In addition, a recording of a full Family Service may

be useful.

29) Pop up Shop

A Parish Church opened a pop up shop in a shopping centre, part of an initiative

to take the Church out to the people who pass by. The first day it was opened

the shop took £600, with a target of more than £2,000 over the week to be

divided between various charities. Many passing folk just wanted to stay and

chat.

In Mossley, a Christian group took over a disused shop offering hospitality.

Books and bric-a-brac were sold very cheaply. Tuesday lunchtime, there was a

Bible Study for those who wished: Fridays a knitting group. Christian literature

was also available.

Could this be done with other local Churches?

30) Engaging with all

Those abandoning Christianity today, especially among the young, are likelier

to be doing so less through militant atheism or secularism than through lack of

knowledge and understanding. Being able to see and talk to clergy could go a

long way towards overcoming this, and transforming Britain’s image as a de-

Christianised country.

It may be too much to require all salaried, able-bodied priests to spend an hour

each day on the street. But they should certainly be expected to identify

themselves as clergy, taking the trouble to engage with the people around them,

explaining their calling and discussing the faith.

Can threats against priests and ministers really be said to countermand such

duties and obligations? Earlier Christians suffered persecution for raising their

heads, while Church members in many countries today are still hounded for

their faith. So, the possibility of the odd taunt is hardly an excuse for hiding

away.

31) A Bishop’s Charge to their Diocese

In the material, I gathered for this booklet, I came across this excellent Bishop’s

Charge: here is much food for thought and action!

The questions that follow are designed to help individuals, groups and Parishes

discuss and apply the content of the Bishop’s Charge to their local context.

1. What can we do to encourage the development of private and

corporate prayer that enables us to respond to the renewing

power of God’s Holy Spirit?

2. How could we grow in our confidence in Christ so that we can

take risks for Him in the growth of His Kingdom?

3. How does our life and work relate to the 5 Marks of Mission and 4 Priority Areas?

4. How can we grow in: Our discovery and development of the gifts and ministries of

every person: in the local church, in the community, and in the work place?

The stewardship of money so that we “stop tipping and start tithing”?

5. How can we be more effective in the Context of our Mission: In our local community? In the wider Church and world?

6. How do we demonstrate our care of: Children and young people? Older people? Strangers? One another?

7. What action is needed to: Grow the Kingdom where we are? Unfreeze the gifts and ministries of all our members? Affirm our clergy and readers? Ensure that our services are relevant and inclusive? Help our congregation to grow in mutual care and support? Develop our healing ministry? Make the most of our buildings? Give ourselves to the needs of our children and young

people? Demonstrate our support for Church schools? Encourage one another to be more open about our faith? Engage with our culture without being consumed by it? Become involved with people at all the points where the

community forms? 8. How can we support the work of others in the diocese? How

could others help us in our mission and ministry? For example, how could we relate better to local Church and community schools and colleges, Industrial or other Chaplains, Bishops, Archdeacons, the Diocesan Resource Team, Diocesan Management Staff, other Parishes or mission agencies?

The Five Marks of Mission are:

1. To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom 2. To Teach, baptise and nurture new believers 3. To Respond to human need by loving service

4. Seek To Transform the unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation

5. To Strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and

renew the life of the earth

Priority Areas:

Spiritual Renewal

Building Missionary Congregations

Local Ministry

Links with the World Church

32) Young People are the Church of Today!

Should we not witness by word and action that young people ‘attending’ Church

are the Church of Today as well as the Church of Tomorrow. Young people are

to be welcomed to take on responsibility and volunteer to do as many ‘jobs’ as

everyone else.

I personally welcomed ALL volunteers of whatever age to take part in our

services, to take any responsibility within our Church that they were capable of

fulfilling and authorised to do so.

33) ‘Re-Union’ Services

As part of our special celebrations we had a Baptism ‘Re-Union’: A Confirmation

‘Re-Union’: A Marriage ‘Re-Union’ and as a result some returned to regular

worship. As they proved popular, we tried to have these special services every

seven/ten years, but not all in the same year!

34) Leading Intercessions

In most Churches today, laypeople are invited to lead the intercessions: these

people probably need guidance. For a sample of an A4 leaflet for this purpose,

please see Appendix 34.

35) Votive Candles

These are very popular and much appreciated in Church. An explanation would be helpful, please see Appendix 35.

36) Prayer Board

It is now very common to see a Prayer Board in Churches: and often votive

candles nearby. It may be helpful to divide the board into four: those in need,

those who are ill, those who have died and thanksgiving.

37) Bookmarks

From time to time, I would give the congregation bookmarks and always at

Easter and Christmas, this was cheap to resource. Four on a piece of A4 paper

and laminated. On the bookmark at Easter a crucifixion image/Easter tomb

image with ‘Christ has died, Christ has risen’. At Christmas, the star of

Bethlehem and a Nativity scene with Jesus the Gift of Christmas.

38) A Cross in every classroom

Leeds Diocese set up an appeal to enable classrooms to have an El Salvador

cross in every classroom. Could our Church schools have a cross in every

classroom?

39) Cruse

Much thought must be given to the bereaved. Cruse is a voluntary organisation

for the bereaved and there are many local branches. To find your nearest one,

visit their website: http://www.cruse.org.uk/.

A poster in Church and the Church Hall, a frequent mention in the Parish

Magazine/newsheet could well be helpful to inform people of this available organisation.

40) Use of Church walls

As well as using Church walls for displays of Church events, there could also be

displays of Church organisations, including Uniformed organisations and

especially children’s work. Also, could be included; teaching of the Church’s

sacrament, the history of the Old Testament, the events of the Gospel, the

history of the Church since Jesus. All these could be very informative and much

appreciated too.

41) Monthly Focus

From time to time, why not have a ‘focus’ month. For example; a focus on

prayer, a focus on evangelism, a focus on healing, a focus on finances, a focus

on the Bible, and a focus on schools etc.

42) Celebration Days

Listed in many Parish magazines/a weekly newssheet are lists of birthdays,

anniversaries, etc., coming up. Sometimes, ‘Happy Birthday’ can be sung in the

service, how good to have this personal touch!

43) Developing a Culture of Invitation at Easter

I was given this excellent leaflet and I want to pass the contents to all reading

this booklet, please see Appendix 43.

44) School Ministry

What follows is a check list of what I used to do in my Parish:

School Eucharists – one or two a term

An Easter Service

A Christmas Service

A Christingle Service

A Leavers Service

A Harvest Service

Assemblies

In September, a letter was sent to parents including in it – times of services,

Junior Church details, Junior Confirmation details and Church events, e.g.

Harvest details.

Another letter was sent before Christmas, and another letter in the New

Year reminding parents of Junior Church etc. Another letter was also sent to

parents on return from the Easter holiday.

I would send the weekly service sheet to the school and received theirs. The

Head teacher and the staff would have a copy of the Church magazine, I would

also have a meeting with the Head teacher every half term.

As much as possible, school participation was encouraged in the life of the

Parish.

45) Old Sheets Needed

Have you any old sheets that you could donate to Church so that we can turn

them into banners advertising all our events? Please bring them to Church and

hand them to ……….. the clergy/Church Warden.

APPENDIX

6 – Ten ideas to enhance Easter Day

7 - Teddy Bear Parachute

8 – Worship Audit

12 – Resource for Bereavement

26 – Prayer Topics

34 – Leading Intercessions

35 – Votive Candles

43 – Developing a Culture of invitation at Easter.

10 IDEAS TO

ENHANCE YOUR

EASTER DAY SERVICE

6

10 ideas to enhance your Easter Day service

1) Transform the Cross. If you have used a large wooden cross for Good

Friday, or can make one, cover it with chicken wire. Give everyone – or

ask them to bring – some daffodils as they come into the service; and

at an appropriate point, encourage them to bring the flowers to the

cross at the front and insert them into the mesh. Afterwards, why not

put the cross outside the Church building?

2) Share the light. Give everyone a small candle (with protective card)

as they enter. At the end, get everyone to light their candle from the

Pascal Candle as a reminder that they take the light of Christ out with

them. You could possibly use The Commission at the end of a Baptism

service as suitable words – especially if Baptism vows are renewed as

part of the service.

3) Use a festal shout!

What’s that you say? JESUS IS RISEN!

But he was dead! JESUS IS RISEN!

Nailed to a cross JESUS IS RISEN!

Laid in a grave JESUS IS RISEN!

Dead for three days JESUS IS RISEN!

Now he’s alive? JESUS IS RISEN!

Death overcome? JESUS IS RISEN!

Hope for us all JESUS IS RISEN!

Shout with one voice: JESUS IS RISEN!

4) Easter Egg hunt. Have an Easter egg hunt in the service. This could be for

children or for everyone. It can be dramatic if the eggs found are all empty

plastic ones – symbolising the empty tomb (a message could be put

inside).

Do give all the children, at least, a chocolate egg at the end of the service!

5) Dramatic Music. Use a dramatic piece of music, very loud, at the

beginning of the service (e.g. ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ by Aaron

Copland).

6) New Song. Try a new song, e.g. ‘He has risen’, which is lively with a catchy

chorus.

7) Make a tomb. Make a tomb from a table and table cloths, or

cardboard/MDF. Encourage the children and young people (or adults) to

look inside and tell what they see – nothing. This could be a good start to

the sermon.

You could even use the communion table or altar, if it is a hollow one, for

really good symbolism.

8) PowerPoint Presentation. Use a PowerPoint presentation as part (or all)

of the sermon. E.g. “Easter Quiz”.

9) Graffiti Board. Display a ‘graffiti board’ (flip chart, whiteboard or a large

piece of card) labelled “Easter is …” and encourage people to add their

comments. They could then be used in the service, e.g. during the sermon

or prayers.

10) Shared Breakfast. Why not start the service with a shared breakfast

together? Smoked fish and bread can be symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection

appearances, but toast/croissants/boiled or scrambled eggs, etc. are other

options.

WORSHIP AUDIT I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present

your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your

spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the

renewing of your minds.

Romans 12:1-2

A worship audit can be a useful tool in enabling a Church to take stock of its

worship and renew its spiritual life. A Parish can expect to be both changed

and challenged by the exercise, not least by being forced to reflect on the

experiences and perceptions of visitors, not all of which may necessarily be

welcome. To be effective, a review needs to enjoy the support of the PCC, not

just the clergy or ministry team. It need not be overly burdensome, but it does

need to engage with the regular congregation, particularly those who do not

normally have the confidence to voice their opinions. If handled wisely, the

conversation within a Christian community that such a review generates can

be hugely energising.

AIMS

Fundamental to an audit are the following questions:

Is our worship meeting the needs of God’s whole family in this place?

Is our worship accessible and attractive to those who are not yet part of

our Church?

What do we do well and what can we do better?

7

This is to Certify that

………………………………………………………………………….

on [Insert date] was brave enough to parachute from the top of

………………………………………

Signed:………………………………

8

PROCESS

The PCC appoints a working group who can commit time and energy to

undertake a review of the Parish’s worship on its behalf.

The group meets to plan its work

The group gathers information, seeking honest answers to its questions.

This can be done by

- Conducting a survey of worshippers after the principal service(s)

- Members of the group meeting with a representative selection of

groups within the congregation (such as Sunday School, young people,

choir, music group, servers, older people, disabled people)

- Inviting mystery worshippers to visit the Parish on different occasions

and report back

- Personal conversations with Parishioners, including occasional

attenders and those on the ‘fringe’

The group prepares a report and makes recommendations

The PCC discusses the report and decides if, how and when to implement

its recommendations.

Overleaf is a list of potential questions a Parish might like to incorporate in a

survey of worshippers as part of a worship audit. Depending on the style and

churchmanship of your Parish, you will need to select and tailor the questions

you ask. On subsequent pages is printed an example of an audit tailored to a

Parish where the principal service on a Sunday is the Parish Communion

according to Common Worship (Order One).

AUDIT SURVEY QUESTIONS

Before the service

If you were a visitor, what would you know about the date, time and

nature of this service from the Church noticeboard and/or Church website

near you?

How were you welcomed when you arrived in Church?

How would you describe the atmosphere in Church before the service?

During the service

Did you have any problems seeing or hearing in Church?

How easy was the service book / leaflet / hymnbook to use?

Did you find the print large enough to read?

Could you see the overheads clearly? Did they help or hinder your

worship?

What are your observations about each of the people who were leading

the worship (clergy, Readers, musicians, servers)?

Did you find the ceremonial and symbolism of the service helpful?

Was there anything that irritated you or which you found distracting?

Did you know when to sit, stand or kneel? Were there too many or not

enough changes in posture?

Was the leadership of the service reverent, helpful and clear?

Did the service have a coherent theme?

Did the music fit with the theme and style of the service?

Were you generally happy with the music / mix of musical styles?

Were any of the hymns or songs unfamiliar? If they were unfamiliar, how

did it make you feel?

How was the Bible reading introduced and read?

What did you think about the sermon?

To what extent did the sermon deepen your knowledge and love of God?

To what extent did the sermon connect with your daily life?

Were the prayers (intercessions) audible / appropriate / helpful?

Did the service allow you times of silence for your own prayer and

reflection?

Visitors

If you were a visitor, what were the best aspects of the worship?

To what extent did you feel part of the worshipping congregation or

merely a spectator?

What was the aftercare like? If there was coffee after Church, were you

invited to stay? Did you feel included or ignored?

Some prayers and words of comfort

for the bereaved

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4.

Please listen, God,

while we talk to you about our loved one

who has died,

take care of them and please take care of us too.

Thank you for the times we had together.

Thank you for Jesus who shows us your love.

He is close to our loved one,

and he is close to us.

Thank you God. Amen

A New Zealand Prayer Book

Lord, this dreadful thing has happened,

and our minds are weighed down with grief.

It is beyond our understanding why this life should be taken,

or why we should be called upon to suffer so terrible a loss.

Yet we know that life is full of mystery

and that many others at this time are facing the same problem

and enduring the same anguish as ourselves.

Help us to bear our sorrow.

Speak your word of peace to our hearts,

ease our pain and lift our darkness.

Be to us a very present help in trouble.

For Jesus Christ’s sake.

Amen. Frank Colquhoun

12

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me down to lie in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death,

He is with me.

His rod and staff will comfort me.

From Psalm 23

We thank you, Almighty God,

for the treasured gift of love,

for those we have shared our lives with,

and the memories we are blessed to hold in our hearts.

Console us, wipe away our tears,

And see us through another day,

for we have hope and promise of life everlasting,

through your Son, our Saviour, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Sarah Anne Nicholas

O Comforting One,

Compassionate One,

be with us all when we suffer loss

and ache with the pain of grieving.

Give us a glimpse of the way it will be

when love will never be taken away,

when life itself will not be diminished,

when all that we hold most precious

will live and remain with us for ever. Amen.

Miriam Therese Winter

PRAYER TOPICS Please pray that [Name of Church/Churches] will grow:

1) In numbers: pray that more and more people want to come and join

us, offering their lives to God, through Jesus Christ.

2) In faith: pray that members of our Church will want to grow in faith, in

knowing more about God, in wanting to pray. Pray that barriers of

fear, which stop people truly opening their lives to the Holy Spirit, will

be taken away.

3) In commitment: pray that all we do for God, for each other, for God’s

people, we will do with our whole heart and commitment. Pray that

we will never be half-hearted in our service to Christ.

4) In fellowship: pray that we may love each other more and more, that

as we love each other we may also support each other in good times

and in bad.

5) Towards Christ: that we may all become more like Him, and live in his

presence.

Pray that all will want to grow, that the Spiritual and praying heart of our

Church will increase, that the power of the Holy Spirit may be shown in the

lives of many people in our Parish.

Prayer: Lord, I believe, but would believe more firmly. O Lord, I love, but

yet would love more warmly.

I offer unto you my thoughts that they may be towards you; my actions

that they may be according to you; my sufferings that they may be for

you.

Amen.

LEADING INTERCESSIONS In most Churches today, laypeople are invited to lead the intercessions during

the Eucharist. It is a responsibility which should be shared as widely as

possible. All the Churches have rediscovered the importance of the laity in

public worship. They are not simply those that have not been ordained to

clerical ministry but the laos, the people of God, who make up by far the

largest order in His Church. A member of the clergy who leads intercessions

speaks at that time for the whole Church rather than in the exercise of a

special function as at other points in the service.

Here are a few suggestions to aid the intercessor: certainly, not ten

commandments, but nine points which are worth addressing for this solemn

but most joyful ministry.

1) Pray for guidance as you prepare for this act of worship.

2) Write down what you want to say, either fully or in notes according to

your confidence in your own memory.

3) Make your intercessions particular with specific immediate matters, local

or from the wider world. Consult with your priest about cases of sickness

or other trouble, or recent deaths. Respect confidentiality: people do not

want their problems mentioned in public.

4) Do not make your intercessions too particular. This is not the time for

giving out the weekly notices, and God does not need all the details. Pray

for ‘the next meeting of the Parochial Church Council (PCC)’ rather than for

‘the next meeting of the Parochial Church Council, which will be held in the

Church room at 19:45 on Tuesday evening.’: but it may be good to mention

any special matter to be discussed.

5) Avoid voicing personal opinions. By all means pray for causes or groups

which you have at heart, but do not extol their virtues or the wickedness

of their opponents. We are all sinners and all children of God who loves us,

and the oppressors need our prayers as much as the oppressed.

6) Do not take too long. Very long intercessions can lose the devout attention

of the congregation and can upset the balance of the service.

26 34

7) Be sure that your speech is clear and audible. Any of the clergy, or a

trained lay reader, can help here. Success comes from clarity and good

projection, not shouting. Test the acoustics of the Church from the place

where you will be standing: even competent and experienced speakers

can be caught out by a different building.

8) Use your natural voice, adapted only as necessary for being heard by more

people. The affected ‘parsonical’ voice is, happily, almost extinct and needs

no lay revival.

9) Despite all these injunctions, accept the duty with confidence and joy. Be

reverent, but not anxious. You are offering prayer to a loving Father, in the

presence of other Christians. This is, in the most wonderful sense, a family

occasion.

Intercessory Prayer

Intercession is only a part of prayer, but it is an important one, and the

practice of intercession at the Eucharist is a universal Christian tradition.

Wherever people are moved to pray, it is a basic instinct to ask for blessing

and strength in areas of concern. Christians know that in such prayers we are

not trying to change the will of God for our own immediate benefit, or to

soften the heart of a remote and implacable tyrant.

It is enough to know that it is both our duty and our privilege to bring the

needs of individuals and communities before God in prayer. We have the

command and example of Christ, and the practice of the Church, to assure us

that this is a proper response of faith. It is one of the many ways in which our

natural desires are accepted and sanctified. To lift people up in prayer is a

token both of our care for them and of our belief in the love of God for all his

creatures. In so doing, we are also offering ourselves to be used in the

furtherance of what we ask: this is a vital element in intercession, whether

individual or on behalf of the whole congregation. As we focus our concerns

and make them articulate, we come to realise how much they really mean to

us. True intercession is an offering of help as well as a plea for help. It is a

recognition that, although God needs nothing from us, he graciously invites

and accepts our share in his loving purposes.

CHRIST THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

And God said, “Let there be light”. – Genesis 1:3

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the

darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he who follows me will not

walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”. – John 8:12

Candles have been used in worship, not only by Christians, but in many other

religions since time immemorial.

For Christians, candles are symbols of Jesus Christ being the Light of the

World.

Jesus, by his birth, his life and teaching, his death, his resurrection and

ascension, brought the light of the Gospel into the world. He not only shows us

the way, he himself is the way to God. Christians follow this light.

When you light a candle:

Give thanks for our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Pray for his light to shine in the darkness of the world to bring peace

and justice, healing and salvation to all people.

Pray for this glorious House of God, that it may always stand as a

beacon in the world.

Pray for yourself, that Christ may bring you light and joy and peace.

35 – Votive Candles

DEVELOPING A

CULTURE OF

INVITATION AT EASTER

Developing a Culture of Invitation at Easter

Make Easter Sunday morning itself, the big invitation event. Many Churches,

however, like to organise one or more extra gatherings at Easter, to use the

opportunities for evangelism that it brings. So here are seven suggestions.

Hopefully, there is something for everyone:

Good Friday ‘Kids’ Club’: Teaching and craft-work; stories and games;

invitations and refreshments – all around the theme of Easter. Why not ask a

few ‘on the fringe parents’ to help out?

Easter Saturday ‘Car Wash’: Nothing to do with the message, liturgy or

spirituality of Easter – simply a great way of building bridges to people in the

community, having a lot of fun, possibly raising some money and giving every

driver a warm invitation to Easter Sunday.

You’ve Seen it on the Telly, Now Talk About it in the Pub: A pub night

out – any night following Easter: show a few clips from the Holy Week

programmes; get people to write down questions; interview a couple of

people; get people talking; serve good food.

School Event: for children, teachers, parents and grandparents too. Not just

telling the story, but thinking about its truthfulness (perhaps doing a ‘Who

move the stone?’ session); finally getting people to imagine what rising from

the dead might be like.

43

Be My Guest Service: On Holy Saturday or Easter Day night – Modern and

traditional music; bring in a Christian performer to do some music or drama;

show some clips from the television programme; preach a warm, invitational

Easter message; finish with quality refreshments. Everyone brings a friend.

Youth Sleep Over – Good Friday or Saturday Night: A young people’s

event. You could watch the Holy Week TV programmes during the

evening/night with a discussion session to follow. Throw in lots of good food

and a few games!

Easter Monday – Walking, Coach Trip, Country or Sea-side: Many love an

outing; just a great social get-together event, combining Church members and

people on the fringe.

Easter can do two things: Firstly, it can bring people to our Church and to our

events. Secondly, it can touch people deeply. This then forms, the perfect lead

into the running of a Christian Enquirers’, or basics, course. Why not plan ahead

to run such a course? It need only be four or six weeks long.

CELEBRATING GOD’S LOVE TO US RESOURCES

There are 37 Christian Booklets and more are pending,

211 Christian leaflets/handouts and more are pending.

And 6 booklets entitled ‘Opportunities for God’

These booklets (below) have been, and are, helpful to very many people.

It is hoped that you too will enjoy reading these resources and gaining a

wealth of knowledge about the Christian Faith. They are freely

downloadable on:

http://wewanttheworldtoknowjesus.weebly.com/

Booklet 1 More than Just ‘Food for Thought’ Part 1

Booklet 2 Prayers/Psalms and Hymns

Booklet 3 The Old Testament Part 1

Booklet 4 The Holy Eucharist

Booklet 5 Lord teach me to Pray

Booklet 6 The Good News of Jesus Part 1

Booklet 7 The Good News of Jesus Part 2

Booklet 8 Christians believe in the Reality of God, Sin and Forgiveness etc.

Booklet 9 Christians believe in the Bible, Confirmation, The Sacraments etc.

Booklet 10 The Church Grows Part 1

Booklet 11 The Church Grows Part 2

Booklet 12 An Introduction to the Four Gospels

Booklet 13 More than Just ‘Food for Thought’ Part 2

Booklet 14 Some Saints / Festivals to Celebrate Part 1 (Jan-June)

Booklet 15 Some Saints / Festivals to Celebrate Part 2 (July-Dec)

Booklet 16 How Not to Visit the Sick at home or in hospital

Booklet 17 How to spread The Gospel

Booklet 18 Helpful to know when Reading the Bible

Booklet 19 Old Testament Part 2

Booklet 20 Old Testament Part 3

Booklet 21 Bible Teaching for Today

Booklet 22 The Ten Commandments for Today

Booklet 23 More ‘Just Food for Thought’ Part 3

Booklet 24 More Prayers, Canticles and Hymns

Booklet 25 How Not to Witness and some suggested alternatives

Booklet 26 Praying The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)

Booklet 27 An Introduction to the Bible

Booklet 28 The Beatitudes – The Teachings of Jesus

Booklet 29 The Thoughts of Jesus

Booklet 30 Silver Service: Ideas for sharing the Gospel

Booklet 31 More than Just ‘Food for Thought’ Part 4

Booklet 32 An Introduction to The Old Testament Books Part 1

Booklet 33 An Introduction to The Old Testament Books Part 2

Booklet 34 An Introduction to The New Testament Books

Booklet 35 An Introduction to St Paul and The Early Church

Booklet 36 Even More Food for Thought Part 5

Booklet 37 Our Response to Jesus

I have, over many years as a priest in the Church of England collected some

sound helpful resources on many Christian themes/topics. Here is a list of these

(mainly A5 leaflets) I have given out to the attending congregation as they

arrive in the hope they will be read at home and pass on to family, friends and

neighbours.

My prayer is that these leaflets/handouts will help us and thousands of people

to celebrate God’s love and keep us focused in our mission to tell through words

and actions that God wants the world to know and respond to Jesus.

These resources are now freely available to access on a computer at:

http://wewanttheworldtoknowjesus.weebly.com/.

Hopefully your congregation would like to avail this free resource too: please

do give them an opportunity!

1 Needful & Helpful Reflections

2 The Meaning of Jesus

3 Christian?

4 A Scheme of Intercession

5 Praying at the Eucharist

6 Should I go back to Church?

7 Put your heart into being a bright light (Mother Teresa)

8 Practical suggestions that will help us invite someone to church

9 God’s Way to Peace, Truth & Love

10 The Worldwide Church

OVER 200 MORE ONLINE

COPYRIGHT DISCLOSURE: The booklets/leaflets are produced with the intention of spreading the Word of

the Gospel and sharing it with others. The compiler has not been able to trace the authors or publishers of

some extracts and illustrations. He hopes that no copyright has been infringed. If it has, he apologies and

will ensure that a correction is made once he has been informed of the correct owner of any said

extract/illustration.