Looking for a new Lenten resource that works for individuals and groups and is free? “Growing a Rule of Life” is a brand new Lenten workbook for individuals and congregations. It is produced by SSJE (Society of St. John the Evangelist), in partnership with the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary.
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God with us, again...
Amidst our busy-ness we celebrate Jesus, God-with-us, entering our day to day lives once again. He comes to free us, to enliven us, to save us from the humdrum.
He comes to re-focus us on what's important: Loving God and loving others!
Read MoreIdeas for lent
Now is the time to start thinking about Lent for next year, especially if you need to order books or consult with others...Remember, 10th of February is not that far way factoring in holidays and the like...
So here's a few ideas to throw into the mix. Click on the images to see purchasing info...
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The Art of Leading Groups
Even the most practiced facilitator gets butterflies in their stomach before they start working with a group. And every facilitator will tell you that the bulk of their work is done before they set eyes on the group they will be working with. Keeping in mind these two facts, I’ve come up with a few tips to help in leading groups.
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Growing as families
The research tells us that the best indicator that faith will grow in young people is if faith is a part of daily life in the family. And for families to thrive so that faith can be passed on, the Search Institute has noted five essential actions that lead to a nurturing family life. Following my logic? If we work on these fiver actions, we create the fertile soil where issues of depth can be a part of day-to-day life.
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Just Pray Campaign
Bishop Stephen Cottrell spent much of his recent visit here talking about prayer as the central skill Christians should work on in order to bring new life to the church. This campaign gives you some tools to get working on this in your parishes.
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Just Pray...
You might have come across the controversy surrounding this new video which launches the Just Pray campaign in England. Apparently someone in charge thought it would be offensive to have this add played during sessions of the new Star Wars film that opens around the world on the 18th of December.
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Resources for Christmas
Proost, a collective of creative Christian multimedia developers from the UK (and Australia!) have been birthing amazing and thought-provoking visuals for years now and have always managed to get the balance just right between cutting edge ideas and thoughtful theology.
Read MoreHallelujah at Christmas
Leonard Cohen's great song 'Hallelujah' has taken on a life of its own these days. It's likely you've never hear his version because so many people have performed it since!
Here's a young artist who performs as Cloverton with a version of the song that features Christmas-focused lyrics.
Read MoreStar News Bethlehem
St Pauls Church in Auckland, NZ have a great history of releasing innovative videos to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This example is actually from a year or two ago but would be terrific to show at a crib or children's service this Christmas.
Read MorePreparation for Confirmation resources: a survey
Over at Ministry Education, we're looking at Preparation for Confirmation resources.
In conjunction with the Anglican Schools Office, we're wondering if it's time to develop something new, or at least find something existing that ticks boxes for most people.
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The Seasons of Adult Faith Formation
Whilst much of the literature on faith development tended to focus on the stages and styles characterised by young people, John Roberto's new book gives us everything we need to draw new insights into the formation of adults in the Christian faith.
Read MoreNew books about St Francis
Celebrating St. Francis through Learning
The feast of Saint Francis of Assisi was celebrated on October 4th. While many churches host animal blessingsSt. Francis Day is also an opportunity for study and education.
Faith in action: The People's Climate March
Dear Friends,
Will you join us to create a vibrant Anglican presence at the People’s Climate March on Saturday 28th November? Find out more...
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Are Religious Children kinder?
Does faith make our children kinder and more generous?
This article from The Guardian highlights research that says....(find out more)
Read MoreNew ways of thinking about Leadership
Forbes magazine has created this video that highlights thinking about leadership using scenes from the popular cinematic series, of films, Star Wars.
Read MoreSURVEY: Creating Preparation for Confirmation resources
So here's the survey; just seven short questions; it'll take you five minutes at most. Use the scroll bar at the side of the survey to do the whole thing.
Thank you for your help with this!
Want to help people understand Anglican Christianity?
Launched now at www.formedfaith.org is the new Exploring Anglican Identity material.
Archbishop Phillip is the star of five short videos, each dealing with a different aspect of Anglican identity. Each video has discussion questions aimed at provoking conversation, whether you use them at a confirmation class, a bible study/other small group or even play one a week at morning tea after church. Archbishop Phillip has summed up nuanced ideas concisely and with humour.
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Follow in the footsteps of Jesus...
Bible Challenge: A Tool for Churches to Read the Bible in a Year
The Bible Challenge is a Bible study published by Forward Movement, designed to allow adult learners to read the Bible in a year. We wanted to know how this program works in a parish, and our friend Andrew was happy to let us know how St Gregory's, Boca Raton, FL used the program.
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