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Resources

Lay Leaders' Workshop

John Roxborogh co-ordinator of Lay and Recognised Ministry is available to help your parish or presbytery run workshops. He can be contacted at the School of Ministry. The following is a description, from Dellwyn Moylan of a recent workshop in Ashburton.

"The Ashburton Presbytery aims to have a yearly training event. This year the Mission Resource Committee decided to invite the Rev Dr John Roxborogh to facilitate our workshop. John visited the Presbytery to talk with us about what our needs were.

Six months later we hosted a workshop titled "Me a Lay Leader". Anyone in leadership in the parishes was invited to attend. We advertised it well in advance through parishes, Presbytery members and encouraged people to personally approach elders, leaders, Sunday School Teachers, Youth Group Leaders and potential leaders, especially those who may have never considered offering themselves for leadership.

This was a good opportunity to invite people to a training if the parishes wanted to encourage them into leadership. Presbytery paid the cost for the workshop. We did ask for registrations.

We had three sessions and people were able to attend one or all. We realised the church is facing the reality of change and we need to look at ways to encourage our leaders and 'recruit' new leaders.
The morning session was "Why me? Where do I fit in?" We looked at new leadership patterns in Presbyterian and Co-operating Churches including models being used in the Ashburton District. We watched a delightful video from the Church of Scotland on Eldership, and looked at what this meant for the church here in Mid Canterbury; what eldership is about, is it a life long privilege or a life long sentence?; when people are asked to be elders helping them sense if the call to eldership is something for them.

The afternoon session was "Keeping or Churches Safe". We discussed the issue of Pastoral Care and Christian education and the concern that it should be for the church as a whole. Our discussion was helped by watching an extremely good video which produced good discussion points and raised issues with practical steps on how to deal with the given situations. Copies of the guidelines produced by the Church were available.

We had an evening session on reminiscing about the church especially Pentecost and Easter from our young days and on Sunday we had a combined service."

A Christmas Newsletter

East Taieri Church used their computer's Publisher Program to produce a very attractive quarterly newsletter for distribution in the church and community last Advent. It contained a letter from their minister, notice board, services information, and articles about Celebrations and Traditions, The Birth of Jesus and 'Can we keep Christ in Christmas'. Michael Schwass described it as part of the information sharing which led up to three well attended Christmas Eve services.

If you have Microsoft Publisher 2002 and a colour photocopier you may like to email the parish and they will send you material which will help you produce a customized resource for your parish. Their address is
mailto:office(at)etchurch.org.nz.

Roots Website

www.rootsontheweb.com

There are some exciting resources for Advent and Christmas available on the internet from Roots.
Roots is an ecumenical resource programme based on the Revised Common Lectionary to support the worship and learning of the whole Church community.

Follow the 'Subscribers login' link and enter novdec as the user and adv23ent as the password. These log-on details will work until the end of December.

Resources for Worship and Study

Advent 1 - Christmas 2

This set of preaching notes and prayers covers the period November 30-January 4 2004 and has been written by Rev Brian Williscroft. As with all the preaching notes which cover every Sunday and special day of the Church year the notes are based on the 3 year Common Lectionary readings. They are suitable for both lay and ordained preachers or can be used by groups either preparing worship or wanting to do some Bible study. $8 plus postage.

The notes contain exegetical material on each of the lectionary readings, preaching suggestions, hymn and song suggestions and prayers. Please enquire about subscribing to the whole lectionary year of preaching notes.
Advent 1 - Christmas 2 (Kit 1)

Advent and Christmas Kit 2003

This kit of resources for the season contains: Santa's Presents- a play Christmas Through the Eyes of Mary Prayers and Communion for Advent Sunday The Twelve Days of Christmas A Journey to Bethlehem-worship for Advent Star Symbols for Christmas Eve Christmas Day - a service There were Wise Men in the East - a play
Advent and Christmas Kit 2003

Be Alert Prepare Christ Comes

Advent Studies

A series of 4 studies for Advent by Rev Susan Jones of Dunedin. $4 plus postage.
Be Alert Prepare Christ Comes - Advent Studies

Year of Luke Lectionary and Calendar

This booklet is useful for those preparing worship or for people who want to study the Bible systematically. $4 plus postage.
Year of Luke Lectionary and Calendar

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand