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The God Walk
Anna Johnstone, an elder at Albany Presbyterian Church has compiled a very beautiful book of her reflective writing which has been a significant part of her own God Walk. The book has 80 pages with both coloured and black and white photos. It contains reflections on life, Scripture, our God Walk and has a foreword by Eddie Askew. It is an inspirational and reflective book which would make a great gift or a resource to read and reread.
It retails at $22.50 plus p&p $3 and is available from Kerry and Anna Johnstone 2/143A Manuka Rd, Glenfield, Auckland 1310 telephone 09 444 9409 email
enquiries(at)johnstone2.co.nz
The Emerging Church
Rosemary Neave, networker and editor of Futuresnewz writes:
While some congregations on Sunday mornings around New Zealand may be 'greying' and shrinking, there are a growing number of people and groups who are gathering in other ways and on other days to reflect on their faith journey and to celebrate it. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as 'the emerging church', some call themselves small faith communities, alt.worship, community churches or simply groups of friends. Some meet regularly on the internet or email, some meet in cafés, some in churches, some in homes. There are groups of young people, baby boomers, older people - and mixtures of all of these.
What they have in common is a desire to live a faith that is relevant and connected to their lives and engages with and helps make sense of the world around them. For some, traditional Church is something they have walked away from, for others it was simply something that never connected with them. Others maintain a foot in both camps, though most would say that their energy and passion is invested in the emerging church experiences. Alan Jamieson's book 'A Churchless Faith' tells the story of some of these people based on his research into why people leave pentecostal and charismatic churches.
While each group is different, and expresses faith (or doubt) in different ways, what they have in common is that they are on a journey, ready to live with questions, rather than assume they know the answers, open to discovering God anywhere along the way - in a film, in a child, in the silence...
And the future? - Kevin Ward, Otago University has been looking at the impact of social and cultural changes since the 60s on the NZ Churches and reflects on the future - "I don't know what exactly it will look like, but I do believe it will be vastly different from the form of even the most innovative of those churches regarded as contemporary." For Ward this means "not that Christianity will no longer exist in communal forms, it inevitably must, but that the forms of Christian community that it will take, will bear little resemblance to "church" as we have known it."
These 'Emerging Churches' are perhaps not the future, but I believe they are on the pathway to it. The future remains an open question but an exciting one as we seek to find God incarnated in our time and place.
To contact Rosemary, email
rosemary(at)futurechurch.org.nz
Ph (09) 432 1234
Lent Resources
There are now some Lent resources on the theme of Poverty available on the Methodist website
www.methodist.org.nz
Resources for Worship and Study
Please note that these resources are also available under "Worship"in the "Find a Resource" section.
Lent and Easter Kit
This kit of resources for the season contains:
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A Pilgrimage for Good Friday
A Good Friday Service
A Passionate Journey- Passion Sunday
Hymns for the Season
Holy Week
A Maundy Thursday Service
A Service for Good Friday- Words from the Cross
Ideas for Lent
An Ash Wednesday Retreat
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The kit is $9 plus postage.
Who was, and is, and is to come
Preaching notes and prayers for Easter til Pentecost, April 11 - May 23, Written by the Rev Margaret Martin. $4 plus postage
Lent and Holy Week Preaching Notes
This set of preaching notes and prayers covers the period February 29-April 10 2004 and has been written by the Very Rev Lawrie Hampton. 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. $4 plus postage.
The notes contain exegetical material on each of the lectionary readings, preaching suggestions and prayers.
Lent and Holy Week Preaching Notes
Lenten Studies 2004
A series of four studies for a New Zealand Lent by Graham Millar of Ngaio Union Parish in Wellington. The studies are $4 plus postage.
Please note that studies and kits of resources from other Lent and Easter periods are also available for $4 for the studies or $9 for the kits. They are by a wide range of authors with resources that have worked well in their areas. If you are seeking a resource for a particular occasion please feel free to ask. Verity Doak is in the office on Tuesdays and can help- phone 04 381 8294 or email
verityd(at)presbyterian.org.nz
Please note that studies and kits of resources from other Lent and Easter periods are also available for $4 for the studies or $9 for the kits. They are by a wide range of authors with resources that have worked well in their areas. If you are seeking a resource for a particular occasion please feel free to ask. Verity Doak is in the office on Tuesdays and can help- phone 04 381 8294 or email
verityd(at)presbyterian.org.nz.