"10 minutes on a Tuesday", a weekly resource for preachers and worship leaders

Each Tuesday an email with lectionary based ideas and resources will be circulated by Andre le Roux through e-messenger as part of the Refresh Ministry. Just 10 minutes of reading to get your creative energy going for the Sunday that lies ahead.

Each week "10 minutes on a Tuesday" will provide you with creative and visual aid ideas, music suggestions, children's talk and sermon thoughts on the readings for the day.

The theme for Lent is "Crossroads" and while the weekly ideas are focused around this theme they do also have a wider application.

You can access the current "10 minutes on a Tuesday" or the archived issues by clicking here.

WAY2GO Children's Ministry Conference 2010

Imagine the possibilities! Whether you're a new volunteer or an experienced children's worker, this conference will be a richly inspiring experience. Come as a team and enjoy it together!

The 2010 conference includes a creative and relevant look at the key factors we need to be aware of in order to help transformation happen in children's lives.

There will be a wide variety of practical workshops looking at children's ministry issues such as Bible engagement, using natural objects to help children learn about God, and working with families as primary spiritual caregivers.

There will also be an extensive range of resources available. There is a special conference discount for resources ordered on the day.

Auckland 6 March
Dunedin 13 March
Wellington 27 March

For more information please click here

Christmas: Getting the message out

Below are pictures of the Christmas Display at
St Johns Church Centre, Kensington, Whangarei

Ministry with children

MM209: A distance learning course offered by EIDTS

(the Ecumenical Institute of Distance Theological Studies)
to deepen understanding & skills of anyone who works with children.
Study in your time at your place -
with email and phone support from a tutor when you need it!

The course aims to help students:

• Reflect on, critique and develop their personal ministry and leadership skills with children
• Understand key aspects of ministry with children including theological grounding, spiritual development, safety issues, diversity of possibilities in ministry and mission involving children and families
• Identify ways of fostering a congregation's approaches to ministry with children and their families
  

This course takes a full academic year (March to October) and is very practical with assignments about the student's own context.

Course writer and tutor: Rev Mary Petersen - formerly General Secretary Churches Education Commission 1990 - 2000, National Co-ordinator Ministry with Children and Families Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand 2001 - 2004, and currently Minister Mercury Bay Co-operating Parish since 2004.

This course can be completed for a 'stand alone' certificate or can contribute to a Ministry Certificate or an Associate Diploma or the Licentiate in Theology (LTh). EIDTS is registered as a private training establishment by the NZ Qualificatons Authority.


For further information:
Phone: 0800 667 969 Fax: 03 339 0124
Email: eidts@xtra.co.nz Website: www.eidts.ac.nz

It's exam time!

With exam-time well underway for many of our Tertiary and Secondary schoolers, most would think that the time to offer exam support and encouragement has been and gone!?

But I beg to differ! .... Well done to all who have offered prayers, encouraging words and practical support for the students in their families, parishes and communities during this time! But for those who may have been so busy with work, conference, or other pressing matters in life, mine is a blog entry to remind you that it isn't too late to offer support and encouragement!

Whilst exams may be coming to a very welcomed finish for many, the time for prayer, support and encouragement in this area doesn't end yet! If anything it's for this time onwards where our students are in most need of encouragement, enjoyment, and assurance of the fact that regardless of what their exam results may be, they're still loved and filled with so much promise.

It is also good to remind and assure them (and their parents, often) of the importance of putting things like exams and assessments into perspective. While some stress is often good for us, excessive pressure and anxiety because of an exam result or two in the whole scheme of things isn't worth it.

Having said all of this, here's wishing all of our students and student supporters the very best with exams and the conclusion of another academic year! ... When the assessments are all over, rest well and enjoy a well earned summer break!

Please feel free to add your comments or ideas you have for supporting students at this time :)

Grace and Peace
TeRito Peyroux

Christmas: Getting the message out

Just got this from one of our churches in Northland. It's a great idea, and well executed (I'll see if we can get some pictures!). This comes as part of an ongoing initiative taken by the St John's parish following the Church Possible gathering in March. If you have good ideas for getting the Christmas message into the community, feel free to add them as comments.

Last night we met again - and looked at some of our Christmas advertising / profile raising.

We are taking over the Whitcoulls window for advertising Christmas - and have gathered together a professional display of a New Zealand Christmas, and advertising our Christmas services.

We also have some shop space in an unlet arcade, which we spent the most time on last night, designing the display. It is close to Farmers, and gets a high walk past profile. We will line it with hessian, and place within that a manger scene, with manikins of Mary and Joseph, and a manger with Jesus in it. The theme is of angels - and so there will be hosts of heavenly beings, with posters of music (hark the heavenly angels sing etc), a star, lots of tinsel etc.

It is designed as a resting place after Christmas shopping - so there will be a place to sit for adults and children, some Christmas literature, ? a colouring competition?, and the Christmas services of the town advertised. Our ecumenical effort as well.

No security - so no music 'cos the players would disappear! Hope that isn't the case with Joseph and Mary, otherwise I'll have to resurrect the old joke about the kidnapping of Mary ...!

Cheers

Peter

Minister, St Johns Church Centre
Kensington, Whangarei

What are we reviewing?

There are a thousand things one could 'review' in a parish visitation; Are the sermons inspiring or boring? Are the people challenged to care for the environment/each other/the buildings? Is the secretary always in the office when he/she should be? Are the baptismal/membership/confirmation rolls up-to-date?

But it would appear to me that many of these are symptoms of a few core areas of church life.

In my reading today I came across an article by John Janka called "Spiritual Windsurfing: Exploring the context for evaluation." In it John argues that there are core aspects of calling, self-knowledge, emotional intelligence and a prophetic role all shape the context of an evaluation.

He also argues that using a system that identifies problems and proposes solutions is not an effective evaluation. He suggests the use of appreciative inquiry type questions to strengthen the ministry of lay and ordained.

Click here to go to the article. Click on 'Print ready' near the bottom of the left column for a full version.

And if you have any thoughts about either John's core aspects or appreciative inquiry as a tool, please add your comments to the blog.