Newslink – Winter 2014

Youth&Children’s
newslink
The newsletter for youth & children’s workers in the Diocese of Bristol
Winter 2014
A
long
time
ago...
e
d
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s
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his issue
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Being there in churches
Kids work in the future?
All-age Advent ideas
Fun Christmas activities
“Sweet spot” ministry
Reflect, relate, respond!
Latest resources
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Every week my daughter Maisie spends three days at a local nursery. Maisie loves
it there and every time I pick her up she is full of stories of what she and her friends
have been doing that day. Last week her bag contained a note informing parents
that the children had begun to practice their Nativity play. Being the inquisitive
parent, I asked Maisie about this, interested to know what part she was playing.
If I’m being honest there was small part of me hoping to hear Maisie say Mary or Angel
Gabriel. However, she responded; “I’m the innkeeper Daddy with Bee” (Bee is one of her
friends). Maisie then continued to tell me that the innkeeper tells Mary and Joseph
that there is no room for them. Maisie then broke out into a full recital of the entire
script - it lasted the entire journey home in the car, narration and all!
After breakfast this morning Maisie wandered into the lounge holding a pack of
Christmas cards that I had purchased at the weekend. I managed to find a pack with
three scenes from the Nativity - Mary with child, the shepherds and the wise men and Maisie wanted to take the Christmas cards in to nursery to show everyone.
Maisie skipped in and darted off with the cards going up to everyone at nursery saying
“Look Harriet (her key worker). It’s Mary and Jesus”. “Look Bee, it’s the shepherds”.
“Look Kimmee (another staff member), it’s the wise men”. It was a wonderful moment
watching Maisie charge around the room and seeing her exitement and joy rub onto
the children and staff.
There was something wonderful and profound watching the innocence of a child
bringing the Christmas narrative to life today and Maisie reminded me of something
this morning - the message of Christmas is to enjoyed, treasured and shared!
What is stopping me from wandering around with a pack of Christmas cards pointing
out the key characters to the people I meet? Probably the fact that any response will
more likely question my sanity rather than the pictures! Nevertheless, what I witnessed this morning has deeply challenged me.
Visit the website
for all the latest
news, resources
and stories around
the Diocese
bristol.anglican.org
Every year I treasure and enjoy Christmas time. I’m sure I speak on behalf of many
Christians that this time of year is a wonderful time to worship the birth of Jesus
Christ. But, this ‘Maisie-thing’ has widened my horizons - how am I going to share the
the gift of Jesus with others this year? I’m not suggesting that a one-man adapation
of the Nativity play outside my local CO-OP is the way
forward (although my wife would find this hilarious).
However, sharing the story could, as H.Pinnock suggests
bring people closer to God:
"So who needs Christmas? We do! All of us!
Because Christmas can bring us closer to the Savior,
and he is the only source of lasting joy!”
Hugh W. Pinnock
All I know is that I’ve
got to try something.
Thank you Maisie :o)
Merry Christmas x
Being
there
An introduction to basic listening skills in a pastoral context
‘Being there in Churches’
A practical course for people who want to
become better listeners in their church roles.
Louise Mills from Network Counselling will
lead the day specifically designed for people
who are already engaged in a ministry of
pastoral care, formally or informally, in their
churches who would enjoy and
benefit from an opportunity to:
• further enhance their listening skills,
• develop their awareness of pastoral care
in specific contexts
The training is suitable for anyone involved in
children’s, families or youth work, Messy
Church, toddler groups, drop-in cafes and
other projects that offer pastoral support.
Date: Saturday 18th April 2015
Venue: Diocesan Office
Hillside House
1500 Parkway North
Bristol BS34 8YU
Time: 10.00am-4.00pm
For more information/bookings contact
Dan Jones (youth & children’s adviser) on:
daniel.jones@bristoldiocese.org
0117 906 0100
£20
Includes lunch & refreshments
Outline of the day...
9.30 Arrival and registration
10.00 Welcome & introduction
10.10
A way of Being
Introducing listening as a ministry
10.55 Qualities of an effective listener
11.25 Refreshment break
11.45 Listening to the whole person
1.00 Lunch (included in price)
1.45
Help! I don't know what to say
3.30 End of the day
n
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:
counselling&
training
ww w.network .org.uk
www.bristol.anglican.org/events
Diocese of Bristol
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18.4.2015
Back to the future [ part 1 ]
What if children’s work in the future looks nothing like it
does now? It’s time for a change, says Childrenswork
editor Sam Donoghue. Strap on your seatbelt and get ready
for take-off as we venture into the unknown…
In 2012, leading children’s ministry
thinker John Westerhoff III was speaking
at a conference in the USA called
Children, Youth, and a New Kind of
Christianity. In his talk he suggested
that we are on the cusp of something
new in children’s ministry; he described
us as on the edge of a paradigm
where the way we do things now
would change to reflect new ideas
and new thinking.
When I heard this talk I couldn’t help but
be excited – I’d thought about and hoped
for this for a while. There was however
a disappointing end to the exploration:
he said that he didn’t know what this
paradigm would look like.
The specific wording here is significant.
He didn’t say we needed to develop. He
didn’t say we needed to evolve. He’s
looking for something bigger than that;
he’s looking for a paradigm shift. This
means that everything changes because
the core assumptions and values that
underpin all the thinking in the area has
shifted. Once we have made the jump,
everything changes and there’s no going
back. Once rejected, the methods cannot
be readopted because they reflect values
we no longer hold.
I think you’ll agree that this idea is both
scary and quite exciting. Scary because it
will mean abandoning things that we
currently hold dear and being willing to
admit that we’re not getting it right, but
exciting because there’s an amazing
adventure into the unknown ahead,
where what happens in our churches for
children will change and begin to nurture
a faith that sticks and lasts a lifetime.
I’d like to spend some time in this article
exploring why I would agree with
Westerhoff that we need to move on
from where we are now. In the next issue,
I’ll try and peer over the fence into the
future, to explore some key ideas which
could form a new future for the work we
do with children.
I hope you’ll join me on the journey and
join in the thought and discussion needed.
None of us have all the answers on this,
but together I believe that God is calling
us into a new thing, unlike anything we’ve
done before.
THE NOW
There is one overarching and defining
feature of children’s ministry in the UK at
the moment: the thinking that we are
primarily educators, teaching children
how to be Christians. The influence of
this way of thinking is everywhere; open
any children’s ministry curriculum and
you’ll find it on every page. This is where
the paradigm shift begins.
When I applied to work at the Diocese
of London, I was working as a schools
outreach worker in Basildon in Essex,
and spent my life following this
educational way of working. Hundreds
of assemblies in primary schools
followed the same ‘magic’ formula: tell
the children what the theme was and
illustrate with amusing anecdote,
present a Bible story on a similar theme
making use of the economies of scale
that we benefited from by covering
40 schools who all received the same
assembly, explain to the children why the
story was connected to my introduction,
apply this learning to their lives and then
finish off with a prayer that the children
could agree with by saying ‘amen’.
We had great fun and we made amazing
props (including a full-size Goliath and a
big fish called Bryan that could swallow a
child). The introductory stories we told
were always funny and the children
would laugh enough to get stern looks
from the teachers, but we developed an
uncanny knack of settling the children
back down in time for the prayer.
My routine in Sunday school was similar:
tell a Bible story, reinforce the meaning
with activities and craft or choose a
theme that I could support with a Bible
verse or two. The problem with all this is
that I couldn’t help but wonder what the
point was – was teaching these children
about the Bible and God enough and was
learning Bible stories the key objective?
Or was all of this a means to a greater
end? And quite frankly what’s going on
with action songs? I needed to think, but
to be honest I was so busy doing and
being pretty good at it that I just chose to
opt out of thinking. I only really read
books which told me that I was doing ok
and whenever I was confronted by differing ideas I’d leap on the flaws rather than
hear what was good in them.
Having had a little more time to ponder in
my role at the Diocese here are my
thoughts for why the educational model
isn’t working and needs not to be not just
changed, but abandoned.
“ Where we're going we
don't need worksheets ”
We are teaching children not to
think for themselves.
The problem with the model where I teach
children about the Bible is that I do all
the thinking. All the children need to do
is listen and then be able to say it back to
me by answering some plenary questions
or taking part in a quiz, they get the
answer right and I can say the children
really learnt something. I wrote a whole
resource like this, full of clever talks that
helped explain things, with added craft
to re-enforce it. The only thinking the
children were given the space to do was
finding the answers to my questions to
check they’d listened.
Working this way leaves the children with
no framework to think about God for
themselves, as all they can do is take our
interpretation and apply it to their lives.
In fact, the balance of power between
them as a child and you as an adult
means that telling children what Bible
stories mean will actively stop them
thinking; they will find it very hard to
disagree with you so if they do, they will
assume that they are wrong and you are
right. We often describe the Bible to children as a manual for our lives and show
them how to treat it that way with wellmeaning but over-simplified stories. It is
so much more than that, and we need to
draw children into its depth and mystery;
they are well set up to do this.
Continued on page 6 >>>>>>
3
ideas
all-age Advent
Prayers & intercessions
All age talk from the Urban Pastor
Advent candle prayer:
Jesus and Buzz
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
As we light our advent candle
Light of the world, shine on us.
As we prepare for Christmas time
Light of the world, shine on us.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
In this world of pain and darkness,
Light of the world, shine through us.
To all the people who don’t know you,
Light of the world, shine through us.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Jesus you are coming again,
Light of the world, light the way.
In our service here today
Light of the world, light the way.
Advent confession:
Lord God,
we praise you for sending light into this world.
We confess that we live as though the light
had never defeated darkness.
We confess that we ignore the Savior
you sent to be among us and to live in us.
We’ve kept the birth of your Son
confined to the Christmas season
and do not yearn for his coming each moment
in our waiting hearts.
Forgive us for not opening our eyes to Jesus.
Prepare us for His return.
Help us rejoice in the light,
so that your grace can illuminate
the darkened places of our hearts. Amen.
Gift of praise - prayer activity
As a church family make a gift of praise for God.
Giftwrap a large cardboard box so that it looks
like a large present - but remember to have a
slit (like a post box) so that prayers can be placed
inside the box. Then on small pieces of paper
each person in the congregation writes or
draws something they wish to thank God for.
Invite everyone to fold their prayers and place
them in the box. Conclude the time of prayer
placing the following verse on a piece of card
and display it by the box.
We thank you, our God, and praise you.
1 Chronicles 29:13
Place the gift under the Christmas tree and open
it on Christmas Day using the prayers for the
intercessions.
4
This was an assembly at a local primary school that involved one of our
trainees dressing as Buzz Lightyear. The toy Buzz Lightyear works too.
I know that reception have been thinking about festivals this term so perhaps one of them can tell me which Christian festival are we about to celebrate? That’s right, Christmas. I love Christmas. One of the best things
about Christmas is the presents. I love getting presents from people. I’ve
got one here (either show the present). Can anyone guess what it is? Does
someone want to open it? Who is it?
It’s a real life full scale Buzz Lightyear. I know that some of you guys at the
back are too old for this. But most of us would be thrilled to get a Buzz at
Christmas. This would be a great present to get at Christmas wouldn’t it?
Now at the first ever Christmas God didn’t give us a Buzz Lightyear. He gave
us someone else. He gave us Jesus. Now why would he do that? It must be
that God thinks Jesus is better than Buzz. Let’s work out why.
Who can tell me some of the things that Buzz says? I think there are 3
things that he says when you press his button.
- ‘Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue’
- ‘I come in peace’
- ‘To infinity and beyond’
Let me give you 3 reasons why God thinks that Jesus is better than Buzz.
1. Jesus came to rescue us from danger [Press the button on Buzz and the
character speaks]. Buzz Lightyear says, ‘Buzz Lightyear to the rescue’. A
rescuer is someone who helps us out of a situation where we can’t help
ourselves. Buzz came from Star Command to rescue all sorts of people but
he’s only a toy. He can’t really rescue us. But the Bible says that Jesus came
as a real rescuer or a saviour. Matthew 1:21. An angel appeared to Joseph
and said, ‘You shall call his name Jesus because he will save his people
from their sins’. God thinks that we’re in danger and so he sent Jesus to rescue us.
2. Jesus came to make our peace with God [Press the button on Buzz and
the character speaks]. Buzz Lightyear says, ‘I come in peace’. To make peace
with someone is to go from being enemies to becoming friends. Buzz came
from Star Command to bring peace to the universe but he’s only a toy. He
can’t really bring us peace with anyone, can he? But the Bible says that
Jesus can bring real peace. Jesus came to save us by making peace between God and us. Jesus came so that we could be friends with God again.
God was angry with us because we’ve been disobedient and not done what
he wants. But Jesus came to make it all OK again.
3. Jesus came to take us to infinity and beyond [Press the button on Buzz
and the character speaks]. Buzz Lightyear says, ‘to infinity, and beyond’. It’s
a way of saying forever and ever. Buzz came from Star Command to take
people to some amazing places in the universe but he’s only a toy. He can’t
really take us anywhere, can he? Jesus came to rescue us by making peace
with God so that he could take us to a really amazing place called heaven.
Heaven is a real place that Jesus takes his people to after their time on this
earth.
Conclusion: Buzz is just a toy, he’s a great toy and it’d be a great present to
get at Christmas. But God gave us an even better present on the first ever
Christmas. He gave us Jesus. Jesus is for real and so Jesus can really do
what Buzz promises.
For more great ideas from the urban pastor check out:
theurbanpastor.wordpress.com
Christmas
activities
The First Christmas - A short study for youth groups
'The First Christmas' takes another look at the historical account of the birth of
Jesus. The thoughts and feelings of the main characters are brought to life
through the group discussion, role play and interviews.
Read the story in a modern version of the bible. The texts are Luke 1:26-38, Luke
2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25 and Matthew 2:1-18. If necessary, explain any unusual
words in the story. Engage the young people with an interactive reading including
narrator(s), angel(s), wise men, King Herod, King Herod's advisors and shepherds.
Have Bibles available for the group activities or print the passages on a worksheet.
Divide the young people into small groups of 4 to discuss the reactions of one of
the main characters in the story. Give a character or character group i.e. wise men
to each small group.
• Mary - when first told she was to be Jesus' mother.
• Joseph - when he learned his fiancé was pregnant.
• Mary and Joseph - when told they would have to journey from Nazareth
to Bethlehem for the census.
• Shepherds - when they heard the message from the angels and went
to see the baby.
• Wise men-their compelling desire to visit the new king in spite of the
long journey to get there.
• Herod - when he discovered there was a new king whom he thought
would challenge his own position.
• Points for the young people to consider in their discussion:
Questions: What were their immediate reactions or feelings? How did these
change as they were told and understood more? What did they do? Why did they do
this and what did it show?
After a time of discussion the reactions can be shared with the rest of the group by;
Role play of different scenes. Writing a short piece in the form of a newspaper report (for the 'Jerusalem Post' or the 'Bethlehem Evening Star'). A 'live' on-theground interview with the character for local radio.
Closing reflection: Summarise the reactions of the different characters to the
birth of Jesus. What is our reaction to the story of the first Christmas? How do
we respond to the birth of Jesus? Is it just a story? Just an annual celebration?
An opportunity to get that games console? The birth of a world religion?
God demonstrating his love for mankind? God showing his love for me?
Christmas wrap:
a fun icebreaker for all ages
Preparation: two large cardboard
boxes, Christmas wrapping paper, two
pairs of scissors, tape, two ribbons or
bows and a whistle.
Select two teams of six young people
who stand at one side of the room.
At the other side is placed a large
cardboard box for each team with
wrapping paper, scissors, tape, ribbon
and a bow. Explain that at your signal
the first person runs across the room
to the box and begins to wrap it.
After 15 secs a whistle will blow and
they must run back to the other side
of the room and tag the next team
member who continues the wrapping
process. End the relay when the box
is wrapped or everyone has had a
turn. Encourage everyone for their
efforts and award a small
Prayer paper chain
Give each member of the group a strip
of coloured paper and encourage them
to write a one-line thank you prayer.
Fasten all the strips together to make
a festive paper chain that you can
hang across your meeting room.
If you have a small group you might
want to give each person two or three
strips of paper or add to the chain
week by week. The prayer paper chain
is particularly effective on special
occasions like Christmas, Easter and
church anniversaries when a long
chain can be made during an All-Age
service.
All in the name: A reflection for youth groups
As we approach December 25th we remember the birth of a baby who was given
the name Jesus. Do you know how his name chosen and does it have a special
meaning? Read Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-23. Luke and Matthew tells us that
Jesus' name was not chosen by his mother or father, but was given to him directly
by God and his name (Jesus) means 'God saves.' Matthew also records a mention of
the title Emmanuel (Matt 1:23) which means 'God is with us.' In Luke’s account,
Jesus is also referred to as the 'Saviour' and the 'Christ' (Luke 2:11). What do you
think the name and titles given to Jesus tell us about him and his future? Discuss.
Jesus 'the Lord saves' Jesus came to earth to save us because we can't ourselves
escape from sin and its consequences. Jesus came to rescue us from the power and
penalty of sin.
Emmanuel 'God is with us' This title reminds us that Jesus was God in human form
and literally 'with us.' Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is present in the lives of every
believer today. Do you know the presence of Jesus in your life this Christmas?
Christmas Stars
Cut out enough stars for everyone
to have one, or make some star
templates and let every member
of the group make their own star.
Invite everyone to write one-line
prayers thanking God for the gift of
his own Son on that first Christmas.
Decorate the edges of the prayer
stars with glitter, then punch a hole
in the top of each one and attach a
piece of ribbon so that they can be
hung on the Christmas tree.
5
Back to the future [ from page 3 ]
Children just don’t think like us. We are
grown-ups and so we think abstractly,
able to stand back from a story and think
about what it means; children explore
stories using their imagination to enter
into them. It is this imagination that is our
route into helping them find their own
way, facilitating not teaching. Change is
scary because it means abandoning
things we currently hold dear, and
admitting that we’re not getting it right
We are getting between children and God
so that they depend on us and not on him.
I’m not sure that I really understood how
a child could connect with God or even if
they could, so I felt the need to do it all
for them. I would tell them what to say
and what to do but it was on my terms
and not theirs. Much of what we do for
children comes from the assumption
that we need to connect them to God,
showing them how it’s done.
Rebecca Nye’s research shows the
importance of realising that a child is
already spiritual because: ‘It can help us
both embrace the reality that children
are made in God’s image, that they are
already switched on, and also to
challenge the idea that children come in
a kind of “kit version” that we must make
into a God compatible model. Sometimes
we behave as if spiritual life can only
begin once a child has been filled up, by
us, with enough religious knowledge.’
This means that a primary function of my
ministry with children isn’t to teach them
how to pray or show them how to hear
God but to get out the way and allow what
is already there to flourish. We are too
fast-paced and action-packed; we need
to slow down, and give children what Ivy
Beckwith describes as the ‘spiritual tools
to last a lifetime’ rather than a reliance
on us to provide the right songs or the
correct amount of hype to help children
to respond in a way that we have
prescribed. We need less leading and
direction and more space and freedom.
Children don’t need us to host their time
with God; just them and God is plenty.
It’s children’s work Jim,
but not as we know it!
We take advantage of children’s need to
belong to teach them to conform. John
Westerhoff III says that a child’s faith
is tied up with their need to belong.
Therefore if a child feels a sense of
belonging in a group they will adopt its
belief and values, so it’s actually pretty
easy to get children to do or say the right
things. It can be really encouraging when
children return from a Christian camp and
tell you that they are ready to change the
world and tell all their friends about
Jesus. This is by no means a bad thing
but we need to be aware that those are
the things that we teach them to say and
affirm when they say them. We need to
find a way beyond this, where discipleship
means being empowered to walk in the
way of Christ.
THE FUTURE
I was hugely challenged recently when
chatting with a curate in London who
had been in a senior youth work position
before being ordained. I was telling him
about a study I had read which analysed
teenagers who had only heard Bible
stories without explanation as children,
as part of the Godly Play curriculum.
They had never been taught about ‘how
not to sin’ or ‘how to behave in a Christian
way’. It said that they were passionate
about justice for the poor, about caring
for the sick and for protecting the
environment.
We couldn’t help but speculate whether
or not they were as good at avoiding
the standard teenage pitfalls around
smoking, drinking and sex etc. Then my
friend said something which cut through
our conversation, ‘This is the problem,’
he said. ‘So much of what the article
described as the teen’s passions - justice,
the environment, caring for the sick - is
what the ministry of Jesus was all about,
but we’re more worried about whether
their behaviour lives up to our expectations.’ Perhaps we’ve missed what it really
means, and what’s really most important,
in teaching a child how to follow Jesus.
Next issue >>>>>>>> part 2!
Sam Donoghue is the co-editor of
Premier Childrenswork.
For more great articles, ideas and resources
Sign up and subscribe at: premierchildrenswork.com
Hitting the ‘sweet spot’
‘Sweet spot teaching’ is that moment
when the leader and the student make a
great connection. Some would call this a
‘teachable moment’ a time when a young
person is particularly responsive to
learning something or being taught. In
other words, it's that special moment
when the light comes on and the student really GETS IT!
I hope your goal as a youth worker is to
help students learn life changing Biblical
truths. Sweet spot teaching can help you
do that. I've found at least three teaching
environments where great learning connections are made.
1) Spiritually Gifted Teacher
The first is when the communicator is
spiritually gifted to make the Bible lesson
come alive in the minds of teenagers. If
you're this person, be thankful. In my experience, there simply are not many of
them out there. So what if you aren't a su-
6
perstar communicator (which most of us
are not)? Have no fear.
2) Spirit Empowered Lesson
The second is when the Holy Spirit just
shows up, takes over, and does something
incredible. Now, we know the Holy Spirit
is always active in helping us teach and
grasp the Word. I'm talking about those
moments where the Spirit's movement
is remarkable. You can't really plan
those moments (though you can create
environments for the Spirit to move).
Other than being a fabulously gifted
speaker and praying for those unplanned
spiritual high spots, is there anything
else we can do to increase the possibility
of a sweet spot teaching moment?
Yes there is!
3) Planning For Success
The third sweet spot is a lot easier to plan
for. Students are already aware of holi-
days and special days in each month, so
teaching a study that goes along with that
celebration will help with retention and
recognition. Here are some ideas:
January (New Year's Day): Commitment
February (Valentine's Day): Love
May/June (Mother's Day/Father's Day):
- Family Relationships
September (Harvest): Spiritual growth
October (Halloween): Heaven & Hell
November (Fireworks): Sin/Forgiveness
December (Christmas): Giving
We all want young people to connect with
what we are trying to teach them each
week. Keep an eye on the calendar and
your school calendar for events you can
use to help your students experience that
sweet spot teaching moment. Rely on the
Spirit, be creative, and be intentional.
Source: www.youthministry360.com
£
5
A great training opportunity for church-based youth
and children’s leaders/volunteers in the Diocese...
PER PERSON
“ We left feeling really
encouraged and affirmed.
The day was the perfect
tonic for our volunteers ”
Diocese of Bristol
Alison Grayson (Children’s leader)
Westbury-on-Trym Methodist Church
46 Westbury Hill
Bristol BS9 3AA
24.1.2015
For more information/bookings contact:
Dan Jones (youth & children’s adviser / Bristol Diocese)
daniel.jones@bristoldiocese.org | 0117 906 0100
www.bristol.anglican.org/events/category/cyp-courses/
10.00AM-4.00PM
7
newresources
>
>
>
The latest resources for children’s, youth and family ministry...
From Advent to Harvest
(ISBN: 0281070938)
Busy clergy and worship leaders will appreciate this dip-in collection of tried-and-tested creative
material to enliven services throughout the Church year. From humorous drama sketches to reflective
meditations that may be used in the sermon slot this book covers all the major seasons and festivals
of the Church year:
“This is the book of resources we’ve all been waiting for! In From Advent to Harvest, experienced parish
priest Mark Geldard has created a workbook to encourage even those of us who are most fearful of visual
presentations. This book knows the value of storytelling; you won’t regret buying and sharing it with your
worship team”. Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield.
Longing, Waiting, Believing
(ISBN: 9781841017563)
In the excitement of the weeks before Christmas, it is all too easy to overlook the fact that Christians
have, down the centuries, regarded Advent as a season of penitence, a time of prayer and preparation
for the great feast of the birth of Jesus, just as Lent is a season of preparation for Easter, when we
remember his death and resurrection.
This book of daily Bible readings and reflective comment covers the weeks from 1 December through to
Epiphany on 6 January. As well as considering the well-known events of the nativity story, it looks back
to those who prepared the way - the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament and John the Baptist
and Mary the mother of Jesus in the New Testament. The book also explores the traditional Advent focus
on the 'four last things', death, judgment, heaven and hell. Rodney Holder shows how these sombre
themes have their place in the build-up to the celebrations, because of another historic aspect of Advent:
reflecting on the second coming of Jesus, when he will return, as Lord and King rather than helpless baby,
to set the world to rights.
The Jesus Story
(ISBN:
9781841015835)
'In a quiet country corner of this troubled and violent world a young Jewish girl, like the rest of her
people, thinks life will be pretty much the same tomorrow as it was yesterday. But God is on the move.'
You might want to read one of these pages every day for a month to give yourself time to think about
each one properly. Or you might read it all in one sitting to get the broad sweep. You might read it on your
own or together as a family, and talk about it. The booklet will fit in your bag or pocket, so it can go with
you to the place where you have time to read it - on the bus or train or in the cafe, playground or lunch
break. Scribble on it; wave it at your local minister or Christian friend and make them answer your questions or listen to your theories. And enjoy it!
Glory in the Highest (CD) by Chris Tomlin
With his Christmas collection, ‘Glory in the Highest’, Chris Tomlin gives you an original and worshipful take on a choice selection of your all time Christmas favourites, plus 4 completely new
compositions in the singer/songwriter’s unique devotional yet energetic style.
Chris brings together fellow worship leaders and music creators Matt Redman, Christy Nockels and
Audrey Assas – each adding their own sound to Chris Tomlin’s melodies and lyrics. The CD includes
original and well known Christmas songs in a festive and reflection Christmas collection with something for everyone. ‘Glory in the Highest’ will make a popular and well received Christmas CD for
your own listening or as a gift enjoyable to long established and new-to-faith music fans.
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