Saturday, March 24, 2012

Kids music: 15 Bible verses put to kids music

Neil Holman has a passion for children knowing the Gospel.   He has put 15 bible verses to music that kids can relate to.
His 15 songs are:
1. All Scripute is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. For God So Loved the World (John 3v16)
3. If We Confess Our Sins (1John 1v9)
4. Love the Lord Your God (Mark 12v30-31)
5. Seek and You Will Find (Matthew 7v7)
6. My God Will Supply All Your Needs (Philippians 4v19)
7. Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart (Proverbs 3v5-6)
8. The Wages of Sin Is Death (Romans 3v23)
9. Anyone Who Calls On the Name of the Lord (Acts 2v21)
10. Blessed Are All Who Wait for Him (Isaiah 30v18)
11. Do Not Be Overcome By Evil (Romans 12v21)
12. In This World You Will Have Trouble (John 16v33)
13. You Shall Call His Name Jesus (Matthew 1v21)
14. A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath (Proverbs 15v1)
15. You Will Be Saved (Romans 10v9)


To listen to samples of these songs or to download the song visit http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/neilholman

Weekly Devotion: Cross Purposes

Pastor Fred Veerhuis each week writes CrossPurposes which sets out to raise issues not often talked about but to bring some sense of truth and clarity to our thinking.
On March 20th he talks about something that many outside the Christian community (and probably a few in the Christianity Community) think...that God is not good..and gives us some ideas on how to respond to this....

Visit http://www.fredscrosspurposes.blogspot.com.au/ to read more

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Book: Worship a practical guide

Worship: A Practical Guide is an ecumenical resource for worship leaders, written by a scholar with more than 10 years of teaching and worship leadership experience in Asia in a variety of environments including the Japanese Lutheran Church.
It offers a biblical understanding of worship in accessible terms and draws out practical implications for Sunday worship. The meaning and structure of the Sunday service is at the center of the discussion. The chapters on ritual, culture, music and time will especially enhance the reader's appreciation for the richness of Christian worship.  Asian Christians of diverse traditions will find this work enlightening and helpful for ministry.
For a review of this book from Lim K Thamm of the Singapore Bible Society visit here
For a review in the Christian Post Singapore edition visit here
  

LWF Youth Virtual Conference - Green and Just

Lutheran World Federation Virtual Conference - Green and Just

Here is an opportunity to attend an international Lutheran conference without leaving home!!

Time: 12 May: 16.30 Indian Standard Time, 13.00 Central European Time, 7.00 Eastern Standard Time

Target group: Church leaders, people active in sustainable development, interested pastors and lay leaders, youth leaders.

Number of participants: 400-600

Format: green&just will be a virtual event. Interactions are in real time on the Internet. Most content will be shown in video. Questions can be asked in real time using text chat.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, German

Keynote adresses: Dr Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Ms Esther Hinostroza Ricladi, Co-founder, National Center for Mining Women, Lima, Peru Videos of the addresses are subtitled in four languages. The speakers respond in real time to questions in text chat.
Bible studies: After an introduction to the text by theologians, the participants discuss the texts with others from around the world. Webinars: Participants can choose many different topics and get deeper insights. The webinar leaders are going to be highly interactive.
Lounge: Throughout the day, participants from around the world can meet each other one-by-one or in small groups. Technical Requirements: A Computer with Internet connection and speakers/earphones. Churches who do not have these facilities can apply for small grants to visit an Internet Café.
Group participation: The virtual conference is a good opportunity to have global encounters with a local congregational or youth group.
Cost: The Virtual Conference is free of charge. However, if you are able you are invited to donate to cover the costs.

For more information visit:  http://blogs.lutheranworld.org/wordpress/greenandjust/program/

Article and Book: Surving and Thriving Church

Article:   The life cycle of Leviathian Church
including lessons learnt for surviving and thriving-
Life-sustaining Lessons
Unlike some of her offspring, the mother church adapted to new circumstances and, more than once, courageously made changes that have kept her alive. Life-sustaining lessons she has learned include:
· Member loyalty by itself cannot keep a church alive.
· Location isn’t everything, but it is a big thing.
· Maintaining adequate resources requires creativity.
· Without strong pastoral leadership decline accelerates
· Doing something—even if it seems wrong—is always better than doing nothing
· Not making choices almost never makes things easier or better
Read the whole article at http://www.jesusfirst.net/2005August04.htm

Book :   Tales of Leviathian Church, 16 tales from the church
These 16 stories about true-to-life characters will provide life lessons while tugging at your heartstrings.



Church to visit: Lutheran Church of the Cross West Fargo

The Lutheran Church of the Cross - West Fargo is a vibrant community of faith with strong worship and wonderful opportunities for education, service, and fellowship.

It has grown in worship attendance from 200 in 2004 to 650 in 2011. 

Visit their site to discover information about their worship, education, service and fellowship opportunities.   

May you will pick an idea or two to share with your congregation.

Visit their site at http://www.lcc-wf.com/

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Lectionary Preaching resource: The Hardest Question

The Hardest Question is a resource to help preachers gain fresh insights on lectionary texts....

Here  is what The Hardest Questions says about itself

What Is The Hardest Question?

The most difficult question for lectionary preachers and teachers is simply this: What fresh and compelling word of the Lord for my congregation can be found in the lectionary readings of the day? Perhaps you’ve been through Years A, B, and C for more than a few cycles. Or maybe the demands of ministry in the trenches have left you short on both time and inspiration. Whatever the cause of hermeneutical malaise, The Hardest Question is for you.
THQ curator, Russell Rathbun, and the guest bloggers for THQ, have both the eye and the heart for looking at the text in new ways via a pair of weekly blog posts on two of the lectionary texts and a video commentary on those texts in “THQ: Beyond the Blog.”
Because this is a blog, we desire your interaction through the rabbinic question, “How Do You Read?” — your insights and comments could very well become the homiletical boost your peers are seeking. Blog curator, Russell Rathbun has this to say about asking The Hardest Question:
“Questioning the text is important, because the Bible is the witness to the Living Word of God. We are called into relationship with God through Jesus the Christ, The Word. Relationships, at their best, are dynamic, growing, deepening, revelatory, generative and transforming. A primary way we pursue relationship with the Living Word is through the study of scripture, so it must be taken seriously, approached with a robust confidence and a passionate vulnerability.
We ask the text the hardest questions because we can. It does not break, it is not offended, and it does not judge our desire for understanding. The ancient rabbis say that when we study the Bible we release God’s mercy into the world. It is important to question the text, because the world needs as much of God’s mercy as possible.”
Building a Midrashic Community
The Hardest Question is intended to be much more than a blog that asks tough questions of the Bible text and allows the Bible text to ask tough questions of us. THQ is also envisioned as a unique kind of Christian community, a community not unlike that which is found in Jewish midrash. That being the case it is expected that all those who participate in this community would relish the idea that the promise of THQ can only be fulfilled if…
  • We welcome more than one view to be offered.
  • We welcome the ingenuity of explanations and expositions of The Hardest Question.
  • We welcome both bloggers and readers to understand a text in light of their own experiences
  • We welcome the notion that rivalry = excellence.
  • We welcome an awareness that through midrash the text continues to be created.
Visit the hardest question here

Monday, March 19, 2012

New Sunday School resource: Holy Moly

Holy Moly is a new Sunday School resource from Sparkhouse (formerly Augsburg Fortress)

watch a field test of Holy Moly

Holy Moly irresistibly captures the imagination of kids by bringing the Bible to life. Kids walk away from class excitedly retelling the stories they just learned and eagerly awaiting what’s next.

Each lesson invites kids into the story with animated Bible story retellings, reinforces the lesson through the colorful pages of the Holy Moly Storybooks and Holy Bible, and encourages creativity and imagination with activities that bring the stories to life.

Resources include

Bible Storytelling DVD – Designed for leaders and students to watch together, the Holy Moly DVD features animated scripture re-tellings that bring the Bible to life.
Pre-Reader & Reader Learner Leaflets – Kids use the learner leaflets each week to experience the story. Each leaflet is highly visual and interactive.
Pre-Reader & Reader Leader Packs – Visual cues and brief, clear descriptions help leaders save time each week. Each pack contains all the lesson material leaders need, including supply lists and scripture references.
Holy Moly Bible Storybooks- Rhyming Bible storybooks for Pre-Readers reinforce the Bible through engaging language and colorful illustration.
NRSV Bible – Readers continue learning about the Bible story through the interactive pages of the NRSV text.

for more information visit http://holymoly.wearesparkhouse.org/

Sunday School Teachers articles and magazine

CPH offer a magazine for Sunday School Teachers called Teachers interactive.

You can view some of their articles for free including:
See How They Grow (Spring 2011)
Teaching about the Sacraments (Winter 2010)
Encouraging Attendance (Winter 2010)
Ten Ways to Involve Parents (Winter 2010)
Principles of Biblical Interpretation (Fall 2010)
Law and Gospel at Work in the Classroom (from Teachers Interaction, Spring 2010)
Ten Ways to Prevent Discipline Problems (Teachers Interaction, Spring 2010)
The Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms (Teachers Interaction, Spring 2010)

To look at more articles or to subscribe for $16 (US) a year visit http://www.cph.org/t-magazines-interaction-articles.aspx

This could be a good way to support Sunday school teachers and assistants. 

Monday, March 05, 2012

Book: Family Vocation- God's calling in family, parenting and childhood

The term vocation originates in Christianity and has a far broader meaning than many people limit it to today....
It is about where is God calling you to live and serve....so whilst it may include paid employment vocation also encompasses many other areas of our life.

Gene Veith and his daughter Mary Moerbe have released a new book where they look to explore in the light of Christian vocation: 
What does it mean to be called as a husband, a wife, a parent, a child?
How does the grace of the gospel impact how we carry out these particular callings?
How does God's presence address the struggles that our own family faces?
They show how the Christian faith is lived out precisely in our ordinary relationships, and how a biblical understanding can equip us to move away from common confusions and dysfunctions to persevere in love.
The Book is called
Family Vocation: God's calling in family, parenting and childhood....
Chapters include:
Confusing family
Vocation in the Nourishing Estate

Vocation of Marriage
Marriage
Office of husband
Office of Wife
Sex and vocation
The crosses of marriage


Vocation of Parenting
Parenting
Office of father
Office of mother
Raising Children
The crosses of parenting


Vocation of Childhood
Childhood
Growing 
The crosses of childhood
The rest of the family
Restoring the family

What others are saying about Family vocation:
Pastor Todd Peperkorn (Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Rocklin California) says 
Dr. Gene Edward Veith is one of the foremost Christian thinkers today, especially among those of the more confessional end of Christianity. He has written works on vocation (God at Work), the arts, literature, C.S. Lewis, and a host of other topics. So it is with great joy that I saw him turn his agile pen to this topic.
Dr. Veith, along with his daughter, Mary Moerbe, approach this topic from the perspective of Christian vocation. God has called us to be His instruments in various ways and places in our lives. Husband, wife, son and daughter are some of the most fundamental callings that we as Christians have. But how do I understand this from the perspective of the Gospel, not just the Law and a "to do" list for me to feel guilty about? That is the question they seek to answer.
I look forward to more work from this father/daughter team, and hope that many will find comfort and life in this book's pages!

Charles Colson(founder, Prison Fellowship and the Colson Center for Christian Worldview) says “Gene Veith is one of the most powerful thinkers and apologists in the Christian world today. In Family Vocation, Veith and Moerbe have really hit the mark—we must learn to think of marriage and families as vocations from God. Here is an ancient and sacred vision of marriage and family that we would do well to understand, promote, and most importantly live out.”
Tim Goeglein (Vice President, Focus on the Family) says “A great president once referred to the family as the ‘unseen pillar of civilization.’ He was right, and so is Gene Veith in this luminous book, which underscores the centrality of family, marriage, and parenting. Timely and absorbing, this book arrives on the scene at exactly the right time.”
—James I. Lamb (Executive Director, Lutherans for Life) says“The phrase ‘gospel-centered’ has become almost a clichĂ© when describing Christian writing. Every Christian author would desire such an epitaph for his or her work. However, in so many books, especially those dealing with family, gospel-centered deteriorates into ‘be like Jesus.’ Family Vocation is the epitome of what gospel-centered truly means. The authors introduce it plainly, ‘The gospel—that is, the message of Christ crucified for sinners—relates to every moment of the believer’s life.’ Every chapter has its foundation, built not upon what we do in our various vocations, but upon what God has done in Christ. This approach to vocation is the means through which Christian families can truly be strengthened and restored, and then bring their influence to bear on our culture.”
John T. Pless (Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, Concordia Theological Seminary) says“Martin Luther identified marriage and family as one of three fundamental estates of human life instituted by God for the good of his creation. In this book, a father and daughter team up to bring Luther’s rich insights into the twenty-first century in a way that challenges and encourages Christians to see the family as the arena for God’s work. In an age when the fabric of the family is strained by cultural forces of self-interest and hedonism, this book suggests a way forward for Christian families to see life together as husband/wife, parent/child—encompassed in vocation lived out under the cross.”
Matthew Harrison(President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) says In the church today, there is no more significant issue than the family. This divine institution is in the crosshairs of every evil plan and purpose of the Devil himself. Take down the family, and with it go education, order, decency, law, church, and even faith. How my years in a struggling inner-city parish taught me that the gospel does not thrive in a community of chaos, dilapidation, crime, and disorder! The root cause of it, as I came to be convinced, is institutional and spiritual forces attacking the stability of God’s best agent for good in both the kingdom of the civil realm and that of the church—the family. What was once more commonly an urban reality has become a rural and suburban way of life. As we all struggle in the families we have—often rag-tag rings of sinners, sometimes a patchwork quilt of multiple families and forces—we need Christ and the vocation to forgive.”

To buy the book or for more information click the link to Amazon below