Presentation tool to improve your sermon, worship and other group presentation

Check out Prezi- zooming presentation software.....a good way to make worship, sermon and teaching presentations more interactive and appealling....

visit http://prezi.com/ to discover more

transitioning to a missional church without killing your church

Mike Breen from 3dm ministries, leads a 55 minute training session on tranisitioning to a missional church.  
He discusses how congregations should be both attractional and missional. 

Stewardship: Lenten Study

Free Stewardship Lenten Studies are available at Lenten stewardship devotions 

Another way to think about worship- Curating Worship

If you are involved in developing and planning worship services do you see yourself as the pastor, the worship leader, or something else?
Recently a number of churches have called those responsible for worship planning as worship curating.
Worship curating...places a slightly different emphasis on worship planning....  
To discover a little more about worship curating visit:

Clayfire Curator http://www.clayfirecurator.org/about/ 
Was an active blog for worship curators...unfortunately they only gave it just over 12 months  (not long enough for something newish to get a following) and have decided to discontinue contributions to the blog.  But still worth a visit as it has some quality blogs.

Or get hold of the following books:

Curation is a term usually used in the art world for the role of imagining and overseeing an exhibition or art experience. However the word is now being adopted by people in alternative worship, as it affords a very different and inventive way of thinking about how to lead a service or praise event. Rather than simply presiding over liturgy or fronting a band, curation involves negotiating between institutions and artists and making do with what is to hand to create something brilliant. The hope is that moments of epiphany will be experienced as God is invited to be and breathe in the space, and people make connections with their own lives and stories. Curating Worship is in two parts. The first considers the kind of thinking, skills and disciplines involved in good curation. The second consists of in depth interviews, which tease out from people who have curated amazing worship experiences around the world, the ideas and theories behind their approaches and the practical processes involved.

The Art of Curating Worship promotes a new vocabulary to help worship curators work out how and why and where worship can best engage their community, inside and outside the church, in transformative encounters with God.

Discussion Starter: IS it worth thinking about Googling the church

Google is one of the most widely used organisations on the internet.

Like the church it offers a diverse range of service
Like the church is supposed to do, it crosses many boundaries
Like the church it is a complex organisation, involving a lot of people
Like the church a lot of what it offers is free to many people and very useful (but of course it can never offer what the church is supposed to offer salvation through Jesus Christ)

Of course Google isnt perfect

But we can we learn a some things from Google.....
One area of these learning points is
The aim to make life simple....

Unlike many other search engines their main page is simple and clean

And just recently they ditched over 60 privacy policies (have you ever taken the time to read them) to have 1 more easier to read privacy policy....ummm

Now to your church/congregation.....how many policies do you have floating around
Is anyone taking any notice of them?

Also how could your church/congregation be simplier?

If you want to explore this more in relation to the church tap into the discussion that Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger get into in their book SIMPLE CHURCH

Lent Resources 2012

Earlier posts of Lenten Resources on LutheranMission
http://lutheranmission.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Lent

Videos
4 Youtube videos from Elevation Church
http://www.youtube.com/user/ElevationChurch/search?query=lent

The truth video

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WGKP7NNX

The Work of the People: Lent Videos

http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.list&keywords=Lent&category=&category=0&option_0=0&option_1=0&find.x=20&find.y=8

Video and individual images of Jesus 40 days in the wilderness

http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2009/02/40-video-for-lent.html

Devotions and studies
Free Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour:  Jesus man on a mission
Printable for your church members
http://www.lentendevotions.net/

Lenten reflection

Creation to Salvation in 100 words a day
http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/easter-creation-to-salvation-in-100-words-a-day/18858668?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/2

Family Study for Lent

From Global of Discipleship UMC
http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5184935&ct=9133879

Lenten section of Family Book of Prayer
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org/synod-office/news/announcements/laache

Lenten Devotions - Water Marks
Luther Seminary (ELCA)
http://www.luthersem.edu/lent/

Lutheran Rosary for Lent
http://anglicanprayerbeadsbytom.com/lutheran-rosary-for-lent

A journey into wholeness

A Lenten Guide
http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.list&keywords=Lent&category=&category=0&option_0=0&option_1=0&find.x=20&find.y=8

Lenten Art Journey

 

Sites offering a variety of suggestionsEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lent Resources and ideas
http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Planning/Lent.aspx

Discussion on Lent

Thoughts on Lent from Lutheran Confessions blog
http://lutheranconfessions.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/lent-2011.html

Youth Related
Rethinking Youth Ministry
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/01/ideas-for-lent-1.html
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/01/ideas-for-lent-2.html
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/02/ideas-for-lent-3-youth-bible-study.html
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/02/ideas-for-lent-4-who-am-i.html
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/02/ideas-for-lent-5-spiritual-practices.html

Youth Pastors

http://www.youthpastor.com/news/index.cfm/Youth_Ministry_Ideas_for_LENT_09_1_4794.htm

Youth and Family Ministry Resources and ideas for Lent

NorthEastern Iowa Synod ELCA
http://neiasynod.org/synod_resources/LentResources.asp

Youth Resources, information and discussion

MethodX
http://upperroom.org/methodx/thelife/articles/lent101.asp

Worship

Worship Guidebook for lent and three days

Augsburg Fortress
http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/8120/Worship-Guidebook-for-Lent-and-the-Three-Days?notFound=true

Prayers for Lent
http://www.lutheranforum.org/prayers/year-b/Prayers_for_Lent_%28B%29/

Planning Lutheran Worship in the Season of Lent

http://www.livinglutheran.com/seeds/planning-lutheran-worship-in-the-season-of-lent.html

Worship Well resources for Lent

http://www.theworshipwell.org/lent.html

Lift up your hearts worship resources for Lent and Easter

http://www.worship.ca/easter.html

Publishing House Resources
CPH 2012 Lenten Resources

http://www.cph.org/c-1434-easter-lent.aspx?REName=Occasions&plk=1430
Includes devotional and worship resources
A living hope
God’s gift of forgiveness
Our suffering saviour
Revelation for Lent

North Western Publishing House Lent Resources
http://www.cph.org/c-1434-easter-lent.aspx?REName=Occasions&plk=1430
Includes
See His Cross
People of the Passion

CSS Lenten Resources
Lenten Special : 8 resourcess for $39.95
http://www.csspub.com/lent-easter-sale-2012.html
The People v Judas Iscariot – Lenten Worship Series
More Alive under the shadow – Bible Study and reflection following the footsteps of Simon Peter
Where’s Noah? – Worship and activities
Bread for the journey – multi sensory worship services
A day of redemption – a tenebrae service for Good Friday
http://www.csspub.com/cat-Lent.htm?sortby=df_PUB&sortdir=ASC&RCATS=Lent

Augsburg Fortress
Lenten Resources
Including
Book of Faith Lenten Devotion Water Marks
Book of Faith Lenten Journey Seven Wonders of the World
http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/search?ss=lent&sb=rd


http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/search?ss=lent&c=-1&x=0&y=0

Children's Sermon web Site

Children's Sermons Today offers weekly children's sermons relating to the Gospel reading visit http://childrenssermonstoday.blogspot.com.au/ to gain children's sermons to enhance your worship service

Liturgical Calendar: explanation and discussion

Many Lutheran congregations use and follow a liturgical calendar. 

Unfortunately a considerable number of members have little understanding of what the calendar is or how it affects the life of the church.

St Paul's Lutheran Church in Kingsville offers some fairly comprehensive information and discussion on the Liturgical Calendar and the various seasons and festivals that form the calendar....To obtain this information visit http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/litcal1.htm