LWF Hymns of Advent

During this Advent season, the LWF has invited some of its member churches to share hymns from their congregations to show how the communion of churches prepares for Christ’s coming into this world.

We want to use this period to reflect on and celebrate the diversity, uniqueness and oneness of God’s gifts to us.

Martin Luther wrote:
I would certainly like to praise music with all my heart as the excellent gift of God which it is and to commend it to everyone. . . it has been instilled and implanted in all creatures, individually and collectively. For nothing is without sound or harmony. Even the air. . .

Visit
https://www.lutheranworld.org/advent-hymns

Book: How to read the bible with understanding

Overview
The Bible is the most widely read book of all time. God communicated His message through Scripture over a period of many centuries and through a variety of human authors. Reading the Bible with understanding is not about merely learning the history of God’s people or the storyline of great literature. Instead, God desires readers to understand the facts in light of His salvation plan for the whole world.

With a pastoral heart, Dr. Burgland leads you into a deeper understanding of God’s life-giving Word, revealing how His words of Law and Gospel are meant for you!

How to Read the Bible with Understanding includes:

• Seven enduring principles of Biblical interpretation
• Guides for interpreting different kinds of Scripture
• History of early Biblical manuscripts
• Insight and checklist for teaching a Bible study
• A Biblical chronology and a history of Biblical interpretation

Endorsements
"Burgland’s little volume has proven to be a fantastic resource for my students, introducing them to the background of the Scriptures and to principles for reading them well. The ample examples from the Bible give readers experience in interpreting the text. Now in its second, retitled edition, the book has been revised and expanded to include even more practical help. This is an excellent introduction for anyone desiring to read the Bible with understanding!"
Rev. Philip W. Penhallegon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology
Concordia University Ann Arbor

"Burgland’s book is a helpful tool in the study of Scripture. His clear organisation makes the book useful for individual or group Bible studies. The principles of interpretation that Burgland outlines help illuminate the truth of God’s Word regardless of one’s level of biblical knowledge."
Tim Hardy
Assistant Principal
Lutheran High North, Macomb, MI

EBOOK: The Gospel Centred Christian

This ebook  focuses on the nature of the relationship between the Gospel and
Scripture in our theology. It explores what happens when the relationship between the Gospel and Scripture become unbalanced, and the implications for the teaching and life of the church. The book explores  that the Lutheran understanding of the relationship between the Gospel and Scripture is not only an intellectual construct, it is also what we we embody it in our lives.

Available for downloading here

3 Advent songs of the month

Come to us

Words
Come To Us
Verse 1
Scattered and broken bent in our way
We are Your people gathered to praise You
A vineyard uprooted narrow in sight
Come Lord of glory come Lord of light

Chorus 1
Come to us O Lord of glory and shine in our hearts
Come to us O Lord of glory and make us anew
Lord we wait for You Lord we wait for You
Lord we wait for You come Lord of glory

(ADVENT CHORUS)

Chorus 2
Come to us O Child of glory be born in our hearts
Come to us O Child of glory and make us anew
We adore You we adore You
We adore You sweet Child of glory

(CHRISTMAS CHORUS)

Verse 2
Come Lord our dayspring come from on high
As we Your people gather to praise You
Unworthy to taste from Your heavenly vine
But Your word will heal us come light divine

Verse 3
Come Root of Jesse come David's son
Come Star of Morning we come to praise You
Hope of creation of all humankind
Reign over body spirit and mind

Ending
Lord we wait for You come Lord of glory

(ADVENT ENDING)

Ending
We adore You sweet Child of glory

(CHRISTMAS ENDING)

CCLI Song # 6149833
Greg Walton
© 2011 spiritandsong.com

Come Lord Jesus

Words

Verse 1
When the war is over and the battles are done
We shall see our Savior shining like the sun

Verse 2
Every tear He will dry every shadow will flee
All those in Christ Jesus will be made complete
Will be made complete

Chorus
Come Lord Jesus
Listen to creation groan
Come Lord Jesus
Come and take Your people home

Verse 3
Every tongue will praise Him every knee will bow
When we see our Savior riding on the clouds
Riding on the clouds

Bridge
Now we see in part then we'll see in full
Your glory Jesus will satisfy our souls

CCLI Song # 7096635

Marc Willerton

© Sovereign Grace Worship (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing)

Watchman

Words

Well His morning comes (morning comes)

And O the Son will rise again (rise again)

All of the earth will be filled

With His glorious light

And even when (even when)

The day is short and evening comes (evening comes)

I know in Him even darkness

Even the darkness is light

I know in Him even darkness

Even the darkness is light

Verse 1

Tell me watchman now what of the morning

Is the end of the night coming soon

I've been waiting and praying and longing

For the One Who is faithful and true

But I know He's the hope for the helpless

And a comfort to all those who mourn

Is the song of His glorious returning

Rising up on the wings of the dawn

Verse 2

Tell me watchman now what of the morning

For we sing of the light of the world

And we sing of the one they call Jesus

Who is mighty in deed and in word

For I know He's the Son of the Highest

And I know that His vict'ry is won

And the song of His glorious returning

Rises up on the wings of the dawn

CCLI Song # 5462463

Robin Mark

© 2009 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing)

3 Advent Hymns for the month

Come thou long expected Jesus

Contemporary Style
'

Traditional


Words
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley

Saviour of the nations come

Contemporary Style

Traditional Style


Words
1 Savior of the nations, come, 
virgin's Son, make here Thy home!
Marvel now, O heav'n and earth,
that the Lord chose such a birth.

2 Not by human flesh and blood,
but the Spirit of our God,
was the Word of God made flesh--
woman's Offspring, pure and fresh.

3 Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child
Of the Virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
still to be in heav'n enthroned.

4 From the Father forth He came
and returneth to the same,
captive leading death and hell--
high the song of triumph swell!

5 Thou the Father's only Son,
hast o'er sin the vict'ry won.
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
when shall we its glories see?

6 Brightly doth Thy manger shine,
glorious is its light divine.
Let not sin o'ercloud this light;
ever be our faith thus bright.

7 Praise to God the Father sing,
Praise to God the Son, our King,
Praise to God the Spirit be
Ever and eternally. 

St Ambrose

Creator of the Stars of Night

Contemporary 

Traditional


Words
Creator of the stars of night,
Thy people’s everlasting light,
Jesu, Redeemer, save us all,
And hear Thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
Hast found the medicine, full of grace,
To save and heal a ruined race.

Thou cam’st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to evening-tide;
Proceeding from a virgin shrine,
The spotless victim all divine.

At whose dread name, majestic now,
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
And things celestial Thee shall own,
And things terrestrial, Lord alone.

O Thou whose coming is with dread
To judge and doom the quick and dead,
Preserve us, while we dwell below,
From every insult of the foe.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Laud, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally.

Unknown 7th Century hymn

Web page to visit Glocalmission

The vision of Glocal Mission is to raise up one million disciple makers for the task of the Great Commission in USA and around the world by 2031.  So far more than 50 churches being planted in USA and around the world and thousands of pastors and leaders are being trained.

Visit www,glocalmission.org

At the glocalmission web site you will discover:

Downloadable resources including 

• Missional Activity Plan
• 110 Glocal Ways
• 110 Glocal Ways to Reach Your Community 
• 110 Glocal Ways Planning Worksheet
• Strategic Planning
• GM.Strategic Planning.Questions   
• Head, Heart, Hands, Habits Card
• 3 Missional Outcomes Card
• How To Pray For The Lost
• 31 Day Devotional on 12 Disciples
• How to Reach the Unchurched TODAY
• How to Share Christ with Your Friends of Another Faith
• 15 SIGNS YOUR CHURCH IS IN TROUBLE BY Perry Noble
• Start Church step by setp Sequence Book
• Writing a Church-Planting Proposal
• Steps to Planting a church
• Common Objections to Church Planting
• GM Church Planting Manual 
• How to Assess, Empower, and Multiply Missional Leaders
• SERVANT LEADERSHIP The Art of The Basin and the Towel
• Where to find New Leaders
• Local Church Leadership Development
• How to Discover Your Leadership Blind Spots
• Do’s and Don’ts in the community outreach & missions
• Holistic Community Outreach and Transformation
• Healthy Partnership and Community Development
• 101 Ways to Help People in Need by Steve and Janie Sjogren

FREE E BOOKS

• Why God Made Cities- By Tim Keller 
• Romans Commentary
• Transcend by Matt Smay
• Vital Signs by Tony Morgan
• Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray
• The Mission of God ebook

DISCIPLESHIP

• Finding the lost, mobilizing the saved
• The Lost Art Of Disciple Making by Leroy Eims
• 9 principles of Master plan of Evangelism and Discipleship
• Am I Growing in my Level of Spiritual Maturity?
• Understanding the Great Commission

RECOMMENDED READING

Book: Every Moment Holy

Every Moment Holy Contains more than 100 liturgies, including:

The Hours: Morning, Midday, Nightfall

Table Blessings: Sunday through Saturday

Labor and Vocation: Domestic Days, One Who Is Employed, Those Who Employ Others, Laundering, Preparation of a Meal, Preparation of an Artisanal Meal, Preparation of a Hurried Meal, Keeping of Bees, Washing of Windows, Home Repairs, Students & Scholars, Waiters & Waitresses, First Responders, Medical Providers, Before Taking the Stage, Fiction Writers, Changing of Diapers (2), Those Who Work in Wood or Stone or Metal or Clay, Labors of Community

Creation & Recreation: Arriving at the Ocean, Leaving on Holiday, Those Who Sleep Tents, the Enjoyment of Bonfires, Sunsets, Stargazing, the Watching of Storms, the First Snow, Before Consuming Media, the Planting of Flowers, Gardening, Before Beginning a Book, Upon the Finishing of a Beloved Book, Competitors

Blessing & Celebration: Those Gathered on the Eve of a Wedding, to Begin a Purposeful Gathering, Feasting with Friends, Moving Into a New Home, the First Hearthfire of the Season, the Start of the Christmas Season, Setting up a Christmas Tree, Welcoming of a New Pet, Morning of a Yard Sale, Marking of Birthdays

Petition & Provision: Ritual of Morning Coffee, Sick Day, Morning of a Medical Procedure, Husband & Wife at Start of Day, Husband & Wife at Close of Day, Those Who Suffer Loss from Storm, Flood, or Fire, the Loss of Electricity, Before Serving Others, Before a Meal Eaten Alone, Those Flooded by Too Much Information, Those Who Covet the Latest Technology, Battling a Destructive Desire, Nights & Days of Doubt, Those with a Sudden Burden to Intercede, Those Who Feel Awkward in Social Gatherings, Dating & Courtship, Before Giving (2), Those Feeling the Impulse to Buy, Before Shopping, the Paying of Bills, One Who Has Suffered a Nightmare, Those Who Cannot Sleep, Upon First Waking

Sorrow & Lament: Those Who Have Not Done Great Things for God, Anniversary of a Loss, Loss of a Living Thing, Missing Someone, Leavings, Inconsolable Homesickness, Those Facing Slow Loss of Memory, Feeling of Infirmities, Fearing Failure, Death of a Dream, Those Who Have Done Harm, Those Who Weep Without Knowing Why

Liturgies of the Moment: Upon Seeing a Beautiful Person, Tasting Pleasurable Food, Experiencing Laughter, Randomly Thinking of Another Person, Being Moved by a Song, Hearing Birdsong, Sighting a Flower in Bloom, Unexpected Sighting of Wildlife, Observing a Tree Swaying in the Wind, Pleasure of a Warm Shower, the Sound of Sirens, a Fleeting Irritation, Moments of Emergency, Moment of Frustration at a Child, Experiencing Road Rage, Waiting in Line

Benediction: A Liturgy of Praise to the King of Creation

It is available from Rabbit Room Press and Amazon

Devotional - Sinner/Saint devotional 60 days in the Psalms

There is a Psalm for just about everything. Defeated? It's there. Joyful? That is there too. Angry with God? There are a lot of Psalms for that. Some of them give us great comfort, and some of them make us uncomfortable, but in the end, all of them point us to Jesus.
This is a 60-day devotional that deals with us right where we are because that is where the Psalms deal with us. You won't find a bunch of platitudes or Christian fluff. The Psalms are too gritty and honest for that. This devotional is written by and for real sinners in daily need of a God offering real promises of forgiveness, grace, and hope.

Advent Devotions and activties

Advent can be a busy time, yet amongst this busyness we can be blessed when we intentionally stop to make sure we are receiving from God not just some wise words, but some inspiring and life giving words.

Free Devotions
The following organisations provide free Advent Devotions that can be printed and distributed to congregations or viewed via an app.

Lutheran Hour Ministries - The Coming King
Easter Lutheran Church - Christianity is a verb
Luther Seminary - Hark the Glad Sound
Lutheran Tract Mission Australia - Jesus is coming
Lutheran Tract Mission Australia - Countdown to Christmas kids


More Devotions and activities
Illustrated Children's Ministry 
Advent Resource Kit from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Grow Ministries Inter generational Advent 
Advent Pack - Secondary and Primary School aged activities 


Advent Resources
Concordia Publishing House
Augsburg Fortress
Sola Publishing 
North Western Publishing 
Emmanuel Press

Book: Last Summer at Eden (Young Adult novel)

A Young Adult novel

Introduction
From the moment nineteen-year-old Poppi Savot steps out of her car and into Camp Eden, she feels at home. This is her dream: a new job as Summer Director in the beautiful southern California hills. Life will be one long songfest around a campfire with s’mores and stories and kids learning about Jesus.

Not so fast.

Eden isn’t paradise.

First, there’s this guy—Jake—who complicates everything. Then, there’s her boss—Bryan—who wastes no time telling her the bad news: There aren’t enough campers. There isn’t enough money. This is Eden’s last summer. She will be unemployed and homeless.

But Poppi has hope. Ridiculous, outrageous, faith-driven hope. Still . . . is that enough?

Book: The Gates of Hell: Confessing Christ in a Hostile World

The Church is no longer the darling of the culture. Those who have the courage to confess the Bible’s truths are labeled haters, enemies of culture, and hurtful to the state. The adversarial relationship between our culture and Christians is not unlike the one faced by our fathers in the earliest days of the Church.

But the Bible was written in a cultural situation far worse than the one we face today. When we begin to fear that Satan is triumphing, we must hear our Lord tell us that He will build His Church, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). So even though it seems like Satan is winning, Christ promises that the devil will not prevail.

Each sermon and essay in this volume testifies to the power of Christ’s promise to defend His Church. The Word of God does what it says, and the gates of hell will never prevail against the kingdom of Christ, the Church. Christ promises.

A collaboration of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's Praesidium, The Gates of Hell gives practical advice to confessional leaders, showing them how to encourage God's people to keep confessing and retain hope as society degrates and becomes even more hostile to the Gospel.

The Gates of Hell includes sermons given at the 2016 LCMS convention, along with newly written chapters addressing how the Church has power to fight back against the empire of darkness.

Contains 6 sermons, 1 essay and 7 articles

Book: Cross Vision - How the crucifixion of Jesus makes sense of the Old Testament

The Old Testament God of wrath and violence versus the New Testament God of love and peace it's a difference that has troubled Christians since the first century. Now, with the sensitivity of a pastor and the intellect of a theologian, Gregory A. Boyd proposes the "cruciform hermeneutic," a way to read the Old Testament portraits of God through the lens of Jesus' crucifixion.

In Cross Vision, Boyd follows up on his epic and groundbreaking study, The Crucifixion of the Warrior God. He shows how the death and resurrection of Jesus reframes the troubling violence of the Old Testament, how all of Scripture reveals God's self-sacrificial love, and, most importantly, how we can follow Jesus' example of peace.

Book: Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith - From Dancing Goats to Satan's Drink

If you're religious about your coffee, you're in holy company.

If you like your coffee with a bit of inspiration, a hint of humor, and a dose of insight, you'll enjoy pouring a mug full of java and curling up with Holy Grounds. Popular author and avid coffee drinker Tim Schenck brews just the right blend of the personal and historical as he explores the sometimes amusing and often profound intersection between faith and coffee.

From the coffee bean's discovery by ninth-century Ethiopian Muslims to being condemned as "Satan's drink" by medieval Christians, to becoming an integral part of Passover in America, coffee has fueled prayer and shaped religious culture for generations.

In Holy Grounds, Schenck explores the relationship between coffee and religion, moving from faith-based legends that have become entwined with the history of coffee to personal narrative. He takes readers on a journey through coffee farms in Central America, a pilgrimage to Seattle, coffeehouses in Rome, and a monastic community in Pennsylvania.

Along the way, he examines the power of ritual, mocks bad church coffee, introduces readers to the patron saint of coffee, wonders about ethical considerations for today's faith-based coffee lovers, and explores lessons people of faith should learn from coffeehouse culture about building healthy, authentic community.

Book: The sacrament of evangelism

A recent statistic suggests that 15% of the churches in America are growing but only 2.2% are growing evangelistically.

Much of the church in America has lost its evangelistic zeal and forgotten how to re-ignite it; this book is an attempt to light the fuse of the powder keg so that the church, long-distracted by so many things, might return to its primary mission in the world.

We do not take Christ to anyone; He is already there. We go to make explicit what we see Him doing implicitly. It is not a question of whether God is at work in His world . . . Our hope is to see more of God’s people at work with Him! Learn about why we share our faith, Christ's role in our evangelism, the deep longings in all our hearts, and how to effectively live a sacramentally evangelistic lifestyle.

We are offering a way of looking at life and the world that is open to God’s presence everywhere. This approach is called sacramental. And where better to experience God’s presence than in His workplace? This is the Sacrament of Evangelism.

Contents

Section One:  Preliminaries
Section Two:  Abiding in Christ
Section Three: The Gospel and Humanity
Section Four:  Content and follow up

Resource: Friends of God - a discipleship experience

Many people have a distorted view of God's character that keeps them from being the disciples Jesus calls them to be.
Fortunately there's an effective way to bring them closer to him. Jesus modelled it through a process that's so familiar it's often dismissed.
That model is friendship.

The Friends of God discipleship experience is a 12 Session experience that explores:
SESSION 1:  Discover friendship with God by exploring the qualities of friendship.
SESSION 2:  Explore what nature teaches about God's character.
SESSION 3:  Experience the heart of God by paying closer attention to his Son, Jesus.
SESSION 4:  Practice communicating with God and others through two-way conversations and prayer stations.
SESSION 5:  Explore how the Bible reveals God's heart through the power of questions.
SESSION 6:  Watch a full-length film that explores how discipleship is about relationship, not perfection and performance.
SESSION 7:  Fun experiences that playfully deepen your connection to Jesus.
SESSION 8:  Identify fruit in your life, and discover new ways to abide in Jesus.
SESSION 9:  Share stories of tough AND tender love from God and others, and experience Jesus' love personally.
SESSION 10:  Explore what makes a friend trustworthy and experience a trust-building experiment.
SESSION 11:  Ask for and receive the power of forgiveness.
SESSION 12:  Discover how friendship with Jesus has grown and explore next steps.

The approach in friends of God is:

• Bible study that deepens understanding when paired with reflection and story-telling
• Spiritual discovery that grows through interactive conversation among pairs, trios, and small groups
• Creative, fun discipleship adventures that launch participants into the community

The resource kit includes:

• The Discipleship Experience Leader Guide
• The Discipleship Diary Participant Guide
• Friends of God Session DVDs
• Promo and Session Graphics CD
• Unheard Of - a feature length film
• Heart of Jesus Sticky Note Pad
• One Friends of God Glow Pen
• One Friends of God Go-and-Glow Light
• Three Jesus-centred practical guidebooks: Help! How Do I Read the Bible?, Help! How Do I Pray?, and Help! How Do I Know God’s Will?

Friends of God is available here 

Movie: An interview with God

Movie:  Interview with God

About
Covering the war in Afghanistan provided journalist Paul Asher with some of the best stories of his young career. But that endeavor ends up costing him so much more than he ever could have calculated.

Upon returning home, Paul struggles to deal with the after-effects of his experiences, a failing marriage, and his dying faith. Not knowing where to turn, Paul dives deeply into the story of a lifetime—an interview with a mysterious man claiming to be God.

What does an inquisitive reporter ask God? What would you ask?

Sitting down with this mysterious man over the course of three fateful days, Paul finds himself answering as many questions as he asks. While wrestling with what he knows and what he’s unsure of, Paul finds himself at the crossroads we all come to in our lives: Who do we say God is?

The movie stars Academy Award® nominee David Strathairn and Brenton Thwaites, along with Yael Grobglas, Hill Harper, and Charlbi Dean Kriek.

Free Discussion guide

Reviews
7 things you should know about an interview with God
Christian Post
CBN



In Australian cinemas 25 October 2018

Lutheran Media - Short video competition winners

Book: Scrappy Church

How many times have we heard these statements…
 “We can’t compete with the megachurch in our town!”
“A new church was started two blocks from us. We’ve got plenty of churches without them!”
“The church brought another one of their campuses near us. It’s totally unethical what they are doing.”
“We can’t reach young families. They all go to the big church that has all the children’s and student stuff.”
“We don’t have the money or the people the other churches have.”

Bestselling author Thom S. Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church) has heard comments like these hundreds, if not thousands, of times. They are statements of hopelessness. They are statements of despair. They are statements of defeat.

Church leaders don’t want to feel this way. They desire to break out of the mediocrity of the same, lame, and tame existence of their churches. They want their churches to make a difference.

There is hope. God’s hope. God’s possibilities.

What does a scrappy church look like? Let’s take a look together.

For more information including some free downloads visit https://thomrainer.com/scrappychurch/

Table of Contents

• Why you should have hope for your church
• Preparing to be a scrappy church
• The outward deluge of scrappy churches
• Scrappy churches are welcoming churches
• Scrappy churches close the back door
• The next scrappy church

Worship ideas: Christ the King Sunday

Christ the King Sunday is the most common name for the last Sunday of the Church Year, in the Revised Common Lectionary.  Other names for this Sunday include Day of Fulfillment, Doom Sunday, Reign of Christ Sunday, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and Return of Christ Sunday.   The Church of Wales in addition to Christ the King Sunday, has a season of the four Sundays before Advent, called Kingdom Sundays.   
Christ the King Sunday calls believers to focus on the theme that Christ has dominion over all of creation, with Jesus using His power to make possible freedom and a future for all people.   Christ the King Sunday ideally prepares us for Advent as we wait the coming Messiah.

For more information about the history and meaning of Christ the King Sunday visit
http://www.churchyear.net/ctksunday.html
Lutheran Forum

Worship ideas
Calvin Institute of Worship
Christian Resource Institute
David Beswick worship resources
Desperate Preacher
ELCA Pastor's worship order
Lutheran Church of Australia Worship Resources
Reformed Worship ideas
St Paul's Lutheran Church Sydney Worship Order
Textweek
United Methodist Worship
Worship Ideas
Worship Together -  Contemporary Song Suggestions

Children's Ideas
Kids Sermon
Sunday Children's Focus
Children's Sermon today
Morehouse Education 

Book: Little steps Big Faith

From brain science to language development and social skills, we've never known more about how children's minds develop in the first five years of life. Yet with all the information available, Christian parents may find themselves confused about how to apply these learnings to daily life with their children. In Little Steps, Big Faith, early childhood expert Dr. Dawn Rundman navigates the research to arrive at surprising insights about how very young children experience God, and how parents can use science to teach faith.

What others are saying
"Grounded in scientific research regarding child development, Dawn Rundman's book provides parents (and grandparents) of infants and toddlers with encouragement and practical tips for encouraging Christian faith formation. For parents who want their child to be well-rounded not only intellectually, physically, and emotionally, but also spiritually, this will be an invaluable resource!" --Beth Lewis, President & CEO Emeritus, 1517 Media

"What a gem of a book! With stories, clarity, humor, and remarkable insight into brain science and developmental psychology, Dawn Rundman provides wisdom for parents, pastors, and all who care about the faith formation of children. From beginning to end, you will find an enthusiastic companion here not judgment or guilt trips and you will learn, laugh, and feel empowered for the amazing journey of raising children in the faith." --Rev. Ann C. Svennungsen, Bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA

"An important introduction to the brain science that Christian parents and caretakers need to know to help their children thrive. Dr. Rundman is an eloquent writer and an amusing guide." --Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, Bestselling author of This is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind


"Little Steps, Big Faith beautifully weaves together science, faith, and parenting. A welcome handbook for parents and pastors alike, Rundman's book utilizes her expertise in developmental psychology to give scientific rationale to the importance of steeping infants and toddlers in the language and practice of the Christian faith. Accessible, biblical, and practical, Little Steps, Big Faith is the perfect gift for new parents, baptismal sponsors, and anyone wishing to pass on the faith to the next generation." --Rev. Justin Lind-Ayres, Pastor and author of Is That Poop on My Arm?: Parenting While Christian

Table of Contents
Child Development +Faith: An introduction
Brain Development:  Experiences shape pathways
Attachment schemas:  Your love shows God's love
Language:  what we say matters
Literacy:  Introducing stories of faith
Music:  Your playlist makes a difference
Whole-body parenting:  Caring with touch and movement
Routines and rituals:  Do it then do it again
Community:  why churches are rich contexts
Now what?   How live it

5 intro to Advent videos

Book: Kingdom Communities

Kingdom Communities
An inspirational and compelling exploration of a spreading phenomenon that is breaking out in the most unlikely of places.

As attendance in churches is in plateau or freefall, small and growing numbers of people are turning to creative and relationally connected communities that shine the light of Christ with great effect and generosity. Kingdom Communities: Shining the light of Christ through faith, hope and love examines the rise of this diverse and organic movement that is popping up in neighbourhoods, regional towns, urban slums, brothels, aged care villages, schools, churches … indeed anywhere!


Using multiple case studies from across the region, Kingdom Communities explores this growing movement historically, biblically and theologically and uncovers the power of distributed networks for holistic Christian mission. In our age of disruption and rapid discontinuous change that has shaken religious institutions to their core, this book is both a challenge and major injection of hope for those who are passionate about the kingdom of God, Christian leadership, the future of ministry and the relational communities that the world desperately needs.

Using colour to enhance your message

Have you ever noticed how colours affect you?

There is a significant amount of research that suggests colours affect how people perceive and react to an organisation, product or idea.   
For instance Many fast food restaurants use a particular tone of red, because there is a belief and some evidence that suggests that particular tone of red encourages people to eat more.      

To explore how colour impacts how people perceive things visit:  
Church relevance 
Colour affects
Help Scout
Colour Psychology
NickKolenda
Very Well Mind
Psychology of Colour in Business
Wikipedia 

Now remembering that people not only understand messages from what they read or see, but how things look, then it is worth considering how can use colours to enhance the messages we give about the stories of God and His Good News. 

Book: Telling the truth - the Gospel as tragedy, comedy and fairytale

Telling the Truth is for the preacher who must pull the little cord that turns on the lectern light, must look out over the people and the silence, must begin to speak of a truth beyond telling. It is for the woman who wants to understand how people believe what they cheerfully acknowledge is a tragic, comic fairy tale. It is for anyone who believes that faith, like art, can hold a special mirror to human experience.
To understand what the gospels are all about, writes Frederick Buechner, you have to understand their unblinking reflection of everyday reality. There is no place here for either saccharine, happy endings, or soft-boiled hope. Rather, the gospels record the tragedy of human failure, the comedy of being loved overwhelmingly by God despite that failure, and the fairy tale of transformation through that love. If we understand this, we begin to understand much more. We realise that Pilate is an old man who drives to work in a limousine but smokes three packs a day. We see that the parables are divine jokes about the outlandishness of God who does impossible things with impossible people. We perceive the "once upon a time" of the gospel as a continual now, renewing itself over and over and over again. With grace and beauty, Buechner introduces us to this vision that, once found, cannot be forgotten.
Buechner says it best: "Let the preacher tell the truth. Let him preach this overcoming of tragedy by comedy, of darkness by light, of the ordinary by the extraordinary, as the tale that is too good not to be true because to dismiss it as untrue is to dismiss along with it that 'catch of the breath, that beat and lifting of the heart near to or even accompanied by tears,' which I believe is the deepest intuition of truth that we have."

Resource: Story Matters

The goal of Story Matters is to help congregations discover and articulate, in a deep and biblically based conversation, their unique identity and mission so that that each congregation might:
• Discern their congregational story within the biblical story
• Use their biblical story to discover and engage together their congregational
identity and mission

There are two main steps:
Discover and name our biblical story
Learn, live and share our biblical story

Download a copy of Story Matters at https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Faith-Practices/Story-Matters

Article: Models of Congregational Leadership

Nathan Frambach in his article Models of Congregational leadership, Nathan discusses congregational leadership including:

• Leadership in the contemporary context
• The Congregation as a warrant for leadership
• Theories of leadership
• The Jonah narrative as a biblical warrant for leadership
• Evangelical public leadership as a model for the congregation

To read the article visit

https://wordandworld.luthersem.edu/content/pdfs/20-4_Congregation/20-4_Frambach.pdf

Christmas Resource: The Really Good News of Christmas – For Me! (free)

In 2017 Australians loved this fresh telling of the Christmas story, and this year we they have improved the story to help churches reach children and families, with the book and resources.   The Really Good News of Christmas – For Me!

The Australian Bible Society are giving away the little books of The Really Good News of Christmas - For Me, along with digital resources. 

They would love everyone  to engage in the Bible story of Christmas.

To order your booklets visit https://www.biblesociety.org.au/goodnews/ 

To view the booklet visit https://issuu.com/biblesocietyau/docs/rgn2_samplepages_single/2

Book: Who moved my pulpit?

Who Moved My Pulpit? may not be the exact question you’re asking. But you’re certainly asking questions about change in the church—where it’s coming from, why it’s happening, and how you’re supposed to hang on and follow God through it—even get out ahead of it so your church is faithfully meeting its timeless calling and serving the new opportunities of this age.
Based on conversations with thousands of pastors, combined with on-the-ground research from more than 50,000 churches, best-selling author Thom S. Rainer shares an eight-stage roadmap to leading change in your church. Not by changing doctrine. Not by changing biblical foundations. But by changing methodologies and approaches for reaching a rapidly changing culture.
You are the pastor. You are the church staff person. You are an elder. You are a deacon. You are a key lay leader in the church. This is the book that will equip you to celebrate and lead change no matter the cost. 

The time is now.

Table of contents Chapter 1 When the Pulpit Gets Moved
Chapter 2 Five Kinds of Unmovable Church Members 
Chapter 3 Stop . . . and Pray 
Chapter 4 Confront and Communicate a Sense of Urgency 
Chapter 5 Build an Eager Coalition 
Chapter 6 Become a Voice and Vision for Hope 
Chapter 7 Deal with People Issues 
Chapter 8 Move from an Inward Focus to an Outward Focus
Chapter 9 Pick Low-Hanging Fruit 
Chapter 10 Implement and Consolidate Change 
Chapter 11 Life Is Short. Make a Difference. 

Book: Gospel Speech

We all have a different relationship with speech. Some of us love it, some of us... not so much. For some it depends a lot on the context: speaking on the phone with a friend is perfectly enjoyable; speaking publicly in front of an audience is our worst nightmare. Some of us speak at a million miles an hour, while some of us have a slow and measured pace, choosing every word carefully. In many ways, speech really is a reflection of who we are as individuals.

But if our speech really is a reflection of who we are, and if being a Christian is a fundamental and even primary way we describe ourselves, should we expect gospel speech to be on our lips?

In this refreshingly different look at what the Bible has to say about evangelism and our speech patterns as Christians, Lionel Windsor shows the connection between faith and speech, and encourages us to confess the Lord Jesus with our lips.

Lionel Windsor is a lecturer at Moore Theological College in Sydney.   

Contents
Are all Christians commanded to evangelize?
Shut your mouth
God puts the words right in your mouth
Saved by the mouth
Do you feel the need for speech?
Speech is in your DNA
insiders and outsiders
Learning how to talk

Using instagram for ministry

Instagram is one of the significant social media platforms, a platform that allows users to share photos and videos.    The following articles explore how we can best use Instagram for ministry and mission
The best way to use Instagram for your church - Concordia Technology
How to create an Instagram ministry
How to get your congregation Instagram ready
Praise Pix - An instagram ministry case study
How to set up instagram fro your church - UM Communications
37 ways to use Instagram for church
20 great ways to use instagram for your church 
How to use Instagram stories for connecting with your youth ministry
5 strategic ministry uses for Instagram
Be a hero with Instagram
15 things your church can learn from top Instagram accounts

If you have other suggestions, examples or ideas feel free to leave them in the comment section