Creative Ideas for Pastoral Liturgy: Baptism, Confirmation and Liturgies for the Journey


Book Description

Christian initiation takes varying forms in different denominations and for many non-churchgoing new parents, a christening or some other kind of ceremony is important at this landmark time in their lives. Equally, many adults seek baptism in the Church of England and the ancient practice of baptism with confirmation at the Easter Vigil is enjoying a revival. This volume - the third and final volume in the "Creative Pastoral Liturgy" series - offers imaginative ideas and liturgies for all these and many more occasions in the life of a local church which you will not find in official service books. These include: blessings for a house and a new building, thanksgiving liturgies for all who help to run the church, services of blessing for those moving away, for a student going travelling, for a group going on pilgrimage, for an ordinand starting training, and for someone going to serve overseas. As with the companion volumes on marriage and funerals, this invaluable resource ensures that the authorised initiation liturgies are celebrated with imagination and creativity so that pastoral support and care is made clearly visible.




Creative Ideas for Pastoral Liturgy: Marriage Services and Wedding Blessings


Book Description

Arising out of many years' practical experience in local parishes and on a diocesan liturgical committee, this second volume in a series of three by this creative team of writers will help local churches everywhere make the most of the opportunities presented by couples coming for marriage or a wedding blessing. The wedding industry today is driven by consumer choice. Churches are uniquely placed to offer: real pastoral support at what is often a stressful (and expensive!) time, time out to consider what marriage means and imaginative liturgies that can make a wedding truly memorable. This book is full of ideas that will help make the experience of getting married in church joyous, memorable and meaningful. From giving engaged couples 'Stress-busting gift packs', to creating personalised wedding ceremonies, ideas for church decorating and welcoming couples who have got married in another part of the country or abroad, this is a resource brimming with simple and effective ideas.




Creative Ideas for Children's Worship


Book Description

Ask almost any priest what his or her biggest headache is and the answer is likely to be 'coming up with ideas for including children in worship'. Here is the answer to those prayers - a whole year's worth of activities and ideas complete with artwork and visual aids. These sixty outlines have been developed and used in an Anglican parish church over the last eight years by a professional educationalist, artist and experienced children's church leader. The worship outlines include simple children's liturgies and a complete lesson or story plan that harmonizes with what the adults are doing in church on the same day. Through fun ideas, children encounter a real aspect of the Christian faith focused on a theme to be found in the Gospel of the day. Each outline includes a variety of options which make them workable with small and large groups of children or single groups of mixed ages. Illustrated throughout, the text and artwork appears on the accompanying CD Rom in full colour for downloading and printing or copying.




Celebrating Christian Initiation


Book Description

Drawing on research carried out as part of the Baptism Project, and making helpful connections with popular catechetical material from sources such as Pilgrim, Simon Jones considers how, where, and for whom rites of Christian initiation are celebrated, and how baptism has been rediscovered as fundamental to the Church’s identity and mission. Very little has been written recently about the celebration of rites of Christian initiation. Focussing primarily on the material in Common Worship (including the new texts for baptism) as well as drawing on other liturgical traditions, this book fills the gap with a concise yet comprehensive treatment that takes full account of the latest needs and developments.




Creative Ideas for Using Scripture in Worship


Book Description

Seasons like Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter are among the busiest for clergy and leaders of worship. This addition to the popular Creative Ideas series helps you plan seasonal worship more easily with a range of easy-to-use dramas and ideas to liven up worship, all based on the lectionary readings. It includes: • dramatic readings of lectionary readings and drama sketches for all seasons of the Christian year • short and snappy dramatic dialogues exploring biblical readings from a contemporary point of view • ideas for using our worship space more creatively • ideas for non-lectionary events such as Christingle • how to write creatively for worship • CD-Rom with downloadable resources Seasons covered include Advent, Christmas, Christingle, Epiphany, Lent, Mothering Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Harvest and Remembrance Sunday.




Creative Ideas for Wild Church


Book Description

This innovative and imaginative resource offers learning and worship activities and whole service outlines to help churches engage with the outside world and increase connectedness with the communities where they are placed, whether rural or urban. Current trends encourage us to reconnect with nature – schools are building outdoor classrooms, 11,000 organizations belong to the Wild Network which encourages children to get outside, while Forest Church, the Eco-congregation and the rewilding spirituality movements reflect this trend in the church. Definitely not just for energetic outdoorsy types, it creatively blends the Christian year with the natural seasons – such as an all-age Advent outdoor adventure, creating an outdoor Easter garden, kite flying at Ascension, building life-size David and Goliath, going on a prayer pilgrimage, autumn leaves and tree ribbons for remembrance, and much more.




Creative Ideas for Whole Church Family Worship


Book Description

Family services are possibly the hardest worship occasions to plan - nourishing faith in children and adults simultaneously is a huge challenge even for the most gifted communicator. This new collection offers a range of all-age worship services, consistent with Anglican liturgy, for use throughout the church year. Each one includes music suggestions, prayers, a talk and family-friendly liturgy. Also included is a CD with the full text of all services and colour artwork.




Walk in This Light


Book Description

Every year, some 175,000 children and adults are baptised or confirmed in the Church of England. Jesus himself was baptised and from its very beginning, the sacrament of baptism was the point of entry into the Church. It is the starting point of an adventurous journey through life with God, living as God's person in the world. Here, the bestselling author Richard Giles reflects with wisdom and humour on what that sort of life will look like. Written with characteristic simplicity and directness, he spells out what it will mean to live out the vows we make at baptism. It is not for the faint-hearted or the half-hearted and if we mean business, the journey will almost certainly take us where we never imagined we might go. Drawing on the shape, the words and the dramatic imagery of the service - washing, clothing, being signed with the cross, anointing, being sent out to be lights in the world - Richard paints an invigorating, compelling picture of the dedicated Christian life.




Common Worship


Book Description

The Common Worship Main Volume is the primary worship and service book for the Church of England. It contains material used on Sundays by most churches: a variety of Communion services and non-eucharistic forms of worship, as well as the basic Baptism service and the Psalms. Full contents: The Declaration of Assent The Calendar A Service of the Word Morning and Evening Prayer on Sunday Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer Night Prayer (Compline) Night Prayer (Compline) in Traditional Language Prayers for Various Occasions The Litany The Litany from the Book of Common Prayer Authorized Forms of Confession and Absolution Creeds and Authorized Affirmations of Faith Holy Communion including A Form of Preparation, Order One, Order One in Traditional Language, Order Two, Order Two in Contemporary Language, Supplementary Texts, Seasonal Provisions Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child Holy Baptism Collects and Post Communions Collects and Post Communions in Traditional Language Rules Lectionary The Psalter Canticles




Common Worship: Times and Seasons President's Edition


Book Description

This revised, expanded edition of the Common Worship President’s Edition contains everything to celebrate Holy Communion Order One throughout the church year. It combines relevant material from the original President’s Edition with Eucharistic material from Times and Seasons, Festivals and Pastoral Services, and the Additional Collects.