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Easter Ministry Bag of AllSorts No. 5

23rd February 2015

Hand-out Easter Tract.

An attractive leaflet called “The Complete Sacrifice”—The real meaning of Easter is available from United Christian Broadcasters. This fresh tract by Aussie Bill Newman in contemporary style is available in a pack of 20 for $10. To order Contact: www.ucbdirect.com.au

Create an Exibition

People are often relaxed in holiday mode over the Easter period and ready to look at something different. Locate a church or hall in a busy street area or approach a local shopping centre. Gather a team of people with skills and resources and decide on an appropriate kind of exhibition.

(1) An Easter Gallery: Gather quality pictures from church members of the Easter story that can be displayed. Perhaps Stations of the Cross with a power point presentation. Devote a specific area to a theme or part of the Easter story.

(2) Easter Tableau: Gather and create objects that symbolise an aspect of the Easter story. Decorate and display with scripture hand-outs.

(3) Easter Floral Display:Invite community organisations to prepare a floral arrangement with an Easter story theme. This can promote the Easter message and also the local agency.

Worship:Prayer Resources.

Palm Sunday: Responsive prayer for the church.

Good Friday: An appropriate prayer for a special day. (click here for prayers)

 (a) Palm Sunday:

Minister: Lord as we enter Holy Week give us the insight that we need to see Easter not as an event stranded on the shore of distant history but as your living truth that addresses us today. Hear us we pray.

People: Open our hearts and minds Lord.

Minister: Lord you entered Jerusalem humbly doing the Father’s will, but we are hesitant about taking our faith to the public arena. We are easily influenced by the media and the popular mood of our time. We have often preferred status, respectability and power. Hear us we pray.

People: Come and save us Lord.

Minister: Lord you prayed that we might be one as you and the Father are one. Bind us together in love and obedience that the world might believe in you. Hear us we pray.

People: Make your one family obvious Lord.

Minister: Lord Jesus, only head of the Church, hear our prayers for the health and vigour of the Church’s mission. Raise up prophets to unmask falseness. Empower evangelists to proclaim the good news and your people to resist the temptation to flee from the pain of the cross. Hear us we pray.

People: Equip your church with vision and courage to follow you today and to be sustained by your love. Amen

(b) Good Friday Prayer:

Lord you have shown us the journey

of your passion and suffering

and we have seen the travesty of a lost world.

In the betrayal, deceit and religious pride of others

we recognise the truth about ourselves.

We too have been lost and without you.

On this special day we thank you

that in your Holy love

you have enveloped the darkness,

absorbed our sin and lostness,

the violence and injustice of our world.

We thank you that in his death Jesus fulfilled the word

that rings out through history, “It is finished”.

We thank you that the power of death

was destroyed by Jesus on the cross

and death’s hold over us was finished once and for all.

We thank you that we are able

to say with the saints of old,

“It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us

and sent His Son to bear away our sins.”

Having passed from death to life,

Lord you have made everthing new.

For this wonderful truth that means

we now see all things in a different way,

we thank and praise you Lord,

now and forever. Amen.

Christian Heritage Research

Excellent learning material about our great Aussie hero’s of faith like Douglas Nicholls, Caroline Chisholm etc can be obtained when you Google “Christian Heritage Research” Great for a Kid’s groups, Heritage Sunday or a Sunday School project.

Bible Christian Methodists in South Australia 1850- 1900.

This new book being published by the Uniting Church Historical Society (SA) is a remarkable, detailed biography of chapels and the faith of early Settlers. Often by-passed by liberal scholars of the Uniting Church this part of our evangelical heritage tells of the great revivals at Burra, Moonta, Auburn and Kapunda. To view cover visit the home page: Click Here

To order, e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Visitors Info Card.

(A concept to introduce to the members of your church)

* Holiday times and the increased social mobility often our way of life often interrupt our consistent attendance at the local church.

* The New Testament encourages us to, “exhort one another” and “not to neglect meeting together.” Heb 10:25.

* When you plan your next holiday be intentional about planning to attend worship and to meet other Christians.

* With an awareness that we belong to a ‘universal church’ set out to turn your visit into an experience of mutual encouragement.

* The Visitors Info Card can be used as a tool to help this happen.

Fill in the details and on arrival at the ‘holiday church’ hand the Info card to the Door Steward pointing to the request sentence and suggesting that it be passed to the minister before the service.

The card is a clear reference that communicates who you are and where you are from. Then enjoy worship and the interest that the public greeting generates. (Click here for the card)

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