C-Change - UCA Small Group Discipleship Resources
August 28, 2008
So I found these and thought they could do with some air play.
C-Change: small group discipleship resources for the 21st Century
Theology and Discipleship has developed a six-part series of short resources to act as discussion starters for congregations and small groups.
Worksheet 1: The Call to Discipleship
Worksheet 2: Spirituality
Worksheet 3: Evangelism
Worksheet 4: Covenanting
Worksheet 5: Hospitality
Worksheet 6: Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry
Ched Myers - DVD Resource & Reflections
August 11, 2008
Ched Myers spoke at Call2Discipleship08 for us in July. We have created a resource by filming those sessions. (For those who saw him at School of Discipleship in Canberra these are also the same 2 inputs on he led on Saturday about marks gospel)
What it is
Value Pack= 2 disc set containing DVD’s 1& 2 (see description below) $25 + $5ph
DVD 1= The call to discipleship in Mark’s gospel sessions 1 & 2 plus question time $15+$5ph
DVD 2= Unplugged with Ched - mp3 audio tracks of the 3 sessions above. $12 +$5ph
Go to idearipple.com to buy one now.
What struck people about Ched’s & Elaine’s input over the various events they spoke at here in OZ?
Leadership08 - Discussion Sheets
May 1, 2008
Below are the leadership day discussion sheets we pulled together for the 19th of April and sent up to the Shepparton mob for their leadership day on the 26th. Thanks Chris, Drew, Rod and Joan for your work.
The Art of Leadership - Chris Rowntree (224kb) artofleadership.pdf
Youth Group (240kb) youthgroup.pdf
Schools - Rod Dungan (192kb) mission-opportunites-2.pdf
What is Spiritual Formation - Joan Wright Howie (188kb) spiritualform.pdf
A More Reflective Bible Study - Adrian (Age) Greenwood (240kb) lead08bible.pdf
Justice (Too Much Said Not enough Done) - Rod Dungan (192kb) justice.pdf
All in one download (956kb) leadership08sheetsemail.pdf
Anzac Day - Remembering the Peacemakers
April 7, 2008
| April 25, 2008 |
Kia ora.
This website provides information on people from Aotearoa / New Zealand who have made significant contributions to and suffered in the process of promoting peace.
From this site you can download a booklet that can be used in groups to reflect on the lives and actions of these peacemakers on ANZAC Day.
Mk 11 - Palm Sunday Bible Study
March 6, 2008
MorePraxis bible study works as a resource to prime a conversation and reflection on a passage. So reflect and think about the text, listen for God and your spirit. I hope the format is less like the normal comprehension styled Bible study, but rather that it feels like ideas are raised and space is left for you and your groups to have a conversation.
Mark 11:1-25 - Jesus’ Palm Sunday
(Full TExt in PDF)praxisbiblemk11.pdf
Reflect:
Read the text and notice what grabs your attention. Key words? Ideas?
Read it again, now what stands out? What do you relate to? What do you disagree with?
Is there a story from your life it reminds you of?
Think:
“The first part of this passage is what many Bible headings call “the triumphant entry into Jerusalem” But what’s so triumphant about it? Jesus doesn’t even spend the night there, because it was too late. At Palm Sunday Church services everywhere will have donkeys and kids chanting HOSANNA! Etc. Laying palm leaves and blankets at the feet of the conquering king like a defeated army laying down their weapons. We all know that Jesus did not come as the conquering king he is the servant king. Jesus is involved in street theatre a staged political stunt - Jesus statement is that he is not this king and not bringing this type of kingdom. I think Jesus knew the passage in Zech 9:9 that he was recreating and that it was too late in the day for the next step in his action. Hence the next day he trashes the temple, disrupts trade for the day and teaches in such a way that astonished and provokes the powers to plot to kill him. So let me prompt our conversation in short hand. Symbolism anyone?….Fig tree = temple? Moneychangers = economic injustice, Mountain = temple or controlling systems?
So each year do we re-enact in our churches the crowd missing the point of the radical kingdom? A kingdom that will overturn the tables of economic and political injustice through forgiveness” (Age)
Sustainable Festive Season Guide
December 16, 2007
Hi Guys below is an email I got this week with some great links- Merry Christmas. - Age
Hi folks,
Christmas is almost upon us with its bells and whistles and the urge to ‘consume more’.
Georgie from Environment Victoria sent me their ‘Sustainable Festive Season Guide‘, which you can download via the link - it’s worth a look. In her words, “This festive season can be a time to rediscover the happiness and simplicity of time spent with family and friends, and avoiding the need to over-buy and over-spend on wasted gifts and food“.
Also, check out the great new video from Free Range Graphics…
‘The Story of Stuff‘ with Annie Leonard
I hope your Christmas is a time of rest and reflection, and renewed understanding of our place in this world.
Much Christmas cheer,
Nick
Generous Revolution
September 17, 2007
As many of you know I consider generousity, creativity and hospitality to be very subversive practices. They each imagine and transform our world of self interests into a shared spaces of possibility.
Theologically I think this Generous Revolution is based (at least for the Christians) in the counter cultural stance and teaching of Jesus. I am thinking of teachings like
“lose your life to gain it” (Mk 8:35);
“give to those who can not repay you”(Lk 6:34),
“Give to those that ask” (Mt 5:42-6:3);
“give to all who ask of you”, Go sell all you have and it to the poor” (Lk 18:22);
“When you have a party don’t invite your friends who can invite you in return… invite the homeless and the outcast”(Lk 14:12-14),;
“Zaccheaus the tax collector giving half his property away and repaying four times what he ripped off”(Lk 19:8),The early church sharing all they had (Acts 4:32-35);
The great socialist parable of the vineyard workers who all get paid the days wage no matter how long they work (Mt 20:1-16)…this ends with “what business is it of you if I want to be generous” Plus more - I’m sure.
A while ago I was hearing about the “gift” culture of traditional New Zealand and how it contrasts the “acquisition” culture of the consumer/capitalist world view. (Hey Manu or Graham if want to unpack how this works…feel free to jump in.) Since then I have been wondering about Give Way signs. And how they could be played with to encourage thoughts about giving and generousity. Most of my current thoughts involve white stickers like name tags either blank or with a new letter. I’m pretty sure defacing a give way sign is not very legal. Please bear this in mind. The T-Shirt are however - legal. …Culture jamming is fun. 
Last term I was wearing my ‘give’ shirt to drop JJ at school. A conversation with a quick thinking kids went like this:
K: ”That shirt just says ‘Give’ not ‘Give Way’.”
me: “Yes”
K: “Well give me your money then!”
Me: “It is interesting that when you read the word ‘Give’ your first thought is to ‘Take’. Don’t you think?”
K “uh?”As many of you know I consider generousity, creativity and hospitality to be very subversive practices. They each imagine and transform our world of self interests into a shared spaces of possibility.
…. So hear are a few ideas.
and a this post as a discussion sheet generousrevolutionsheet
Isa 65 - Bible Study
June 15, 2007
MorePraxis bible study works as a resource to prime a conversation and reflection on a passage. So reflect and think about the text, listen for God and your spirit. I hope the format is less like the normal comprehension styled Bible study, but rather that it feels like ideas are raised and space is left for you and your groups to have a conversation.
Isaiah 65:17-25 - A New Earth (Full text in pfd)
Lk 4 - Bible Study
May 15, 2007
MorePraxis bible study works is a resource to prime a conversation and reflection on a passage. So reflect and think about the text, listen for God and your spirit. I hope the format is less like the normal comprehension styled Bible study, but rather that it feels like ideas are rasied and space is left for you and your groups to have a conversation. Currently, I am planning on posting one a fortnight - so if you have a passage that has been important to you then write one and post it. There has been some talk of a real time online discussion for this to happen we will need a few more takers. So if you are keen make it known
Watch Jedi Jesus tell Luke 4 here
Luke 4:14-30 - Jesus’ Manifesto
Reflect:
Read the text and notice what grabs your attention. Key words? Ideas?
Read it again, now what stands out? What do you relate to? What do you disagree with?
Is there a story from your life it reminds you of?
Think:
“Considering this passage is understood in Luke as Jesus’ first sermon, he did really well to have the audience want to kill him by the time he finished. Often we hear about the ‘Spirit of the Lord bit’ but not really hear why that caused such conflict. The practical outworking of this manifesto of ‘Good News for the poor’, led Jesus to talk about racism in his home town. Racism can be a touchy subject in general, but talk about it with your family and their friends this Christmas and watch the temperature rise. When Jesus cites the gentile widow and the soldier whom God miraculously helps instead of anyone from Israel, he is naming God’s concern for all people even the ‘hated other’ The implications of the Good News was far more offensive to the people than a simplistic “God loves everybody”. This Good News loves the poor, sick, blind, oppressed and imprisoned and stands with God against those whose concern is for themselves, whose actions or lack of action supports injustices/oppression and is an affront to those who think they have a mortgage on God and truth.” (Age)
Welcome to the conversation
What parts stood out for you, annoyed you or drew you to them?
What is echoed in your life and experience in this text?
Why did they try to kill him?
What issue would have a similar response from the people today?
What is your manifesto for life?
What else would be good to talk about???
Act:
Spend some time writing your own manifesto for your life. Print it out and try to live in a way that doesn’t get in the way of that dream. Revisit it and change it to keep it challenging and current.
If you are doing this with a group - Begin by asking people to spend some time alone writing their dream for the world or the ’manifesto’ they would like to live by. It will provide a personal starting point for comparison and discussion.
download praxisbiblelk4.pdf
AIDS & Advent Art Resources
October 20, 2006
I have been busy with the CTM and UCA commissioning two projects from Zoriah, the 2006 photojournalist of the year. And a really nice bloke. What we have created are expositions of humanitarian photography and video clips for use in worship and reflection for congregations and groups.
The Human Face of AIDS: is a collection of twenty photos from Asia and the West that share the common humanity in the faces of people with AIDS. The large image exposition will be available for hire for $30, a CD of the video reflection will cost $10 and a set of 20 A3 Prints with a CD will cost $40.
As World AIDS day is Dec 1 these resources may be a way for your group to engage with this issue. See the exposition at the Upper Room Project - held upstairs in the Shine Café, 74 Kingsway, Glen Waverley – Monday Nov 6th, 6-8:30pm.
Hope.Peace.Love.Joy: is four series of works from Zoriah and four video clips for use during Advent. These themes utilise Zoriah’s photos from the Boxing Day tsunami and the
rebuilding one year on; images of recent conflict in the Middle East; the amazing spirit of people living in poverty, conflict and disaster zones and the love of families and those caring for loved ones.
The large image expositions will be available to hire for $30, the CD of the five video reflections will cost $30 and the four series as A3 Prints with the CD will cost $120. Individual Advent series (prints and CD) $40 each. See the exposition at the Upper Room Project - held upstairs in the Shine Café, 74 Kingsway, Glen Waverley - Monday Dec 4th, 6-8:30pm.
Download an order form
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