Sermon and service Resources
Readings
The suggested reading for BTCS 2012 is Mark 10:13-16 or Mark 10:13-31 if you would prefer
Sermon ideas
Some of you told us that you would find it useful to have some ideas for a sermon for BTCS. We have approached two people to share their reflections on the gospel reading for the benefit of those taking part in BTCS. It would be impossible to produce a sermon which will be perfect for every churchmanship so please feel free to use whatever you find helpful.
Here’s a brief biography for each:
Steve Jeffrey
Steve became a Christian at 23 and started to head towards fulltime Christian service soon afterwards. After 3 years at Moore College he spent the next 10 years as Assistant Minister at Norwest Anglican Church. While at Norwest he also took on the roles of National Director of Youthsurge and Chairman of Kyck Convention. Combined with a passion for young people is a passion for local church ministry so in April 2009 he commenced as Senior Minister of St Paul’s Anglican Church in Chatswood, Sydney. He is married to Natalie, and they have three daughters Isabelle, Phoebe and Amelia.
No literature found.
Apology/Acknowledgement
There are many people who for one reason or another have stopped attending church due to hurt and pain. This may be real or perceived pain. At the BTCS office we feel that there is an opportunity to address this situation if you think it is necessary. We personally have seen people specifically attend BTCS knowing that there was going to be an apology/acknowledgement given by the church. You may wish to use a different word or ignore this suggestion completely, but we have found it very helpful and hope you will also.
BTCS Apology (26 KB)
Children's Resources
Many of you were delighted with the children's resources which the team from Lost Sheep produced for BTCS for the last two years. We have worked well again with the Lost Sheep team and they have provided us with some wonderful activities to get your kids involved on the day. Sign up to Cecil's blog and download the story specially chosen for this year. If you haven't come across Lost Sheep material before, you're sure to want more so look at your local Christian bookstore for more resources.
This is what the Lost Sheep people say about themselves,
'When Jesus wanted to change lives he told stories. That's what we do at Lost Sheep - and at the centre of our stories is Jesus. Some stories are about him, some are by him, but all of them point to him. We take the spirituality of children seriously but also believe the gospel is fun. Our calling is to produce story telling resources that reflect the heart of Jesus. Our focus is on children and all those working to build faith in kids around the world. Our desire is that parents, teachers, pastors & children's workers will use these resources to develop the faith of kids.'
A big thank you to all at Lost Sheep for their willingness to partner with us.
To download the children's resources follow the link www.lostsheep.com.au/backtochurch
Recommended reading
If you would like to think a bit more about treating visitors as guests and understanding the role of the church as a gracious host we would recommend the following book which Debbie recommends:
Beyond the First Visit by Gary McIntosh published by Baker Books (EAN 9780801091845)
The publisher describes this practical book as offering, ‘sound advice on assessing and improving the ways in which churches attract people, welcome them, do follow-up, and bring them into the church family.’
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