Last weekend our church had what we call a ‘Time with God’ weekend. We have our building open for prayer for something like 18-24 hours from Friday night to sometime on Saturday. We have three rooms you can use and the idea is that you book a room for an hour or so or more. The rooms are laid out with a candle, supplies of Christian music and flip chart paper and markers to use how we want. I find it exciting and it enables me to create a wonderful atmosphere for prayer. During this time, among other things, I was drawn to read Luke 10, to pray about our impact on the local community and to contemplate what my part might be. I was particularly blessed this time as there were also some art materials available. So I was able to prayerfully sketch a representation of our neighbourhood with the blessing ‘Peace to this House’ and blu-tac it on the wall.
BTW last Thursday we began our new monthly prayer meetings. And we had some really good prayer activities. I do get the feeling we are moving forward as a church in prayer. Praise God!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Teaching and Learning
I can’t make the staff development that we’ve got this week at college focusing on using IT in teaching. But I have been reading this article about a school in Australia that is really pioneering in this respect. I’ve got to work on using my PowerPoint presentations to keep my students attention. This year is quite a challenge teaching in the sixth form especially the GCSE groups. I’m experimenting with different activities and finding some work a little better than others. It’s not always easy to get teenagers to work in groups or even to listen to me never mind each other.
I suppose this is all part of relating to a different culture. It makes me realise that not everyone will want to listen to someone talking for 45 minutes – especially if they have not had much success in that mode of education. I think this has important implications for the teaching in the church. Role on the day when we’ve got a much greater variety of activities including fun creative things to do in meetings and ICT teaching that can be accessed anywhere. Surely such activities would attract and motivate a much wider audience.
I suppose this is all part of relating to a different culture. It makes me realise that not everyone will want to listen to someone talking for 45 minutes – especially if they have not had much success in that mode of education. I think this has important implications for the teaching in the church. Role on the day when we’ve got a much greater variety of activities including fun creative things to do in meetings and ICT teaching that can be accessed anywhere. Surely such activities would attract and motivate a much wider audience.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Mp4s of Celebration 2006
I’ve just been looking at the mp4s of Lifelink’s conference Celebration 2006 on their website. I was inspired by Jim Munson in his leadership seminar talked about the trans-generational church as a relay race. He spoke of passing on faith for the next generation will see greater things than we have. I am itching to see the future the better ideas and visions of which he speaks. I want to inherit what previous generations have prayed for, to practice holiness and take the message to the world. How can we do this? Well…
Alan Scotland mentioned the internet. He pointed out the dangers of escaping the real world to play and chat with anonymity. Yet he also talked about the great opportunity we as Christian have to influence the world for good. Gary Finkbeiner spoke of the importance of how we understand the truth. And Ian Rawley underlined this and also criticised on our culture’s tendency to value tolerance. Interestingly, I am just reading Steve Chalke’s new book ‘Intelligent Church’ which gives a counterpoint to this, by saying that tolerance does not imply agreement but rather a confidence and security to leave others to choose their own way.
Anyway, it's good to see the speakers and to have edited highlights of this conference. Mp4s are a great facility.
Alan Scotland mentioned the internet. He pointed out the dangers of escaping the real world to play and chat with anonymity. Yet he also talked about the great opportunity we as Christian have to influence the world for good. Gary Finkbeiner spoke of the importance of how we understand the truth. And Ian Rawley underlined this and also criticised on our culture’s tendency to value tolerance. Interestingly, I am just reading Steve Chalke’s new book ‘Intelligent Church’ which gives a counterpoint to this, by saying that tolerance does not imply agreement but rather a confidence and security to leave others to choose their own way.
Anyway, it's good to see the speakers and to have edited highlights of this conference. Mp4s are a great facility.
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