There seemed to be a broken link on the Christ Church, Moscow, ID web site, but what I want to know is this:
Could an Anglican Church in the UK affiliate to the Confedreation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or whatever its called?
If we basically more or less buy the Mother Kirk / Against Christianity vission, how, under God, do we make in happen in the UK?
Do we just start doing full on liturgical services in fancy dress or is it slowly slowly catchy monkey?
Do we look out for an incumbancy near Oak Hill and go from there or just start up in the chapel on Sunday?
Monday, August 13, 2007
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Just thought, maybe I should email Patsor Doug Wilson about this, if he's not already a regular reader. I guess a few at Oak Hill and a few Oak Hill graduates would be seriously up for this if a door opened an inch wide? Sign up here!
Hiya.
Hope all is well in sunny Eastbourne.
I just read your comment on my blog. I think that, rather obviously, the way forward depends on the ages of the 'yuff.' If they are teenagers then I think that the best way is simply to treat them how you would expect them to behave. Also, (again this depends on the circumstances) I think that one of the most helpful things to do is to teach them NOT at the lowest level. I found in the last year of my youth group that while I was still getting stuff from the teaching (everyone gets something from every teaching!) I really wasn't being stretched at all. The material was designed for the lowest level to be comfortable with (not even really to stretch them.) Even if they pretend to be stupid, young people do have brains (!) and need to be taught how to use them. Challenging talks will help to do that and even if you lose a few because they can't be bothered you will end up with the young people who are serious and who really want to learn.
If you really think that keeping everyone in the youth group is very important then how about starting up a bible study in the week for a specific age group and making the 'rules' clear from the start - you come to study the bible, yes, by all means have fun and enjoy being with each other but don't just come to be silly.
I also (this is getting to be a lecture!) think that the best way round to have an evening is to have the talk first and then social time. If you stop the social for the talk then the general feel is that you are a spoil sport - you stop the fun for the 'boring' part. If you have the talk first then you can discuss the talk during the evening as well. Er...My brain has just died! I will post another lecture should anymore relevant thoughts float my way. You've got me onto this subject now - I will never stop!
Ooh - I know. Do you have a supply table/library? That was something I was trying to get set up before I left but never managed it. I know there is one at HT but I mean go out and buy attractive new glossy books like the John Dickson thin ones - can't remember the titles! And Girl Talk - fab book for teenage girls. And also have a pile of cards with the Rebelution web address on them. Young people (like me!) like to belong to things and an internet forum is very cool! :)
By the way, how are you finding Snap Club?! I helped out at that a few times. Wow!
Ok. I'm really done now!
Ruth :)
Thanks, Ruth.
(Sorry this is off topic for anyone else reading this!)
Very helpful. See also "Towards a stratergy for youth and children's work".
When I went to SNAP club the fun and games were fun, the Parable of the Good Samaritan was taught. We have seen no transfer to Sunday from SNAP club. I know Jeremy wondered if it was worth while.
Good idea about library. I don't think we have one. Or, rather, not a good nice one! There is a church bookstall sometimes too, I think, but not at the moment. Something like that would work well at SNAP club where there's time to browse.
Good idea about talk towards the beginning.
I'm not really up to speed on this vision but I'd go for the full on liturgy in fancy dress. It is of course prayer book Anglicanism. I'm right behind the idea, although you'll have to wait a couple of years before I can acutally do something other than enthuse and vocalise. I'd even try to go for it in non-Anglican churches.
Ultra-modern, trendy Anglican evangelical churches (and the good ol' fashioned non-conformists) might have to be won over gradually - introduce a prayer of confession one week, have some collective responsorial reading of a Psalm (maybe even have a midweek teaching session on how to chant Psalms) a while later, then bring in some responses, a surplice and scarf, all over the course of months so that the congregation get used to doing each of the new things as they are introduced and seeing that they are Scriptural and enriching.
Or get into a normal prayer-book evangelical parish where liturgy and fancy dress are already the norm, do it well, with perhaps a bit of explanation, and see what happens.
I don't think these routes are mutually exclusive.
Yes, you could have different services with a different pace / emphasis.
I guess there's always a choice to make about lots of change all at once or slowly and questions about how theory and practice relate. If people did it for a year 'cos the elders said so they might get to like it but the explanation / description might not nec. seem v attractive to them.
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