DADS and HEROES Fathers Day 2013
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DDAADDSS && HHEERROOEESS INTERGENERATIONAL WORSHIP FOR FATHERS DAY CONTENTS USING THIS WORSHIP RESOURCE All Age Worship Notes These notes have been prepared by the What it is ........................................................... 2 Children and Family Ministry Team of Mission Planning ............................................................ 2 Resourcing SA to help congregations plan Invitation and advertising ............................. 2 worship that involves children and families as well Hospitality ......................................................... 3 as youth, young adults, middle-aged and older people. Worship space ................................................. 3 Visuals ............................................................... 3 You may make as many copies of the notes as Music ................................................................. 3 needed for your worship planners and leaders. Movement ....................................................... 4 The use of music and other copyright elements is not covered in this permission. Relationships .................................................... 4 Science and mathematics ........................... 4 Read through all the material. Discuss it as a Something to take home .............................. 4 planning team. You may use any of the ideas Worship leaders ............................................... 4 that are appropriate in your situation. Sermon .............................................................. 4 Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are Rehearsal ......................................................... 4 from the New International Readers Version. Fathers Day Notes For other intergenerational worship ideas see: Fathers Day worship ....................................... 5 http://sa.uca.org.au/cfm/ministry- Heroes and Superheroes ............................... 7 leaders/resources/all-age-worship/ Heroes and fathers in the Bible .................... 8 Please let us know how you use any of these Honouring fathers ......................................... 10 resources. Send a brief email to Jesus Christ, the hero ................................... 11 [email protected]. Quotes about heroes and fathers ............. 12 Fathers Day Blessings and prayers ............. 13 UPSIZING & DOWNSIZING Bible study for teens and adults ...................... 15 This resource can be used in large or small congregations and can be adapted for use in a Sample worship service: Dads and Heroes ... 16 home setting. Each planning group will need to adapt the ideas to suit their own particular situation: the number of people and the size and layout of the facilities. CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRY 1 MISSION RESOURCING SA ALL AGE WORSHIP WHAT IT IS Suggested planning steps: Intergenerational (all-age or whole-church) 1. Begin with prayer, and trust God’s Spirit to worship is, first and foremost, worship — an guide your planning. encounter between God and God’s people; a 2. Identify your purpose, date and theme. dialogue in which God speaks and people 3. Look through these notes to see how they respond. can help in planning the service God is Intentionally intergenerational worship leading you to hold. allows this dialogue to take place in a variety 4. Develop a worship outline or flow chart. of ways, engaging several senses, including a If you are just ‘putting your toe in the water’ sense of humour of all-age worship: look through your regular focuses on a clear theme and connects that worship plan and find elements that can be theme with the lives of the worshipers altered slightly to be more experiential or provides worshipers (young and old) with an more sensory or more intentionally involving experience they can remember and carry people of all ages. into their lives outside the worship experience OR encourages interaction and dialogue among If you are ready to ‘dive into’ all age worship: people of the various generations and look at the sample worship service and people with different experiences, life-styles consider how the service or parts of it might and experiences work in your situation. takes seriously the understanding of the OR church as the multi-faceted body of Christ. If you are already swimming comfortably in recognises and values the children present in all-age worship, pick up any suggestions in the worshiping congregation and ‘the child this resource that suits the way you do it. within’ each adult. 5. Flesh out the outline, considering your own people, traditions and facilities. PLANNING 6. Work with worship leaders to plan details: It’s good to have an intergenerational team to who? what? when? where? and how? plan an intergenerational worship event. A special team consisting of one, or better, two INVITATION AND ADVERTISING people representing each of the youngest, the The first people to speak to about your service middle and the oldest thirds of the congregation are the worshiping members of your can work with the pastor/minister/priest or lay congregation. Begin early to let them in on the ministry team. excitement of what is being planned. Help them Planning as an intergenerational team can be a catch the vision of a deliberately multi- valuable experience for all involved. Older generational worship for Fathers Day. members will help younger members understand Encourage them to see worship as an integral worship practices; younger members will give part of their family’s observation of Fathers Day. older members fresh insights and enthusiasm. You may provide an invitation to the Fathers Day A team that represents the wider congregation worship that people can give to their fathers and will also have a broader awareness of other others. people in the congregation with skills and interests that can be drawn on in the worship, including hospitality, music, drama, visual art and technology. CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRY 2 MISSION RESOURCING SA HOSPITALITY WORSHIP SPACE Hospitality is the responsibility of all members of A clean, tidy and comfortable worship area can the congregation. help guests and regular worshipers feel Those people who invite and bring other people welcome. Make sure the people who keep your to the service have the primary responsibility for church clean know they are valued as part of looking after their special guests. the worship team. A designated HOSPITALITY TEAM may have You may find that an all-age approach to special responsibilities. worship will work best with a re-arrangement of existing furniture, or even in a hall rather than a At all times sanctuary. Keep the worship space (and any other spaces used) safe. VISUALS know where to find alternate exits and first aid equipment. Many people who worship with you are visual know how to use the fire extinguishers thinkers; they take in information and express themselves most comfortably with images rather know who has had first aid training than with words. So make sure that you provide remove any hindrance to movement — imagery that they can respond to. blocked aisles, cables on the floor, broken or damaged furnishings. Involve people with artistic talent and your technology team (if you project images Before the service electronically) in creating memorable visual Greet people as they arrive. impact for all worshipers. Be sure that visuals Help people find seats and get settled. support the intended worship theme. Pay special attention to the very young, the very old and people with physical disabilities. MUSIC Seat them where they will be able to see/hear, Many people who worship with you are musical but not feel conspicuous. thinkers. They take in information and express If the service is going to involve small group themselves most comfortably with music and interaction, try to seat people in appropriate rhythm than in other ways. Provide music that groupings. they can respond to and opportunities to make Provide information about what to expect. music. Distribute books, papers and materials required Much of the music in worship involves for the service. congregational singing. Remember that not everyone is comfortable with this practice. During the service Watch for and respond to any signs of Try to select songs for congregational singing disturbance or distress. This may be anything with lyrics that do not force people to make faith from, helping someone find the toilet or a statements that they do not actually believe. drink of water, helping parents with unsettled Invite people to sing when they are comfortable children or dealing with someone who has a doing so, or just to listen. fainting or epileptic episode. Display song words in your usual manner. Usher people to Holy Communion or any Your regular instrumentalists and vocalists other movement required in the service. (organist, band or choir) may perform some Collect offerings. music as well as leading/accompanying After the service congregational singing. You may also try to involve musicians of all ages who are not Be sure that each worshiper is sent on their regularly part of your music team. way with a handshake and/or blessing. Small congregations, or congregations that do Provide after-service cuppa or snack. not have strong musical leadership, may choose And, as they say in other job descriptions, ‘other to have the congregation sing with CDs or other duties as may be required’. recorded music. Any church may choose to use some recorded music. Include traditional hymns (perhaps hymns that carry a lot of memories and meaning for older