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Jean Williams on Kids@church/Click: Some great material for your children's Sunday School
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Current discussions
God, the universe and all that: Part 3 (12 comments)
A Vine confabulation (4 comments)
Temptation and the garden (2 comments)
Kids@church/Click: Some great material for your children’s Sunday School (2 comments)
God, the universe and all that: Part 2 (1 comment)
Recent posts
Temptation and the garden by Jean Williams (2 comments). All our temptations are garden temptations. I don't usually talk much about gardening when I lead Bible studies, but … more
God, the universe and all that: Part 5 by Lionel Windsor (0 comments). In this fifth and final instalment of his five-part series, Lionel Windsor reveals what the solution to … more
Experiencing God by Karen Beilharz (0 comments). If you've just joined us, in these Saturday posts we've been looking at classics from The Briefing archive … more
God, the universe and all that: Part 4 by Lionel Windsor (0 comments). In the fourth instalment of a five-part series, Lionel Windsor uncovers the answer to the riddle. (Read … more
A Vine confabulation by Ian Carmichael (4 comments). We at Matthias Media have recently made available a free and downloadable discussion guide for Col Marshall and Tony Payne's … more
God, the universe and all that: Part 3 by Lionel Windsor (12 comments). In the third instalment of a five-part series, Lionel Windsor discovers we humans are significant in the … more
Kids@church/Click: Some great material for your children’s Sunday School by Jean Williams (2 comments). I teach Sunday School for children regularly, but I don't always have the time and energy to write my … more
Experiencing confusion by Karen Beilharz (0 comments). I mentioned in my last Saturday post that for the next little while, we would be looking at … more
God, the universe and all that: Part 2 by Lionel Windsor (1 comment). In the second instalment of a five-part series, Lionel Windsor contemplates the extent of our significance in … more
Stark treatment of the Crusades by Peter Bolt (2 comments). Revisionist history is probably as common as it is unethical. There are lessons to learn from the past, but … more
Tony Payne
Paul is one of the Staff Editors at Matthias Media. He is married to Cathy and has three fantastic kids. He loves student ministry, reading, writing music and playing the saxophone, and is looking forward to meeting Jesus face to face.
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Someone has graciously and wisely asked me to post this anonymously, I think there are good reasons for doing so.
“Sometimes ministers find it hard to remember that other people have jobs. Mine asked me recently why our Bible Study group starting time is “so late”. I had to explain that I finish work at 5pm, pick up the kids from care, reach home just after 6pm, cook dinner, my husband arrives at 7pm, we eat, and therefore we start our Bible study at the unconscionably late hour of 8pm!
So yes, the ‘capacity’ point is important, and some ministers probably need to think carefully about the work they believe a member of the congregation can accomplish. It is especially helpful if they can frame it in terms of family evenings the lay person is expected to forgo.”
Thanks for this comment - capacity must include a realism about people’s situation.
We collect little in our ‘offertry’ but like the way it symbolically includes money in our church meeting, and forces us to thank God and pray for the working lives of our members and for the financial welfare of our church - what do you think?
Mikey, back on my introductory thread reviewing this book, a person commented that he felt it was close to an essential part of corporate worship. I don’t agree with that, but agree it is worth thinking about how we acknowledge corporately the place money plays in our church and individual lives and to think about generosity. Giving via EFT can lead to ‘set and forget’.
But I think you could still do this regardless of whether you ‘pass the plate’. I imagine congregations that don’t pass the plate, still periodically remind people about money, by mentioning how to find out about EFT, or directing people’s attention to the giving box at the back, etc.
Be creative: I put a monthly update in the bulletin. Sometimes I include a biblical reference to encourage generosity or thankfulness. It could even be an occasion for a brief verbal encouragement/reflection in the notices. Or you could ask the person leading prayers that Sunday to include prayers for stewardship and generosity and workers’ employment that day. Or you could include a verse from the old BCP’s list of exhortations about money even though you don’t pass the plate!
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