Chester Street Uniting Earth Ministry Lacuna Group

Author: Bek

Hello from misty Belfast!


Narana Ideas

Posted: 28/03/2007



We like to call our summary of service
NARANA (Which Indigenous language???) meaning:

"To hear and know and understand with your heart as well as your head."


Welcome speech, introduce self and speaker/theme every week
Point to Space for God aims on the back of the "Narana", tell them about prayer box and website and encourage people to come have pizza after (can we say somewhere that there will be a  collection and where it goes, I hate that being sprung on me and I don't know where the funds are going)
Encourage people to comment about ways this service could work differently or new ideas, suggestion book as well as prayer box?
Acknowledge Indigenous owners of land and chester st church  as our mentor??
Opening Symbolise or description of centrepiece

5 mins

Some sort of Naming ritual for who is there??? Could we make this a chance for people to come up with stuff that in some way allows everyone to speak their names and offer space to god, and if nobody brings one, then do a simple song/prayer version where everyone speaks?tell people about random internet members!

5 mins

Opening song(s)

5-10 mins

Prayer for/from Speaker (could we offer this to speakers to come up with, or just be a sort of introduction prayer)

Bible verses read by people? Painted by people? Sung by people?
Copy verses here

Speaker/ Ritual/Game/Video

Questions        

30 mins

Prayers for the world (roster)

Prayer from prayer box (could we just pull one out every week to get people used to the idea, I think it would help? Definately put in older prayers, I love some, and if everyone just puts in their favourites, their will be a lovely lot)

Prayer in other mediums, palydough, drawing, etc. Could that just be a kit/box of playdough pencils etc that gets pulled out and put at the side everyweek?

Silence period (encourage people to write their prayers and place them in prayer box)

Song X2
 15 mins


Closing


Something like this, but we could give each section a name that leaves it really open to change?

ON THE BACK


SPACE FOR GOD

Welcome! We are a group of Christians who believe in dialogue and challenge and that there are no right answers. We aim to live, read and to think, knowing we see one small perspective and that many others are also true. We believe in justice, diversity and freedom from prejudice. This may mean we disagree with each other, but we do so with respect and compassion and we aim not to judge each other. This is a church that works to live our beliefs, rather then just to talk about them and we encourage members to get involved in social justice projects. We meet Sunday evenings, at special events and organise bible studies.

  • Dialogue is vital, but please do not interrupt people, be conscious of keeping responses  concise and in the appropriate place in the service as well as making sure they are related to the questions being posed /themes of the evening .Remember that sometimes allowing others to speak takes patience and silence.
  • We are an active church, respond in whatever way works for you, draw, paint, sing, yell, move, be still.
  • We change the way this church runs regularly, please get involved in deciding what should happen here. Every little idea weaves this community.
  • Please contribute your prayers to our prayer box, to be read out at a later service when appropriate.

Our weekly Sunday evening gatherings provide a space
to enter into conversation using the arts, scripture and story. 
It is a safe place where we can meet one another and God to nurture
whatever it is we understand to be core to our faith, spirituality or life.

It's about living simply and holistically. 
It's about hope, trust and love. 
It's a place to utter, question, follow commune, seek, risk, discover and enjoy. 
It's a place to nurture what's important and to let go of what's not. 
Together we seek justice, compassion, diversity, forgiveness,
peace and reconciliation.

You are invited to join us. Contact Steph at:


Got you thinking? Share your thoughts with the rest of us:

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then click "submit" to confirm.

  • Narana is a Wathaurong word. The Wathaurong people had lived in the Geelong region in Victoria for more than 25000 years before white settlers arrived. There are no known Wathaurong descendants. see http://www.yarrahealing.melb.catholic.edu.au/kulin/wa_story.html


        — Steph · Sep 19, 01:50 pm

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