We started a new series as we gathered as Church on Sunday afternoon in Northstowe. We’ve a baptism to look forward to on Easter Sunday, so, as a new community, we’re taking the opportunity to really think through what it means to be disciples — followers of Jesus — and to be part of his Church both here in Northstowe and connected to the Church around the world and down through the generations.
To accompany it, we’re going to put some extra material up on this blog, as well as enough of a recap of what we did together to help you pick up anything you might have missed if you had to chase a toddler, nip to the loo, or simply couldn’t be there one week.
The Way of Life Material
We’re raiding material from the Diocese of Ely called “the way of life”, and using it as a springboard for our own Northstowe-shaped explorations. Like others in the diocese (area-wide group of churches), we’re adapting it to suit our context, adding things and shaping it. But it is good to know we’re also asking the same kind of questions as those around us.
Another advantage of is that they have produced 6 week journals/idea booklets that give us the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the topics throughout the week.
There are four different strands to choose from in how you do this at home. We gave out print-outs from the EXPLORE booklet on Sunday (and will keep doing this week by week). But you might prefer to download one of the others… or simply try journaling in your own way in a beautiful blank notebook. Why not bring it along to the gatherings so you can add to it?
- FAMILY, offering intergenerational ideas to use as a family group at home [download here]
- EXPLORE, aimed at those who enjoy a multisensory and interactive approach [download here]
- YOUTH, similar to the EXPLORE booklet, with a particular focus on young people [download here]
- REFLECT, aimed at those who appreciate a more cerebral approach and perhaps more familiar with church practices [download here]
You might also like to sign up to the online resources detailed in the EXPLORE and YOUTH books to get a daily ‘thought’ to start you thinking.
Why Journal?
There’s no requirement to join in with this… but many people find it helpful. Ideas often need time to settle, and develop as we ponder them through the lens of the ordinary things we do each week.
Your journal doesn’t need to be written like a diary or in full sentences: in fact, doodles, colouring, painting, poetry, word jottings are all often more revealing of what’s going on deep inside you.
And of course, your journal is just for you. No one else need see it unless you decide you want to share some of it.
Don’t worry if you don’t manage to jot something down each day; You might just start by jotting down your immediate reaction to the topic on Sunday evening , and then, on Friday or Saturday, perhaps pausing to think through how those have developed by the end of the week. Give it a try, and see what works!
What did we do on Sunday?
Gathering
As always, we started our session by picking up drinks and catching up with the news of the week with each other around some gathering activities. As we’ve grown in numbers we’re now offering two gathering activities: this week, we invited people to make a person from the junk we’d been collecting…
Or to start thinking about the word “church”, and what that word brings to mind. (We kept on adding to it through the afternoon)
With our junk-person half finshed, and the coffee drunk, we ‘formally’ greeted each other with our familiar sign-assisted greeting:
“Welcome everybody it’s good to see you here!”
.. before lighting our candle to remind ourselves that we gather not just with each other, but also to meet with God. We sang our opening song togethr, then turned our thoughts to today’s Big Question:
What does it mean to belong to a team?
And in particular… the “body of Christ”, the “church”?
Connecting
We like a good laugh, so we started by watching a series of short videos clips to get us thinking about cooperation and team work. What do you think? Were these good teams? Good cooperation for the wrong purposes? Or the perfect picture of the church in action?!
To get another perspective on this idea of belonging to a team (and to the Body of Christ at that!) we picked up our bibles and read words written by Paul to the early church in Corinth. A group of ordinary people, just like, struggling with many of the same things that we do. Take a look (we’re using THE VOICE, a translation put together by a team of scholars and poets to capture the flow of the original. Anything in italics is an editorial gloss to help us understand better today)
2 Just as a body is one whole made up of many different parts, and all the different parts comprise the one body, so it is with the Anointed One. 13 We were all ceremonially washed through baptism[a] together into one body by one Spirit. No matter our heritage—Jew or Greek, insider or outsider—no matter our status—oppressed or free—we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Here’s what I mean: the body is not made of one large part but of many different parts. 15 Would it seem right for the foot to cry, “I am not a hand, so I couldn’t be part of this body”? Even if it did, it wouldn’t be any less joined to the body. 16 And what about an ear? If an ear started to whine, “I am not an eye; I shouldn’t be attached to this body,” in all its pouting, it is still part of the body. 17 Imagine the entire body as an eye. How would a giant eye be able to hear? And if the entire body were an ear, how would an ear be able to smell? 18 This is where God comes in. God has meticulously put this body together; He placed each part in the exact place to perform the exact function He wanted. 19 If all members were a single part, where would the body be? 20 So now, many members function within the one body. 21 The eye cannot wail at the hand, “I have no need for you,” nor could the head bellow at the feet, “I won’t go one more step with you.” 22 It’s actually the opposite. The members who seem to have the weaker functions are necessary to keep the body moving; 23 the body parts that seem less important we treat as some of the most valuable; and those unfit, untamed, unpresentable members we treat with an even greater modesty. 24 That’s something the more presentable members don’t need. But God designed the body in such a way that greater significance is given to the seemingly insignificant part. 25 That way there should be no division in the body; instead, all the parts mutually depend on and care for one another. 26 If one part is suffering, then all the members suffer alongside it. If one member is honored, then all the members celebrate alongside it. 27 You are the body of the Anointed, the Liberating King; each and every one of you is a vital member.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 THE VOICE
Exploring
We spilled out into different activities to help us unpack these words, and to start to ask God what he might be saying to us as individuals in the places where we live and work… and to us as a young church here in Northstowe.
Each week, were’ going to have 5 stations to explore, spending as much or as little time at each… or simply sitting in quiet reflection.
1. Listening Zone
We watched these two videos… what do you think? How do they challenge you? Our responses helped us fill in our poster… and inspired plenty of conversation in the chat zone and around tables too.
2. Chat Zone
Over in the chat zone, we let the conversation flow freely, using some of these question starter to get us thinking
- If you could have any job in the world, what would it be
and why? - Are you a good team player?
- How is the church still going and growing?
- What have been your best and worst experiences of church?
- What do you think it means to be “church”?
- Does being with others help you grow in your faith?
- What gifts to you bring to our community in Northstowe?
- Would/does being baptised make a difference to how you feel about belonging in God’s family?
These might be good things to ponder in your journal this week too!
3. Busy Station
In our Busy station, the generations worked together to finish our junk modelling; we tried out play doh prayers to pray for those in our families (and church family), and we decorated Blessings Jars to fill with good things through the week.
4. Colouring Station
Our Colouring this week came from the talented Mary Dean. She’s also written a blog about her picture, so we had copies printed out here. Download copies over on her blog directly… It’s well worth a read!
5. Reflection Station
Each week in this series, we’ll have out our baptism resources table and extracts from the Way of Life booklets, so keep coming back to it. We also have a selection of bibles, poems, objects and thinks to think about — this week including links to the Jo Cox foundation and resources to support the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. But you don’t need to be busy in this zone — spend some time with God however works best for you.
Celebrating and Worshipping Together
The wonderful thing about being ‘church’ in this place, is that we aren’t just gathering because we have a shared love of colouring… or junk modelling… or even singing. It’s because, different as we are, God is calling us to become a new thing here in our new town. He is drawing us together with our different gifts and talents and needs. He is shaping us into something special. Something that will go out and make a difference in Northstowe and the surrounding villages throughout the week.
Our final 20 minutes together, therefore, included opportunities to sing together in praise of God; to pray together in our native languages (and to enjoy this wonderful video)…
…and to be recommissioned to be used by God wherever he may send us with our familiar closing blessings:
Whereever you go, God is sending you
Wherever you are, God has put you there;
He has a purpose in your being there.
Christ who indwells you
has something He wants to do
through you
where you are.
Believe this, and go in His grace and love and power.
Richard Halverson (1916-1995)
Some ideas to try at home this week (based on the Journals and Workbooks)
So, this week, why not have a try at starting your journal? OR perhaps try some of these activities…
Watch either Toy Story or Ice Age and discuss How and when do they work together as a team? Could they have been just as successful on their own? How did they help each other?
Make and Pray Gingerbread biscuits (See Resource Sheet A in the FAMILY booklet for a gingerbread recipe and an outline to use to cut out shapes if you do not have a cutter). Follow the recipe and make gingerbread people. Decorate them to resemble specific people in your family of friends. Before eating, pray for that person! Quick fix: decorate ready – made biscuits with faces, using cake decorations, sweets, strawberry laces or chocolate dots.
Pray Prayer sticks Find, print off and cut round the photos of your close friends and family. Stick onto plain lolly sticks and decorate if you wish. Keep together in a pot or jar and place somewhere visible e.g. kitchen table. Take time to pray for people during the week. [read more]
Challenge What extra help could you give somebody in your family this week? e.g. washing up, packing lunch boxes, polishing shoes, tidying up, lay and clear the table, encouragement to keep going with something that is difficult for them to do. What could you do (perhaps together as a family )for someone else? If you can’t think of anything, ask God to show an opportunity to show your love for someone else or another family this week.
Or perhaps simply take some time to listen and reflect to this, our final song from Sunday evening…
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