Month: July 2016

Mission Trip Prayer Partners

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A major focus of my ministry is building relationships and one way I have seen this work across generations is through mission trip prayer partners. The concept is easy. Connect each mission trip participant with someone who is not going on the trip and who will pray for him or her during the trip. I like to add a little extra to it by asking the stay at home partner to write a letter or card which I give to the mission tripper while we are away. Everyone loves mail, and handwritten cards are in short supply these days. Also, I have the mission trippers write and mail postcards back home to their partners.

Here’s a request from me (someone who has struggled to find enough prayer partners to make this happen). If you hear an announcement like this at your church, sign up for it. Step out of your comfort zone and pray for someone else. Write a card to a youth or adult you don’t know. By participating in this ministry you are developing and strengthening relationships that are vital to your church. All I’m saying is give it a chance.

I’ll tell you how I do this in case you’d like to make it happen at your church.

What You’ll Need–

One Prayer Partner for Each Mission Trip Participant

One Postcard, Stamp, and Address for Each Stay at Home Partner

Patience, Perseverance, and Prayer to Make It All Come Together

Months before the mission trip-start asking for prayer partners. Put your request in the bulletin, newsletter, on a bulletin board, send it to your boards/committees, and email or talk with people who you’d like to participate.

Here’s my announcement (which has been running for about 2 months).

Would You Like to Support Our Youth?
-Be a Mission Trip Prayer Partner. Sign up with Susannah. She’ll assign you one of the 26 people going on the trip. You’ll need to write a letter/card to your prayer partner (which will be given to your person while we are on the trip) and give the card to Susannah for safe keeping. Each day we are away, you’ll be asked to pray for your prayer partner and our whole mission team. This is a great way for anyone who can’t journey to Atlanta with us to participate in the mission trip.
As the people accept this invitation, you’ll need to pair them with someone going on the trip. A simple spreadsheet will make this easy. As card are dropped off, I send a thank you email to the partner to let them know it is received.
Before leaving for the trip buy postcard stamps and make sure you have the addresses for the prayer partners so postcards can be sent. Printing them out on address labels will make it very easy on postcard writing day.
While on the mission trip, you’ll need to find postcards from your location which is not always the easiest thing to do. I suggest doing a little research before you leave to find where they are available or stopping at a touristy gas station.

 

Find a time on the mission trip to share the cards and write the postcards. I recommend at least halfway through the trip. Mail the postcards while you are still on the trip, if possible.

 

Extra Credit-Find a time after your return for the prayer partners to get together in person. This is a great way to strengthen the relationship!

 

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Worship for the Days You Miss Worship

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Yesterday morning I attempted to worship with a local congregation. I say attempted because they are on a summer schedule and worship began at 10:30. Since I arrived at 11am, I decided not to go in. I checked worship times at other local churches and saw they all started at 10am. Lesson learned-double check worship time. As an alternative, I wrote this brief worship liturgy for those times we don’t make it to worship for any reason. Enjoy!

Opening Words-Good morning, God! It is a beautiful day that you have created and I want to thank you for it. Thank you for waking me up! Thank you for your creativity which shines through creation. Thank you for this time to pause and worship you.

A Song to Sing- Morning Has Broken

Prayer-Loving God, I find myself here today worshiping you. As I pray today, I give thanks for the communities of faith that gather around the world where your good news is shared. I give thanks for communities where others see and experience your love. I ask that you continue to speak through all those preaching today. Faithful God, I give thanks and praise for the people in my life who have nurtured my faith throughout my lifetime. Thank you for the teachers, preachers, nursery workers, Vacation Bible School helpers, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, grandparents, parents, siblings, choir members, youth leaders, youth, friends, church friends, and everyone else who has supported me on my faith journey. For all these people, I give thanks to you, O God! Open my eyes to the ones I meet who will tell me and show me how to follow you. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading-Lamentations 3:21-25

21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope: 
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end; 
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. 
24 ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’ 
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.

Reflection on the Word-Reread the Scripture passage and think or chat about these questions.

Where do you find hope?

What does God’s steadfast love look like in your life?

When has God been merciful to you?

What are your thoughts on morning? Is it a time of renewal and new possibilities? If not, might this Scripture change your mind?

How do we seek God? How do we wait for God?

What other questions do you have about this passage?

A Song to Sing-Great is Thy Faithfulness

Benediction-Know you are loved. Know that God’s mercy and grace are always available. Feel the Holy Spirit with you wherever you go. Follow Jesus as he challenges and encourages you in discipleship. Live in peace. Amen.

Gunpowder Green Blend

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This morning I enjoyed the last tea from the Thistle Farms gift pack. Green tea is not my first choice of teas which might be why I left it for last. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Gunpowder Green Blend. It was very subtle and easy to drink. Thistle Farms describes it this way, “Green tea, orange peel, and ginger root. Fair trade and organic. Delicious blend aids in digestion.” I’d recommend this for the green tea lovers in your life. This tea is blended and created by Positiffitea.

I have enjoyed the gift set and recommend it as a perfect gift for the tea drinkers you love!

A Prayer to Pray While Avoiding What Needs To Be Done

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We all have things we’d rather not do. My list includes dusting, washing windows, folding laundry, mowing the grass, running, and many others. At the very top of my list is packing! And at this very moment I am typing this I should be packing for a trip. By the time you read this, I will be celebrating the birthday of a very special five-year old. In order to do this, I need to pack tonight. In fact, right now would be a good time to pack. And I’m avoiding doing it. To tell the truth, I’m not the best packer. I make lists and take way too much. I go without my list and forget very important things. I believe we all have gifts and I acknowledge that packing is not one of mine. Sometimes I let my husband pack what I pick out, and that always results in half the stuff I think I need not making it into the suitcase. I’m not sure when I began to dislike packing so much. I know that I avoid packing until it can no longer be avoided.  So I thought what if I wrote myself a prayer to use when I have to do something I don’t want to do. Maybe it would help me pack, and if I shared it maybe it would help others complete a task they think is terrible. So the next time you are faced with a task you’d rather avoid, try this prayer and see if it helps!

God, It’s me. You know I don’t want to do what needs to be done. I’ve convinced myself I’m not good at it. I’ve avoided this for too long and just need to do it. Help me, please! Move my feet in the right direction. Guide my movements and make them quick, so I can get this over with as soon as possible. Patient God, there are too many other things I’d rather do at this moment. Maybe if I take a quick break. No! God, Keep me on track! Help me to finish this task that I am dreading. With your help, Loving God, I can finish this task. Give me strength. Grant me perseverance. Let this be done soon. Amen.

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Picture Us! A Summer Church Activity

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Summer is an interesting time in the church. Some people think we should do everything the same year round. Some people think the church should take it easier since so many people are away and volunteers want a break. Each church handles summer differently. A few years ago, I wanted to offer the congregation a way to stay connected and remember that each of us is an important part of our church family whether we are in worship each week or not. This idea was based on the concept of Flat Stanley which some churches changed to Flat Jesus. I wanted to do something a little different and so I used a picture the youth had created as sand art that featured the church’s initials.

 

Here’s how we took the church with us-

Everyone is invited to take an StG picture with you when you leave worship today. Wherever you find yourself this summer, snap a picture while holding the picture of the church name. Send your picture back to the church office and let us know where you are. You might find yourself in the newsletter or featured on the screen before worship. Know that wherever you go this summer, you are loved. Share that love with everyone you meet.

 

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It is as simple as finding a picture that is meaningful to your congregation, getting many copies made (I found that only about half of the people in worship took a picture with them and I got the pictures copied at my local Walgreens when they were having a super sale), announcing the summer project, and sharing the pictures. While it might be too late to try this project this year, it doesn’t have to only happen in the summer. In September, you could ask kids or youth to do this when they visit a favorite spot near home or when they are doing a favorite activity. It could be a great way to get to know new youth and children in your church. It can also be a whole family project. The opportunities are limitless. The point is to remind people they are part of the church even when they aren’t in the church building and to help us get to know each other better. Have fun and I’d love to see how you use this idea as a springboard in your context.

Summer Worship is Hot!

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On a recent Sunday morning, I got ready for worship like any other Sunday morning. When I got to the church, I realized this church did not have air conditioning. My outfit of the day was perfect for a church with air conditioning and very warm for a church without. The windows were wide open and the fans were blowing. Instead of focusing on the temperature, I listened. What could I hear with the windows open that I would not hear when we are closed in and enclosed in our safe space. I heard birds singing. I heard cars and buses driving by. I heard the voices of those walking outside. What does this tell us about our open doors? How can we open ourselves to hearing those we usually don’t hear?

 

Today, God, open my heart to see everyone I usually overlook. Make me a little uncomfortable so I am forced to be aware of your creation. Slow me down to hear the birds singing and see the clouds in the sky. Let me pause to feel the rain or sun on my face. Remind me to smile and say hi to everyone whose path comes near mine. Remind me we are all your children and you love us all equally. Amen.

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Images of Grace: An Inspirational Coloring Book

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I searched for a coloring book that would inspire me with its words and images.  Images of Grace: An Inspirational Coloring Book by Jacqui Grace combines Scriptures, song lyrics, and saying with shapes you’ll want to color. I’ve just begun using this book and I know it will be a Sabbath staple. Not only is coloring fun, it is also good for you.
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Have you embraced coloring as an adult? If so, what are you coloring?
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Worship Words-Thank You, God, for Summer!

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Thank you, God, for summer!

When it is summertime, we must remember to thank God for-
food fresh from the garden
time to run through a sprinkler
popsicles and ice cream cones
time to lay in the grass and watch the clouds float by
corn on the cob
time for laughter and conversations
the beach
long weekends
vacation
a cool drink of water
time with family and friends
rolling down the windows and feeling the summer wind blow
air conditioning
sunscreen and hats
kayaking and paddleboarding
iced tea or sweet tea (depending on where you call home)
For all the people, places, food, and time that makes summer so special, we say thank you, God! Amen.
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What else would you add? What part of summer makes you want to say, “Thank you, God!”?