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Our Worship and Teaching Programme - "Seasons of the Spirit" 2006-2007
Introduction.
The themes and teaching material used at our main services each week - which otherwise essentially follow the Church of England 'Common Worship' pattern - are normally based on a programme known as "Seasons of the Spirit" ("Seasons"). "Seasons" provides resources for the adult congregation as well as for each age group in our Junior Church.
Immanuel and St Andrew started using "Seasons of the Spirit" on 1st December 2002. It comes originally from Canada, but is now a world-wide resource based on the work of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and American Christians. It is coming into wider use in Britain, although we may have been the first church in England to use it for the adult congregation as well as children's groups.
"Seasons" follows the church calendar and observes the seasons - Advent, Christmas, Lent, etc. - hence its name! The material is based on the Revised Common Lectionary - in other words, it centres round Bible readings for the day which are broadly the same as those we were using for some years before we adopted "Seasons" and which are used in many other Anglican churches as well as churches of other denominations both in Britain and abroad. "Seasons" is an ecumenical programme, with members of many different denominations contributing to the material. For more information about the programme visit the "Seasons of the Spirit" website at www.spiritseasons.com
We adopted "Seasons" primarily because we believed it would offer us an opportunity for growth as Christians and would strengthen the bonds of community between members, as well as helping everyone to make better connections between what we do in church and how we live outside it. In a "Seasons" seminar or group all members are encouraged to think for themselves about the scripture passages and have the opportunity to contribute, to voice opinions, to share experiences and to make a response. It is not just a matter of listening to one person as in the traditional "talk" or sermon, and many people have found it a worthwhile, enjoyable and effective learning experience.
We keep the programme under review and have made considerable changes to the way we use the material since it was first adopted. Our first review was at the end of 2003, when we carried out a survey after we had been using it for a year. At the beginning of 2006, in the light of 3 years' or so of use and after discussions with the Ministry Team, Churchwardens and the Parochial Church Council (PCC) we made further extensive changes. The section 'Sunday Morning Service - our Worship Pattern.' below explains how we now use the material.
The main change in 2006 was to use the adult "Seasons" teaching material within the Holy Communion service rather than as a separate seminar prior to the service. The archived pages 'Parish Life Programme 2003-2006' and "Seasons" Review 2003 show respectively how we ran the programme up to the beginning of 2006 and a summary of the results of the survey we carried out in 2003
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Sunday Morning Service - our Worship Pattern.
Our main service begins at 10:00am. On all except the second Sunday of each month it is a service of Holy Communion in which Junior Church members start in church with the adults for the opening worship choruses and the setting of the theme before going to their various activities divided up by age groups. The adults then continue with the Communion Service, which follows 'Common Worship' Order 1. The sermon is generally traditional in format but will usually make use of some of the "Seasons" resources. It may include introducing questions for discussion or meditation and possibly other activities. Materials - such as a sheet with discussion questions - may have been distributed to the congregation at the start of the service. Later in the service - just after the sermon or before the Peace - there is a break during which these questions or other activities can be used - either in groups or individually as members wish. The break is a 'sacred space' to use to consider the theme and readings for the day and any other materials, and which members are free to use as they see fit. Part way through the children and young people return from their activities. Refreshments are served. The congregation then reassembles and the children are usually invited to show what they have been doing - and the adults are free to make a contribution, based, perhaps, on discussions they have had in the break, if they wish. The service then continues with Order 1 from where it left off.
On the second Sunday of the month there is a 'Common Worship' Service of the Word (i.e. a service without Communion) suitable for all ages. If there are any baptisms they normally take place at this service. There are no separate groups for children on this Sunday and no 'sacred space' break. This service is preceded at 9:00am by a short celebration of Holy Communion.
You can go to the Services page to see how the new arrangements work each week. Details of services in the next week or two are in the News and notices and Diary pages
Note that the pattern normally changes around the time of major festivals such as Christmas and Easter to allow us to hold the special services appropriate to the occasion, and we usually adopt a special summer programme from late July to early September. Details appear on the News and notices and Diary pages at the time.
Please note!
This page is part of our Web Archive.
Information in it may no longer be correct or up to date and some external links may not work.
You can go to the Home page to visit the main part of our site for
up to date information.
Return to the main Web Archive page
Links to the main pages are at the TOP of the page.
Format last updated (not content) 26 September 2007.
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© Copyright David Gray and PCC of Immanuel and
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