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A Big Year

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s5_logo“A Big Year” is an electronic media initiative to foster faith development across age groups over a twelve month period. Started by the Churches of Christ in Queensland, the project is now supported by the Uniting Church and is being developed as an inter-church venture.

“A Big Year” features a website; app for iPhone/iPad or Android device, a Facebook page, and videos. There are three ‘streams’ – individual adults, families with primary-aged children and youth groups.

When you sign up on the website, you are presented with some activities to undertake each month. There’s an audio introduction. The activities are grouped for “Monks” (contemplative) , “Cheerleaders” (social), and “Activitists” (practical action) – with ideas for individuals, families and youth groups. In month 1, there’s nothing overtly Christian about the activities. Bible readings are suggested, as is a move to watch “Pay It Forward”.Continue Reading

animate: Faith

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animate is an adult study series from sparkhouse, a US company in Minnesota linked to the Lutheran Church. Containing seven sessions on DVD with discussion materials, the series aims to help adults engage with the nature of Christian faith from a contemporary persepctive. Presenters are of a high calibre and include Brian McLaren, Nadia Bolz-Weber, and Lauren Winner.

Themes include God, Religion, Jesus, Salvation, Cross, Bible, Church, but with funky subtitles. So it seems to be a bit like an Alpha course in the sense that it covers the basics for newcomers but also for people who’ve been coming to church but need to rethink the basics. I would expect these speakers to be helpful for both groups.Continue Reading

The Prodigal God

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“Two Sons, one who kept the rules religiously and one who broke them all. One Father who loved both lost sons beyond anything they could have imagined” It sounds like the trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster. No, it’s a retelling of an old familiar parable but with a very powerful and challenging twist.

It shouldn’t really be twist at all. However, after years of superficial reading, Tim Keller shows us that many of us have really missed the point of the parable. Often when we study the parable of the two Son’s in the Luke 11 we think of it primarily as a story of grace to a repentant sinner and not a story of judgment against a self saving religious older brother. Tim Keller spells out the context of the story and its liberating message not only to the repentant sinners who know they need saving but also to the religious one who don’t think they do. Although we don’t like to admit it, that includes most of us ‘good’ church going folk! It is the type of story that causes many a Christian to wriggle in their chairs and look again at the prodigal grace of God.

“The Prodigal God” is a study series with DVD by Rev Tim Keller, Minister at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. The DVD curriculum consists of six sessions which correspond to the seven chapters in the book of the same name. It is a very profound book but also a simple read which most people should be handle well. It’s concepts and overall message are very accessible to a typical small group. However it is not “a walk in the park”. Some of the home truths that are revealed in the study are quite confronting, particularly where our hidden religiosity is exposed and bathed in the gospel. Continue Reading