LEMnAID Extra Fizz - With Added Olympian Diamonds!

LEMnAID Extra Fizz Local Evangelism & Mission Network Aid

Helping each other to resource evangelism and mission in the local church

Get this in its best format at; www.lichfield.anglican.org/chadnet/lemnaid

 

Diamond Jubilee and

the Olympic Games Special

With the 2012 Games following closely on the Jubilee’s heels, it’s a great summer of opportunities to serve the local community and share the love of Jesus. Don’t miss the opportunity! Here are some suggestions we have picked up from elsewhere which we can adapt for our own situations. 

(1) Diamond Jubilee  (adapted from information sent out from Leicester Diocese)

Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the weekend of Saturday 2 – Tuesday 5 June 2012 (with its two extra Bank Holidays) is a great opportunity for the church to engage with the local community in celebrating the Queen’s 60 year reign. You may well have your own event planned, but sometimes these occasions are missed by the church as they are organised at the last-minute when committees realise that it is just around the corner. There’s an opportunity to start organising this now whilst there is plenty of time to put together a good quality event, invite lots of people and be at the centre of a celebration that people will remember. Just in case you’re looking for ideas, here are a few possibilities:

A celebration service, combined with a BIG Lunch, Sunday 3 June
The BIG Lunch has been providing support for community lunches and street parties on the first weekend in June for the last three years. A BIG Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours getting together in the garden or on the street, to a full blown party with food, music and decoration that literally stops the traffic … The aim is to get as many people as possible across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. The BIG Lunch website provides excellent information on every aspect of holding an event, and you can register your event with them. Get a pack from www.thebiglunch.com Many churches are planning a five minute worship service to start lunch with (and then hosting lunch in the church grounds) and a special grace is being prepared nationally (available in the Spring).

Hope Together are producing a pack crammed full of ideas and resources for the Big Lunch, including grace written by the Queen's Chaplain. See what will be in it and when available here: www.hopetogether.org.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=291893

If you haven't been involved with the Big Lunch before, here's how one church found it:

"All Souls Church - a local parish church west of London near Twickenham - first got involved with the Big Lunch launch event in 2009, since when we've helped host the street party alongside our local residents' association (NSMRA) each year. The roads that meet at the corner of our church building are closed and we fill the space with tables and chairs, set up a 'bandstand' on the corner - for live, locally 'sourced' music - and provide a bouncy castle, free face-painting and hot drinks in the church garden. It helps, of course, that the Big Lunch date is always a Sunday, so the congregation spilling out of the morning service join with other local residents, young and old, each bringing food to eat and share. Our experience has been that it's a fantastic way to engage with our neighbours, bless the community and open up the doors of church to those who'd never usually make it, even into church the garden. Next year (2012) the Big Lunch is one of the official events helping celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. We'd enthusiastically recommend it for any local church in a residential area." Revd Richard Frank - Vicar, All Souls Church, Twickenham

Diamond Jubilee Beacons, Monday 4 June: The lighting of beacons nationally on Monday 4 June gives many churches the opportunity to engage with the community with a “Beacon Party” or “Beacon Celebration Service”. The lighting of beacons is one of the celebrations coordinated by Buckingham Palace and The Queen herself will be lighting the National Beacon on Monday 4 June following a concert at Buckingham Palace. For more information and to register your beacon visit www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk (for advice on the safety aspects of church beacons, please see the website of church insurers, Ecclesiastical,).                               Jubilee Beacons Advice pdf

Fun Stuff
Ideas abound here – an afternoon tea and sing-along; tea party, jubilee themed variety show, street party, parish sports day concluding with fireworks, barn dance, a flower festival, a “this is how the church was in 1952”, or indeed the parish. Challenge the congregation/parish to have all the ages 0-60 together for a photograph on Sunday 3rd June. And many more ideas….

Arty possibilities
Some artists have already been commissioned to produce stained glass windows to commemorate the Jubilee. Might there be an artistic possibility in your context, and a sponsor for such a project?

Go Eco!
How about planting (60 of something?!), recycling or in other ways relate this to ongoing environmental concerns?

 

(2) Great web site to look at and use: www.thebiglunch.com/

 

(3) Olympics

Leicester Diocese has some great suggestions for the Olympics - follow this link to see them: http://bit.ly/yPo4zP  

 

(4) More than Gold December issue.

December 2011 Issue 11
Dear George,   The great year of opportunity has almost arrived. So here comes more of the information you need to make the most of it.     Do please forward this email on to all who you think could use the information and help it offers. They will thank you for it.   And do tell us what you are planning - so we can share and pray. Either email us at info@morethangold.org.uk or post something on our Facebook.   Thank you.   Peter Meadows Communications Director		In This Issue Could you host a competitor's family member? There is still time to pray in the New Year Songs of Praise to include More Than Gold Concerned about Human Trafficking? News in brief Prayer points
Could you host a competitor's family member? COULD YOU - OR SOMEONE you know - give hospitality to family members of a 2012 Games competitor? Without this kind of help, the high cost of accommodation will mean many not being able to attend and give their support.   More Than Gold's Athlete Family Homestay Programme was launched last month with Stephanie Cook MBE (pictured), whose family used the programme when she competed in Sydney. Now we just need the right people to come forward.   Hosts provide bed and breakfast for at least eight days for up to two guests. In addition they will also give the practical help needed for their guests to make the most of their stay during the Games.   For all the details just click here.   The majority of hosts are needed in London and the closer to event venues the better. However, hosts will also be needed in Benfleet, Birmingham, Broxbourne, Cardiff, Dorney Lake, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Weymouth and Portland Harbour.    There is still time to pray in the New Year WITH SUCH GREAT opportunities to reach out during 2012, churches are asked to welcome the year with prayer. And there are some great resources to help them - including service outlines and prayer topics.   The theme chosen is 'Shine for the New Year'. With churches encouraged to do something during the week of Saturday 31 December to Sunday 8 January. This could be during the Sunday services, a watch night service, home groups or a special event.   To get the picture and a link to the prayer resources just click here.   The call to welcome 2012 in prayer is the first step in saturating in prayer all that will be done through outreach, hospitality and service during the year. This includes responses to the Games, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Euro 2012 football.        Songs of Praise to include More Than Gold   WHEN THE BBC'S Songs of Praise reviews the coming year on 8 January, look out for More Than Gold.    Along with covering the Queen's Jubilee and the spectacle of the Olympics and Paralympics, there will also be a spot for what the churches are doing through More Than Gold.   Featured is Communications Director Peter Meadows and the launch of our Athlete Family Homestay Programme in Trafalgar Square.        Concerned about Human Trafficking? ONE WAY TO RESPOND to the issues of Human Trafficking in the context of the Games is to pray. And our website now has two great recourses for individuals and churches. ·         Gathering Voices is a 7-day prayer guide based on the prayers of women who have been directly affected by this issue ·         Responsive prayers - has 3 prayers to use in public worship or in small groups Our Social Justice team are also working on a range of ways churches can be aware of issues like this and make their response.      News in brief Ready to use sport as a bridge? There's now a free guide to help sporty and outreach minded individuals from different churches to form a team that can then put on events and activities. For details click here.   In range of the Olympic Park? There's a Prayer Walk there on Saturday 7th January. For details click here.   Games Pastors needed. At major passenger hubs, they will help the thousands of travellers, sightseers and spectators with practical and spiritual help. For information click here.   Churches invited to use Mission Teams. A wealth of talent and manpower is available to help churches in their programmes during the 2012 Games. For details click here.   Our Facebook explodes. 600 new people became Facebook friends last month and will now get the very latest news as it happens. To join them go to Facebook.       Prayer points Please give thanks: For the interest already in our Athlete Family Homestay Programme ·         For the great response to our campaign to increase our Facebook friends - adding 600 in the past month Please pray for: The impact of our coverage in the BBC's Songs of Praise on 8th January - especially that it will wake up those who are sleeping through this great opportunity ·         The recruitment of suitable Games Pastors to serve the thousands of visitors A growing commitment to prayer - especially as churches mark the start of 2012 by taking part in Shine for the New Year using the prayer resources

 

 

LEMnAID

is designed to help everyone involved in mission and evangelism in Lichfield Diocese to:

·         keep in touch with each other with news

·         pray for each other

·         keep informed about the latest resources

·         share great ideas and top tips

·         know what is going on around the Diocese

 

This email group will work best if you are willing to share your ideas, news and prayer requests with others. Send in your news and views to richard.barrett@lichfield.anglican.org

Resources and Top Tips will be put in our list of Resources on the Diocesan Web Site so will be an ongoing resource. If you wish to comment on any of the items why not visit our Blog Site on http://ldfe.blogspot.com/ and set up an ongoing conversation.

If you know someone who you think would value receiving this, please send us their name and email. If you would prefer not to receive this, let us know and we will remove you from the email group.

 

George and Richard

 

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This message is intended solely for the addressees in the first instance and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the message from your system immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other party.

 

______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
______________________________________________________________________