Preaching in 3D


1. Whole Life affirmation of the calling of Preachers and Worship Leaders

There are three sections below. You can choose on, two or all three. These elements all belong to a larger learning & development session.

SEGMENT 1 TREASURE

SEGMENT 2 SPECTACLES

SEGMENT 3 WHO DOES GOD CALL?

How to use this

Take a minimum of one segment from each section to make up a 2 hour session.

Take one small segment as a taster to use in a Local Preacher’s meeting.

Use all the material and have a day together.

RESOURCES NEEDED:

PowerPoint Slides (optional), internet access or downloaded a YouTube advert, handouts

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Preaching in 3DWhole Life affirmation

SEGMENT 1 TREASURE

Treasure 15 minutes minimum

Input:

Each of us is created uniquely by God, and each of us has a unique relationship with God. In that relationship God desires that we grow to be who we need to be, rather than demands of us what we need to do.

As the disciple adventure continues, we grow to be who we need to be, and in doing so, find what we need to do.

God calls us in every aspect of our life – being a Christian is about living fruitfully – enjoying life in all its fullness, this is an adventure, a quest.

Each of us has found that we are called to preach or lead worship; God has called our whole person into that. God has chosen us because of who we are, where we live, how we live.

The whole person has been called to discipleship, and part of that discipleship journey for us is to preach or lead worship.

Here is a story....

“An apprentice dropped his gold ring inside his house. However, the house was dark and there was a great amount of furniture, which needed to move in order to continue his search. Therefore, lacking the determination his task required, he went outside and began to look around the courtyard.

His teacher passed by and asked him what he was looking for:

‘I have lost my gold ring,’ said the apprentice.

‘Where did you lose it?’ asked his teacher.

‘In my bedroom.’ said the apprentice.

'Then why are you looking for it out here?’

‘There’s more room out here’, said apprentice replied. ‘It makes my task easier.’ “

Apprentice: Walking In the Way of Christ”

Steve Chalke & Joanna Wyld

Discuss in 3s.

Maybe the thing God calls us to is a Treasure, like the gold ring of the Apprentice,

God has called all of us to be preachers or leaders of worship. This is our Treasure that grows and changes as we grow in relationship with Jesus.

Share your call to preach / lead worship...

·  When you were being called to preach / lead worship, did you ever look in the wrong place when you were trying to work out what God was asking of you?

·  What did it feel like once you knew what God was asking / once you had looked in the right place?

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Preaching in 3DWhole Life affirmation

SEGMENT 2 SPECTACLES

Spectacles 15 minutes minimum (with the handout to do privately at home), or 25 minutes for the whole section.

Input optional PowerPoint

Where we look for God’s call is important. But also, when we are looking for God what we see depends on a number of different things

ü  How good our eyesight is

ü  If our glasses are the correct prescription

ü  If our glasses are clean.

(We are talking symbolically! If someone is partially sighted, they are not excluded from this analogy, but it might be necessary to make that clear)

Sometimes we need help to see God in action (sometimes we need to wear glasses!) That help might come in the form of the Scriptures, or other people’s words to us, small group conversation of faith, personal devotions, through service, or corporate worship.

Share in 3s

When was the last time you felt God speaking to you personally through the Scriptures, or other people’s words to us, small group conversations of faith, personal devotions, through service, or corporate worship?

Show a clip of an augmented reality app.

For example Golf advert www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFS6EHzBGVc If you don’t know how to do this, a young person will be able to help you.

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3Preaching in 3DWhole Life affirmation

SEGMENT 2 SPECTACLES

Input

We can see the world around us, but if we are living closely with God, we see the world in 3D, through God’s eyes, and indeed we see God in action.

We don’t necessarily need a phone app to help us to do this, we need the Bible, other people, prayer time, to be serving the needy and to be in corporate worship (and there are phone apps to help us with some of these, such as daily prayer apps etc)

If we are seeing the world in 3D, then we will be preaching in 3D. If we are struggling to see God in action in the world we are living in, we will struggle to preach in 3D.

These questions are available as a handout for people to consider individually...

Are your glasses the right prescription? Are you able to see God in your life? Or are your glasses the right prescription, but maybe a need cleaning?

·  Are you reading the Scriptures and connecting what you read with your daily life?

·  Are you listening to the people around you and what they tell you about your strengths and weaknesses?

·  Are you committing time to be alone with God?

·  Are you serving God in how you live your life?

·  Are you in a small group to share conversations of faith?

·  Are you engaged with corporate worship or only when you are leading?

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Preaching in 3DWhole Life affirmation

SEGMENT 3 WHO DOES GOD CALL?

Who does God call? 30 minutes minimum. 45 minutes max with significant feedback from groups.

Small groups: 15 mins plus 5 for final question

Choose one character from the bookmark and ask the following questions:

·  What was it about them that made them such an unlikely candidate for such an experience?

·  What was it about them which made them able to serve God’s purposes in their particular context?

·  What obstacles could have got in the way of your Bible character?

·  How were these obstacles overcome, or why were they not a problem?

·  Are there any parallels with group members own experiences?

·  How was the Bible character provided with the resources that they needed to fulfil their calling?

·  Consider what you have already been provided with and discuss together.

You will be asked to feedback on the following...

·  “Why the context the Bible character was in was essential to their calling”

(leaders: Indicate to the small group at least 5 minutes towards the end of the small group time for them to address the question they will be feeding back on)

Feedback: 10 minutes

Each group to feedback only their response to the final question, “Why the context the Bible character was in was essential to their calling”

Input summary

These Bible characters were called from the whole of their lives. Lay preachers & worship leaders are called because of the whole of lives, and we are to use the whole of our lives as resources for the worship & preaching, and we are to equip the congregations for the whole of their lives through the worship & preaching we lead.

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