Worship Resources PDF
A list of web links and print materials.

Many new resources listed below. Updated December 2, 2009.

Season of Creation : The United Church of Canada joins ecumenical groups in Australia , the UK and the EU officially marking the Season of Creation as part of the liturgical year (first 6 Sundays after Labour Day, including Thanksgiving Sunday). Adaptable resources available at http://www.webofcreation.org and http://www.seasonofcreation.com

Singing Faith Alive is a small group study on music. Workbook style, it invites participants to reflect what music is, how and where music is presented in Scripture, and worship and music as a very real part of church life. Written for those who have little or no training or knowledge of music. The resource also provides many worship prayers, Acts of Dedication, and hymn suggestions, designed so that Singing Faith Alive may alternatively be used as a worship service series, or as five Sunday services scattered throughout the year. Available from UCRD – CH 10638 - $9.95

Congregational Health:

Leadership for Today: Putting Jesus' Model to Work for You by Clair Woodbury and Joyce Madden This book focuses on leadership that seeks to bring out the best in people and make it possible for them to become everything God intends them to be. This book looks at Jesus' three years of ministry with new eyes. It explores the nature of vision and spirituality and authenticity, and offers some “how-to-do-it” advice. Available from: Congregational Life Centre (#1405, 5328 Calgary Trail, Edmonton , Alberta , T6H 4J8 ) cost $24.95

Studying Congregations: A New Handbook edited by Nancy Ammerman, Jackson Carroll, Carl Dudley and William McKinney. Practical tools for congregational analysis on the road to transformation. 

Living Right Relations … Even When We Disagree Workshops will be held throughout the Conference in the winter and spring months. This workshop will be offered in other presbyteries throughout the winter and spring months – watch the website for details.

"Even Christians Disagree... and That's Good!"
Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee Workshop
March 6, 2010 10am to 3 pm
St. Margaret's United Church, Kingston, ON
Cost $10
You will learn about conflict styles; communication skills for conflict; contributors to conflict; assessing and responding to conflict; available resources for journeying through conflict
To register, email the Conference Office or telephone 1-888-759-2444 or 613-98-1051.

Uniting Ministries – a General Council office e-newsletter connecting and supporting the diverse ministries of The United Church of Canada. Uniting Ministries is a free electronic newsletter – six times a year, subscribers receive the newsletter in an email, with links to feature articles and additional resources on the United Church website. Sign up for Uniting Ministries at www.united-church.ca/communications/newsletters/unitingministries

Congregation Organization Handbook A guide to the basic models of organization of United Church congregations www.united-church.ca/files/handbooks/congregationorg.pdf Print resource (CH10491) $3.50 from UCRD

The Church We Are Becoming: Exploring Change Through the Book of Acts
A practical seven-session Bible study explores the changing church, drawing parallels with the early Christian communities.

Available from UCRD – CH 10555 - $9.95

Alive & Well: Renewed Purpose for Healthier Congregations
Seven lenses through which congregations measure their “health,” will also help congregations recognize their gifts and their purpose. Available from UCRD – CH 10219 - $6.95

Alive & Kicking: Revitalizing Rural Ministries Exploring viable options for local Canadian rural congregations.
www.united-church.ca/renewal/congregational/resources
Available from UCRD – CH 10522 - $5

Godspace: Guidelines for Architecture in The United Church of Canada (second edition)
Provides suggestions regarding site selection of buildings, ecological sustainability, accessibility, music and acoustics.
Available from UCRD – CH 10469 - $6.95

Greening the Church: Reducing Your Church Building's Ecological Footprint
Outlines how our buildings can exist in harmony with the world God has created.
Available from UCRD – CH 10450 - $4.95

Technology Workshop: Using Technology Effectively in Your Congregation
Saturday, March 27, 2010 10 am to 3:30 pm
Frankford United Church, Frankford, ON
Three workshops, each run at the "101" and "Advanced" Level: Websites, Technology in Worship, and Social Networking. Participants may choose 2 workshops. Cost $20, including , break, lunch and handouts.

Register by emailing or mailing the registration form to the Conference Office, P.O. Box 700, 67 Mill Street, Frankford, ON K0K 2C0. See the flyer for more information.
Workshop flyer and registration

"Living Right Relations...Even When We Disagree!": A Package of Resources for Dealing with Conflict in Congregations NEW
This package will assist individuals, committees, congregational leaders and congregation members todeal with the inevitable conflicts that arise in congregations. The materials have been produced by the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee of Bay of Quinte Conference. It was recently distributed to every pastoral charge in the Conference.

Introduction
"Even Christians Disagree"
Congregational Covenant
Contributors to Conflict
Levels of Conflict
Help is Available
Team Model of Dealing with Conflict
Tips for Responding to Conflict
Resources

A mission statement identifies your church to your community, the media and others that will be entering the facility and/or requiring the facility and its services. And it should accurately explain why your church exists and what it hopes to achieve in the future. It articulates the church's essential nature, its values, and its work.

• Every church or Pastoral Charge should have a mission, a purpose, a reason for being.
• An effective mission statement must resonate with the people of the Church as well as with the staff. It must express the church's purpose in a way that inspires commitment, innovation and courage.
• A mission statement provides strategic vision and direction for the church. Goals and objectives are the short term measures used to get there.
• Each member and adherent of the church should be able to express this mission and to test the work of the church against it.
• It should be able to tell your churches story and ideals in less than 30 seconds (or as someone else has described it, your mission statement should fit on a T-shirt).
• It has one common function: to guide you in making critical decisions that effect the direction of your church.

Keep your mission statement in front of you. Include your mission statement in your constitution, church bulletin, newsletter, letterhead, new members/adherents booklets etc.

Encourage the board and committees to use it as a lens for reviewing the work and new directions.

Your Mission Statement, will need to answer these questions:

Who you are
What you do
How you do it
And who you do it for

Some other questions to consider:

What are the opportunities or needs that we exist to address?
What are we doing to address these needs?
What principles or beliefs guide our work?

A mission statement can be something that is totally ignored by the church's members and adherents or it can be something that drives the church and helps it to fulfill its mission.

For help with Mission Statements and Visioning for your congregation contact Jackie – jackie.harper043@sympatico.ca , 613-968-7859