Categories
Change Covid-19 Leadership

How many light bulbs does it take to change the Church?

You’ll have heard the one that asks, “How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?”

“Change! Change! Really, is there something wrong with the old one!”

What if we flip it and ask, “How many light bulbs does it take to change the church?” Light bulbs are a metaphor for ideas… and I’ve heard countless ideas over the years, I’ve had countless ideas, and shared them… only for them all to be kicked into the long grass (I rather like metaphors!)

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a ‘forcing function’1 – an unexpected event that accelerated change in expected ways. It has been a catalyst to some of the change that we knew was needed, but resistance to change has maintained the status quo..

Why change? Does the church need to change? Yes, not because eternal truths change, but because the context and culture around changes. We must change to keep up with and remain relevant in changing times…

Some may say, “If it ain’t broke, dont fix it”, but what if it’s working perfectly as it did a generation ago, but fails to interact with current context and practice.

How many light bulbs does it take to change the church..?

  1. See https://medium.com/@johnpcutler/forcing-functions-and-continuous-improvement-7d06e4702da0 for helpful definition and explanation
Categories
Covid-19 Hymns Music Songs Worship

Music & Hymns

Music – Audio and Video Files

Various sites from where songs and hymn resources are available

Please ensure that appropriate licensing permission is in place when using these resources.

🟪 Items marked with 🟪 have Advent and Christmas music.

🟪 John Rutter 2021 Christmas Album now available on Apple Music, and on other platforms. Commercial music such as this can’t of course be streamed or otherwise broadcast without explicit permission, but can be used within on-site worship where there is no recording or broadcast.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/i-sing-of-a-maiden-5-new-carols-by-john-rutter-ep/1588777984

St Chads, York

www.stchadsyork.org/freemusic

Evangelical Movement of Wales

https://www.emw.org.uk/what-we-do/resourcing-publications/hymns-for-use-in-church-services

Songs for Sunday

RCL based Suggestions from Trinity College, Glasgow

https://www.trinitycollegeglasgow.co.uk/blog/categories/songs-for-sunday

Craigsbank Parish Church

‘performance permission’ granted, for these to be used alongside CCLi or appropriate Streaming Licence.

www.youtube.com/channel/UCu1xAS2e9Co3uzCOitH8jug

Everingham Music

https://youtube.com/channel/UCjSod1JYIqPRsUakBSsfWQQ

Scottish Psalter, Hymns etc

stevenstonhighkirk.com/praise-resources

🟪 – Advent and Christmas Music

Joyfulnoise.uk 🟪

Ferryhill Church Virtual Choir 🟪

Engage Worship 🟪

Fischy Music

Small Church Music

  • Public domain music – freely usable

Home for Christmas 🟪

Rev Craig Downes

  • YouTube Channel with permission to use.

ChristianBSL 🟪

  • Traditional Carols, with BSL

Virtual-Organist.Com 🟪

  • Virtual-Organist.compublic domain tunes downloadable as MP3s – favourite hymn tunes from Mike Whitton.

Premier Christian Radio 🟪

  • Downloadable Resources inc Carols

Emu Music 🟪

Small Church Music

Public domain mp3s available for download

Carolyn’s Hymns

Carolyn says, “Some pastors and church music leaders have asked for permission to use my hymns in worship services that they are streaming live, or in other ways they are reaching out to their congregations from a distance. During these challenging times, you have my permission to go ahead and use my copyrighted hymns in these ways for free.”

Graham Kendrick

Resound Worship 🟪

During the Covid-19 crisis, we give permission for all churches worldwide to stream Resound Worship songs. This includes our videos, our recordings, our lyrics and your own performances.

If you have a streaming licence (eg CCLI, OneLicense), we’d appreciate it if you would report your usage. If you don’t, we would like you to use our material anyway

Suggestions from Resound Worship

Sunday 30 Jan

Fourth after epiphany (RCL & CWL)

Luke 4:21-30 (RCL)
Jesus is here
Our God was a refugee

1 Cor 13:1-13 (RCL & CWL)
If I speak words of wisdom
There is a love
 

Sunday 6 Feb

Fifth after Epiphany (RCL)
Proper 1 (CWL)

Isaiah 6:1-13 
All I am I lay it down
Holy. Holy, holy Lord
Worship the Lord

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 
He’s my Saviour
Jesus Christ God’s Son (Jesus lives)
We believe

Sunday 13 Feb

Sixth after Epiphany (RCL)
Proper 2 (CWL)

Psalm 1
Most merciful God
Your word, O Lord

Jeremiah 17:5-10
Find rest, O my soul
Your word, O Lord

1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Christ was raised
Jesus Christ God’s Son (Jesus lives)

Sunday 20 Feb

Seventh after Epiphany (RCL)
Proper 3 (CWL)

1 Corinthians 15:35-50
Christ was raised
Jesus Christ God’s Son (Jesus lives)
 

Sunday 27 Feb

Transfiguration Sunday (RCL)
Next before Lent (CWL)

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Spirit of God
In the name of God the Father
 

Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 58:1-12
You are a refuge

Psalm 51:1-17
Lord, have mercy

Jubilate Music 🟪

www.jubilate.co.uk

MP3s and lyric videos available to buy on individual basis or with Annual Pass (currently £29.99 Nov 2021)

New Scottish Hymns

  • Video Recordings available for use for a small fee.

Salvation Army 🟪

Worship Lyric Videos 🟪

  • Small payment required – good quality videos – with 2021 updates.
Categories
Childrens Ministry Covid-19 Ecumenism Worship

Roots on the Web

Worship at home resources for all the family available for all during Covid19 restrictions.

https://www.rootsontheweb.com

Categories
Change Covid-19 General

IT’s For Ministry

Back in February 2001, nearly 20 years ago, I registered the domain name itsforministry.org – IT’s for Ministry. Initially this was a place to host “Talks to Children”. Talks2Children.itsforministry.org is still there, with some Children’s Address type ideas. It hasn’t been updated for a while!

IT, Information technology has supported the ministry of the Church in many ways in recent decades, and now in the midst of the Covid19 outbreak we are making use of various virtual mission and pastoral opportunities for Church.

I’ll post some helpful links and tips here… as we negotiate steep learning curves… into the world of Digital Ministry.

www.itsforministry.org

Take Care…

Categories
Audio Covid-19 FaceBook Funerals General Leadership Pastoral Saw Sharpening Video

Culture Change

Brilliant TED Talk on Sustainable Culture Change