28 November 2007
Passport to Peace this Christmas
This Christmas, new worship material is encouraging adults
and children alike to become Messengers of Peace.
Produced by MethodistChildren, the Messengers of Peace service
material invites congregations to make a Christmas 'Peace Box'
containing items including a passport, iPod and nappy pin. These
items can be used to tell the story of the Nativity on Christmas
morning, or throughout Advent, and to draw out its significance for
our contemporary search for peace.
Steve Pearce, Children's Secretary for the Methodist Church, says;
'In our mixed-up world, peace can often seem in short supply. But
this material reminds us in a fresh way that we can all be
messengers of peace as we seek to communicate God in our daily
lives.'
Using Christmas Day as a focus for peace, there are also ideas for
music and prayer, including making 'peace doves' and using sign
language during worship songs.
Steve says, 'The use of symbol and sign language in the service
will not only make it more accessible to those with hearing
difficulties, it will also introduce a new dimension to worship for
everyone.'
The material is based on the highly successful Peacebuilders
resources, launched in March this year in India. Because each
church is different, the material is flexible enough so that it can
be tailored to suit the church and congregation.