Global Mission Sunday 2 October, 2011

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The first Sunday in October has been designated for many years as World Communion Sunday. This year, we are suggesting you celebrate it as Global Mission Sunday with the theme, “A Place at the Table”. We are taking the opportunity to encourage congregations to become global mission-minded, as part of the global village. There is no better image to express our unity in Christ than sitting together at the Table of the Lord!

‘Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.’ 1 Cor 10:16

Please see this Sunday as an opportunity to:

Get up-to-date with Global Mission’s current initiatives and plan to join in.
Give to Global Mission (with fundraising for a project, a special appeal or special offering – or a distribution/blessing of Global Mission Boxes)
Pray for the Presbyterian Church and our global partners

The resources that you can download below are:

A liturgy for Holy Communion
Suggested Bible readings and some theological notes (click here to access the recent edition of Candour on Global Mission)
Suggestions for hymns and songs
Resources below to enable a conversation with the children in church (from Kids Friendly)
An invitation to pray for our partner churches and those who serve in mission
Profiles of three projects we are involved in with our partner churches in North India (Christian Hospital in Jagadhri), Vanuatu (Onesua Presbyterian College) and Myanmar (Baby Home in Tahan).
Access below to Spanz stories that cover Global Mission over the last few years
Information about how you and your congregation can participate by being informed, by being a partner in a programme or donating funds (download our donation form)
Greetings from leaders of our partner churches for World Communion Sunday. The letters of support are available for download - Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, Presbyterian Church of Myanmar

(If you need these resources in hard copy please contact Pamela email pamela@presbyterian.org.nz)

Many congregations work with the global community in their towns and you may wish to make them welcome this day, especially the children. Others support communities and mission projects in other lands, which are not under the Global Mission umbrella. This is a Sunday where all can be connected with and prayed for.

Pamela Tankersley

Global Mission Coordinator

Children on Global Mission Sunday 2 October

(from Kids Friendly and Global Mission)

Jill Kayser, our Church Kids Friendly coach, has offered these great resources for your use in worship or in your children’s programme. They are based on John 6: 1-14, The Story of the Loaves and Fishes, which is one of the scriptures we suggest for this day:

A power point* version of the story, (from Henry Martin) of the small boy who offered the loaves and the fish to Jesus. Note, if you cannot download the power point or you do not have the use of a data projector, they would be very useful also as a set of illustrations. The theme from the story highlighted is that small becomes big - and little becomes much when placed in the hands of God! Download here.

*Please note, free use of this power point story is permitted for ministry purposes only, it is not for publication or distribution for profit.

A PDF file (also available from Kids Friendly in MS Word) taken from the illustrations of the Henry Martin story above that can be printed and cut up into bookmarks. We suggest that each child be presented with a bookmark by an adult in the congregation, with the words:

“… (child’s name)…when you think that you are too small or that you don’t have much to offer, remember the story of the little boy with the loaves and fish.” Download here.

A story from the Kayser home: Blake’s Story: Global hospitality in his own backyard. Download here.

Can we suggest that as the Church celebrates being part of the global village, as the whole family of God, that on this Sunday (in accordance with your custom), the children be invited to join the adults at the Sacrament of Holy Communion.