Season of Creation 2020 Full Service Guide

Thank you for joining with Common Grace in celebrating the Season of Creation this September, as we stand with Christians across the globe responding prayerfully to the urgent need to heal our relationships with each other and all creation.

These resources have been developed by Common Grace CEO and Aboriginal Christian Leader Brooke Prentis along with the Common Grace Creation & Climate Justice team to help your church community meaningfully engage in thinking about a Jubilee for the Earth, a time of ecological, social and economic restorative justice. 

These resources are suitable for both online church (video resources provided) as well as regular church gatherings, and gatherings of faith communities i.e. house church, small groups etc. Your normal service routines can easily be added to the service outline provided below, for example, your own announcements, prayers etc. Alternatively, these resources can be adapted and used throughout your services across the month of September as we celebrate Season of Creation.

We pray this resource would support your church community and faith community to celebrate a time of restoration and hope — where we hold tight to God’s intention to see the flourishing of the whole of creation. 

We pray your church would also be encouraged to deeply consider how God is calling us, in this moment of global ecological crisis, to respond in love and action for our vulnerable neighbours and the protection of God’s beautiful Earth.

Recommended Service Order

The above table is a recommended service order with all resources provided.  If you were to run the recommended service in full it would run for approximately 50 minutes. We have also provided some small group breakout questions so by allowing 10 minutes for discussion this becomes a full one hour service.  

This is recommended as a full service and we would love churches to run the same service all across these lands now called Australia but of course, you may use whatever part of the resources you would like to and supplement or change as you see fit. 

Get all Service Resources

Please first read the entire Service Outline for the full list of resources and written materials, before going to individual folders and downloading items.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline 

All of the resources for your service are available via Google Drive 

Go to Google Drive

Notes on Service Resources

We have also listed some, but not all, of the resources with relevant notes below:

PowerPoint Slides

We have put together a powerpoint presentation to help guide you through your service. Please download the powerpoint file and edit to adapt to your service format.
To download - right click - download. After download please recheck formatting including position on slide, font, font size etc. We have included a PDF of slides in the folder as well.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 1. Powerpoint Slides - 1. SOC_Service PowerPoint_Slideshow

Acknowledgement of Country

It is entirely appropriate for a non-Aboriginal person to do an Acknowledgement of Country. Note this is in contrast to a Welcome to Country which can only be performed by an Elder of the local Aboriginal community where the welcome to country is taking place.

We have provided a video of an Acknowledgement of Country from Brooke Prentis that is appropriate for online where we are meeting right across the over 300 nations of Aboriginal peoples in these lands now called Australia. The video is not to be used except for Season of Creation prayer services in September 2020.

You may wish to play the video and then add your own acknowledgement to specifically acknowledge the lands your church is on.

You may wish to just do your own Acknowledgement of Country. You can find some suggestions here.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 2. Acknowledgement of Country

Welcome & Introduction

These words are suggested only as a way to introduce Common Grace and this Season of Creation service. You can edit and adapt these words or use your own. These words are also in the folder 0. Service Outline to copy, print, or read out.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline

Worship Resources

We have recommended songs to use as a part of your service and these are detailed in the Service Outline.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline

Bible Readings

We have recommended bible readings for you to use as a part of your service and these are detailed in the Service Outline.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline

To view pdf of these Bible Readings go to Google Drive: See folder 4. Bible Readings folder

Video Sermon

The video message/sermon is a collaboration between Dr Byron Smith and Brooke Prentis. This was a wonderful way to show coming together in Season of Creation through collaboration - as male and female, as non-Indigenous and Aboriginal persons, and as Christians passionate about Creation & Climate Justice. The sermon is based on the recommended bible readings.

For an introduction and notes on the video sermon go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline 

To view the sermon and access further resources go to Google Drive: See folder 5. Video Sermon

Prayer

We've provided prayers for you to use and these are detailed in the Service Outline.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 0. Service Outline

To access individual prayers go to Google Drive: See folder 6. Prayer Resources

Benediction

Common Grace CEO Brooke Prentis has written a benediction which we recommend to use to conclude your service.

Go to Google Drive: See folder 7. Benediction folder

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