RESOURCES
Reimagining mission Secretary for Mission Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe highlights resources to help corps develop new forms of ministry
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HERE are great demands on people at the front line as they reimagine their mission and offer pastoral care and support in their communities. The Mission Service is able to offer guidelines and resources to enable them.
MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS (MACA) The Maca Unit is continuing to provide resources and helpful worship tools. The Music and Creative Arts Facebook page (facebook.com/musicandcreativearts) provides a weekly programme of tools and resources. On Mondays there is a new resource CORPS-BASED TELEPHONE CARE called Reflect – a devotional series that Older People’s Services and Community uses video and art to help people engage Services have collaborated to produce guidelines for making telephone care calls in meaningful worship. On Tuesdays and Thursdays Dancefit to those who are part of a corps or FM Live is led by Assistant Director of community programme. This ministry can Music and Creative Arts (Creative Arts) benefit people in their later years, people Stephanie Lamplough. with disabilities and younger people who On Wednesdays the Facebook page are isolated and lonely. provides a resource called Stillness, Many corps and centres are doing everything they can to keep connected and which encourages reflection on particular themes, such as Hope, Take Time To Be providing pastoral support via the Holy and Be Like Jesus. telephone. Here are some helpful Then there are Fun Fridays with Maca boundaries regarding what we should and – a series of engaging activities for should not do when calling during the people to enjoy. So far there have been coronavirus outbreak: quizzes on various Salvation Army and We can Maca trivia, and a stop-motion Lego O Provide telephone calls on a regular challenge for people to recreate Bible basis stories. O Offer a listening ear Seven days a week there is a series O Be a contact for someone who has any inspired by Desert Island Discs called unmet needs or concerns about their Self-Isolation Discs. Maca encourages well-being people to think about eight meaningful O Support one another when we have pieces of music, create a playlist and difficult conversations give an explanation as to why the music O Look out for ways to help people in the is meaningful to them. So far, more than corps and within our communities 40 people have sent in their playlists. O Pray for and with the person we call Maca continues to support frontline We cannot ministry by offering technical support for O Visit people at home until the a number of corps engaged in online coronavirus threat has come to an end worship and resources to enhance their O Offer a professional counselling support worship times, as well as advice in areas service. If someone needs further help they can be signposted to other services such as copyright and music selection. Other helpful resources are brass band O Take out money from anyone else’s backing tracks for many Scripture-based bank account songs and songbook backing tracks We must (keyboard) downloadable from O Maintain and promote government spstunes.com. guidelines at all times
MOVING MINISTRY ONLINE It has been encouraging to witness corps across the territory rethink how they can continue to gather to pray, worship and support one another using digital tools. The Mission Service has created a web page to advise, resource and support mission and corps communities as they move their ministry online. Whether you’re looking to kick-start online ministry at your corps or maximise the impact of what you’re already doing by getting some new ideas, we hope you find these resources helpful. The website salvationarmy.org.uk/ moving-ministry-online includes the following information: Keeping people safe online As well a reminder that all the usual Safe & Sound practice should be in place online as it would be in a building, there are five key pieces of advice: behave as you would in person, respect everyone’s privacy, be open and transparent, ask others to help facilitate and set these expectations in advance. Copyright and licensing If corps use music online, copyright and licences must be in place. Questions about this can be emailed to Joanne Duff at joanne.duff@salvationarmy.org.uk. What tools we need The website gives useful guidance on using the video platforms YouTube and Vimeo. It also suggests that Facebook Live is a good way to engage with a congregation. The use of video conferencing tools Lifesize and Zoom is also explored. Examples of online ministry and worship The website also has links to examples of the many ways in which corps are using these resources so that others can be inspired to move their ministry online too.
Salvationist 25 April 2020
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