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Using this Web-site Effectively
John Calvin described the world as “the theatre of God’s glory”. The players in that theatre are people, Christians and non-Christians alike, who have to wrestle with the daily problems of morality, ethics and relationships.
The organised church has an important role in helping people to deal with all these problems. It defines, where possible, the standards and advises people, individually or collectively, on available options. At times, it takes disciplinary action against offending members.
This web-site arose out of a problem. How can our committee, charged with serving the members of our church, make information that they can use available quickly and efficiently? Attempts to produce a regular magazine failed due to small budgets, amateur researchers and time limitations. Issues arose and the committee sought to address them but by the time it had put something together, the issue was frequently forgotten. Many of its deliberations, out of necessity, focussed on the application of Biblical principles to timeless issues.
It was decided to go onto the internet in order to use modern technology to comment more effectively on current affairs, to equip our members to serve the Lord in the ‘real’ world and to advise inquirers more easily about the church’s views.
This web-site will only be at its most effective if it is made available, directly or indirectly, to church members, regardless of whether they have access to the internet. Sessions, the body of elders that govern local congregations, have a responsibility to make it available. It should be a source of news, information and ideas for action. An infrastructure needs to be established in local congregations that enables the ordinary people that comprise them to receive a Christian view of the issue and to take timely action.
What follows is a range of suggestions about how Sessions and Presbyteries can use the investigations of the Church and Nation Committee.
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Presbyteries, while not the sharp end of church action on social issues, need to be kept informed of what the Church and Nation Committee is currently acting on. They are in a unique position to keep ministers and commissioners from Sessions aware of what is going on and to alert them to matters which demand action.
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Presbyteries may like to consider appointing one of their members, who will need to be connected to the internet, to report briefly to each meeting on Church and Nation affairs.
The court might also consider making direct responses to the committee either to inform it about issues or to make suggestions on strategy. |
| It is essential for the web-site’s success that Sessions establish a procedure to ensure that the information on this site is made available to members, especially those that are not connected to the internet. |
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Post our internet address permanently to the church notice board.
This is www.churchandnation.pcnsw.org.au but it can also be accessed from the nation church’s web-site (www.presbyterian.org.au) and the state church’s web-site (www.pcnsw.org.au).
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| Appoint a social action contact person. |
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Appoint an interested person (with access to the internet) as the contact person for the Church and Nation Committee.
Commission that person to receive correspondence, download and post printed net pages to the church notice board or to publish them in congregational newsletters.
Authorize that person to promote the work of the Church and Nation Committee and the issues it is addressing at any particular point in time in congregational media and church intimations
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| Consider the establishment of a congregational social action group |
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Seek an indication of interest in establishing a Social Action Group among members of the congregation.
This group might meet regularly to keep abreast of matters that fall under the heading of Social Action (law and justice, social justice, civil rights, constitution and government, morals, ethics, international relief agencies), and to act on this information.
Alternatively sub-groups within the church, e.g the PWA or the Men’s League, may consider including social action as part of their normal programs.
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| Invite interesting persons or spokespeople from various social action organisations e.g (World Vision, Amnesty International, Red Cross, Church and Nation Committee) to address an event at your congregation. |
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More specifically, organisations like Amnesty International, a group monitoring the application of human rights throughout the world, depends on volunteers to write letters to governments on behalf of political prisoners. It is a role that can offer great rewards for people with a small amount of time on their hands.
This activity, and others like it, can be a rewarding one for a church social action group.
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| The activities of any social action group should be formally reported to the Session at regular intervals and to the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting. |
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Make an effort to see that the activities of the social action group are enjoyable as well as satisfying.
It can be a means of outreach as well as an activity which teaches people how the Christian faith is relevant to the modern world.
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