Our announcements are on our bulletin and then I references certain ones at the beginning of worship.
It is my thought that announcements should be a part of worship because it is sharing the life and minsitry of the church. Although they should also be limited so that it doesn't turn into 20 minutes of announcements!
We've had some success at keeping them limited and making sure they're in context of the life of the church by having them at the beginning of our offering time. We offer the ministries through announcements about them, then have the ushers come forward.
Our service is broadcast on local radio, so we make announcements before the service starts. There's no point in telling the whole town when the Administrative Board meeting is, or whatever.
Announcements are integral to the life of the church - and can be incorporated in such a way that they don't take up half the service but will give people a head's up as to what is going on in and around the community.
BTW - I am a former UMC local pastor - now serving in the Reformed Church in America. I served initially in the former Southern NJ conference - then switched when I moved to central NY state. It was after a couple of years here and after returning to seminary and during my Church History class that I felt called to leave the UMC and begin serving in the RCA. My husband couldn't believe I would no longer be his "flaming Methodist". Well, my theology continues to mature (I hope) but I am more in tune with the polity of the RCA - call system and a board of pastor, elders & deacons serving the congregation together. And I can empathize with the culture shock - as I moved from NJ to rural NY. Also - like the new template. Thanks for the ways in which you continue to serve.
Even before my arrival in July, I was informed that the announcement time at the start of the service functioned as a "Town Meeting" run regardless of who the Liturgist was that particular Sunday.
My second Sunday, I decided to conduct this time myself and it has been cut down drastically yet the pertinent information gets out.
The phrase, "Don't change anything for a year" is for the birds. Well, let's see if I'm still around after a year.
At my previous church, announcements were in the middle of the service, which I always found odd...but got used to. Don't like it on principle though. We have announcements in the beginning and in the bulletin, and I try to avoid announcing meetings, but just events that pertain to the whole community.
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Our announcements are on our bulletin and then I references certain ones at the beginning of worship.
It is my thought that announcements should be a part of worship because it is sharing the life and minsitry of the church. Although they should also be limited so that it doesn't turn into 20 minutes of announcements!
We've had some success at keeping them limited and making sure they're in context of the life of the church by having them at the beginning of our offering time. We offer the ministries through announcements about them, then have the ushers come forward.
Our service is broadcast on local radio, so we make announcements before the service starts. There's no point in telling the whole town when the Administrative Board meeting is, or whatever.
Announcements are integral to the life of the church - and can be incorporated in such a way that they don't take up half the service but will give people a head's up as to what is going on in and around the community.
BTW - I am a former UMC local pastor - now serving in the Reformed Church in America.
I served initially in the former Southern NJ conference - then switched when I moved to central NY state. It was after a couple of years here and after returning to seminary and during my Church History class that I felt called to leave the UMC and begin serving in the RCA. My husband couldn't believe I would no longer be his "flaming Methodist". Well, my theology continues to mature (I hope) but I am more in tune with the polity of the RCA - call system and a board of pastor, elders & deacons serving the congregation together.
And I can empathize with the culture shock - as I moved from NJ to rural NY.
Also - like the new template.
Thanks for the ways in which you continue to serve.
Even before my arrival in July, I was informed that the announcement time at the start of the service functioned as a "Town Meeting" run regardless of who the Liturgist was that particular Sunday.
My second Sunday, I decided to conduct this time myself and it has been cut down drastically yet the pertinent information gets out.
The phrase, "Don't change anything for a year" is for the birds. Well, let's see if I'm still around after a year.
At my previous church, announcements were in the middle of the service, which I always found odd...but got used to. Don't like it on principle though. We have announcements in the beginning and in the bulletin, and I try to avoid announcing meetings, but just events that pertain to the whole community.
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