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This Month's Tip for Ruling Elders

Spread the Christmas cheer and make it last!

Church attendance reaches its peak during the holy high seasons. Here's a strategy to help ruling elders and greeters reach out and invite newcomers and occasional visitors to return in January. During Sunday worship and special services in December:

1. Greet someone you know but haven't spoken to for a while.

2. Greet someone you recognize but can't recall the name.

3. Then greet one person you don't know and ask if you can point out some highlights in the bulletin. This will give both of you a safe topic to discuss as an icebreaker and help the visitor feel more comfortable.

4. Follow up on these conversations during the last week of December or the first week of January. Sit beside these newcomers if they attend another service. Send cards or phone them.

5. Check in with a buddy after each service to share stories and compare notes.

Serving as a Ruling Elder
January 19 to February 27, 2009

What are the roles and responsibilities of elders? Join this online course and explore the multi-faceted answers to this and other questions with the Elders' Institute from the comfort of your computer. The purpose of the course is to focus on the role of the ruling elder within The Presbyterian Church in Canada and its congregations and courts.

The course is intended for anyone who is interested in eldership: new elders looking for some orientation to their ministry, potential elders considering a call to eldership and current elders wanting a refresher. It is also appropriate for sessions to take this course together. Remember, with the Elders' Institute discount policy, six people can register for the price of five.

For more information and registration, visit our website www.eldersinstitute.ca or phone our toll-free line 1-866-794-8888..

Do You Know This Elder?
We can't identify a ruling elder whom we honoured at PAW '08 in Ottawa for long-time service. Can you help us? Better! If there are elders in your church who have served for 50 years or more, please let us know and help us honour them.

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Elders' Institute • St. Andrew's Hall • 6040 Iona Drive • Vancouver, BC • V6T 2E8
Tel. 604-822-0071 • Toll-free (Canada & U.S.A.) 1-866-794-8888 • Fax 604-822-9718