Five regional "strategy nights" are happening this week to impart the Connect09 vision to key lay leaders in your parish.
South Sydney region was the first in line, with around 40 attending the strategy night at All Saints’, Petersham.
The Wollongong region strategy night was held at St Mark’s, West Wollongong last night, with nights still to be held at Christ Church Blacktown, Christ Church St Ives and St Bede’s Beverly Hills.
"Congregation members may know what's going on locally, but they become really enthusiastic once they realise what is planned across the diocese as support for the local church," says Connect09 Executive Director, the Rev Andrew Nixon (pictured showing Christine Crump and Matthew Nutt the new Connect09 poster at the Petersham strategy night).
The strategy nights feature input from Vince Williamson, leader of the Ambassadors program, an initiative which enthuses ordinary congregation members about what can be done to reach out to their neighbourhoods.
Mr Williamson, who has headed up men's ministries and been involved in church plants, says his personal conversion story proves that ordinary lay people can have a big impact.
He describes "Connect '89" where members of St Stephen's, Lugarno doorknocked their entire suburb, inviting him to a Christianity Explained course which led him to his life-changing commitment to Christ.
Clergy quiz: what should we hand out in 09?
One hundred rectors around the diocese have been filling out surveys to identify helpful resources as they run Connect09 in their own backyards.
While the Australian version of the Gospel of Luke published by Matthias Media for Connect09 in small book form is the key resource Sydney Anglicans can hand out, participating rectors have been presented with six other options such as audio and video Scriptures, some not in the English language.
"We are going to have to order our Connect09 resources in the next few months," says Connect09 Executive Director, the Rev Andrew Nixon. "Surveying churches means we can get a feel for what resources will be most useful."
Matthias Media's new easy-to-understand translation is prepared by Tony Payne, Peter Bolt, John Dickson, Darrell Bock and Evonne Paddison.
Copyright issues were a major reason for choosing this option.
The Rev Tony Payne from Matthias Media says he is likely to approve 99 per cent of reproduction requests from Sydney Anglicans.
"We intend to be very generous and open to allow people to use the text in a variety of ways for ministry," he says.
These could include reproducing large slabs to hand out at services or on websites.
Colin Buchanan is also working on a DVD for Connect09 for children.
