Gary Bird's blog

Pastor Robes

Pastor robes are just one of the many clerical garments that are used by many church denominations.

Different Kinds of Pastor Robes

For instance, you have the alb. Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans mainly use this of garment. It is usually a white garment that has long sleeves and goes up to the ankle along with a girdle.

The clerical collar is also another important church apparel. It is one of the most easily recognized pieces in church wear.

This is usually a white cloth that is fastened by two buttons. It is used as an attachment to the neck area of the minister.

Even if the common color is white, the type would vary depending on the church denomination that uses them. The kind of fabric used for this is often cotton or linen.

Clergy stoles are another important and popular piece of clerical vestments used by a majority of Christian churches. The stole is a band of cloth like a scarf, created from silk or cotton and placed over the robe.

The center part of the stole should lie against the back of the neck while the two ends are meant to hang in the front. However, these ends can also be secured.

Every single piece of apparel used by the clergy has special meaning and purpose. Pastor robes are one form of this vestment, there are still so many more worn by the members of the clergy.

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The Many Kinds of Clergy Apparel

Some of the most recognizable kinds of clergy clothes are those worn by the Catholic clergy members. There are many kinds of church vestments available and every garment contains a special meaning.

Kinds of Clergy Apparel

For example, you have the cassock. This is a garment that looks like a gown. It usually extends towards the ankles and has long sleeves. This garment is designed to go ahead and cover the entire body apart from the face of the individual, palms or the feet.

The clerical collar is another popular Catholic or Christian clothing worn by the clergy. The collars are deemed to be worn on top of clergy shirts and around the neck.

The clerical collars are detachable and it can be attached with a hook mechanism that will allow it to stay securely in place.

As for the clerical shirt, this is a new addition to the clergy apparel used by the church. These shirts are often worn underneath other church vestments or it can also serve as everyday wear for the church clergy.

There are plenty of manufacturers that sell these at really good bargains online and in a variety of styles and designs.

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How Church Robes Came About

It's not easy to completely locate the exact time when church robes were used. Even if it has been used for some time, the exact time and place that it was first put into practice is still difficult to pinpoint.

History of Church Robes

For example, robes, particularly choir robes were first represented in Egypt around 2700 BC. Even if there were no actual signs that indicated formal church robes were used, there was a picture that depicted a choir at the time of Ancient Egypt.

However, during the Ancient Greek and Roman era came better proof of the existence of the church robe. It was at this time that the Greek chorus was formed and the players were distinguished from the rest of the people through the robes they used.

As time went on, the robes kept on evolving. These robes continued to change in design and style all along Judaism, Early Christianity and towards the Medieval and Renaissance era.

Choir members started donning choir robes to distinguish them from the rest of the members of church and clergy. Moreover, certain members of the clergy also wear vestments and robes to set them apart.

Furthermore, each denomination has their own design and style for the vestments or robes they wear. There are also other churches that do not make use of the robes at all.

While other churches, like the Catholic religion usually make it mandatory for a priest or member of the clergy to wear special church robes to set them apart from the rest of the congregation members.

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Church Candles

The usage of church candles crosses all kinds of denominations. Most denominations usually have a preference into the kind of candle that they use for their church or services.

Church Candles for Different Denomination

For instance, the candles that the Roman Catholic Church uses have to be made from at least 51% beeswax. If it's an Orthodox church, the requirement would be that it is 100% beeswax.

Beeswax is a pricey ingredient. Because of this, the stubs of these beeswax candles are usually recycled and made into new candles. On the other hand, some denominations only require that candles be organic.

Common church candles that other denominations use would be vegetable wax candles. They burn efficiently and have long burning hours; moreover, they are quite affordable.

Using church candles have become a long tradition. Candles that are used today for our ceremonies and traditions were also equally celebrated in the traditions and celebrations in olden times.

Let's check out how these important candles evolved and how they were used during ancient times.

Originally, Egyptians used candles to conduct exorcisms, find treasures or perform other rituals. The use of church candles was not exactly a welcome thought to the Roman Catholic Church.

Since it was primary tool used in pagan worship, the church had its hesitations. However, when the 4th century came, it slowly integrated the use of these candles into the common Christian rituals.

Despite its admittance into the church, candles were still prohibited from being used in the altar because of the association it had with witchcraft.

Only during the Middle Ages when the church decided that they would consecrate and bless the candles so that it can be used in the altar. The candles were then also used for blessings and absolving sins as well as driving out demons.

The candles usage has certainly treaded a long path. People have used these candles in so many ways for a very long time that its meaning has become amalgamated into our lives and special events that we celebrate. In addition, the church candles of today serve a great function in our faith and will continue to do so as long as we allow it to be.

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Church Bulletins

Whatever specific purpose you might have for your church bulletins, one thing is clear, it is important that your bulletin works to help your congregation and provides support for your church.

In order to turn your Church Bulletins into a success, here are some things that you might want to take into consideration.

Plan

Before making your church bulletins, it is a must that you go ahead and know what it is going to be used for. Find out whether you need it to post exclusive church information only, or if you want to use it as a discipleship tool at the same time.

If possible, delegate someone that you can trust to help follow through and maintain the bulletin.

Pattern

When you place posts or announcements, create a good pattern so that it will be easier for your readers to follow the flow. It is important to take this into account as you go ahead and come up with this idea.

Your bulletin can contain a statement of your church vision and mission, event information, letter from the senior pastor, visitor information card, church information or maybe even an outline of the sermon.

Packaging

This might seem like an out of the ordinary idea to think about with your church bulletins, but if you want to grab the member's attention, you have to place emphasis on this aspect as well. You can go ahead and coordinate your bulletins and come up with exciting and eye-catching colors, images, logos so you can create a plethora of visual interest.

This might seem like an unusual concept to apply into church bulletins, but if you want to attract readers then you have to place equal emphasis on packaging as well. Coordinate your bulletins with the proper color, images, and logos to create a good visual monarch.

More info about Church Bulletins here.

Knowing Why Communion Sets are Important

Most individuals don't give much thought about the importance of Communion sets in today's world. For Christian churches, these are important items since they are used to share as well as represent the love and body of Christ.

Essence of Communion Sets

Even though the event of a Communion is important, there are still some people who are not familiar with the what and the how of Holy Communion.

The Holy Communion is representative of when Jesus had his communion fellowships with his disciples. One famous example of this communion or gathering would be the Last Supper.

Another name for the Holy Communion is the Eucharist celebration. This serves as a breaking of bread and thanksgiving. It represents how Christian believers can now hear, taste, touch, taste and receive the Lord's grace through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice.

All the elements in the Holy Communion actually represent something else. For instance, the main actors in the Communion would be the bread and the wine. The bread is used to represent Christ's body.

When the priest breaks the bread, this goes on to symbolize the fact that Jesus sacrificed his life to save humankind, by doing so he cleansed humanity from sin.

As it progressed before, it saw a partial decline for several years; however, today it has steadily gained ground and a staple in today's practices.

The Catholic Church has admitted children, ranging from seven and eight, to a first communion. This usually comes before the Confirmation, which is usually done during teenage years. The parish priest is usually the one that can recommend a child for a Communion.

However, in the end, it is the parents that will decide when they feel a child is ready.

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Communion Plate - What It Is All About

Most believers hold the first communion as important; of course, equally important would be all the paraphernalia that it has, including the dresses, the gifts, the communion plate and other things. More often than not, children today go through their first communion at the age of seven or eight.

Why Use Communion Plates

The first communion is a special occasion in your child's life, thus, it should be shared with close families as well as friends.

Before proceeding, it is best to understand the history of the first communion and how it became such an integral part in the Christian or believer's life.

It is essential to understand what a communion is. The Holy Communion is a holy rite of the Christian faith.

In a Communion celebration, bread and wine are consecrated by a priest or minister and then they are given to the rest of the congregation.

With the bread and wine, the blood as well as the body of Christ is represented. As it is broken, this marks the sacrifice Christ suffered. This same bread is then placed on the Communion plate. It is dipped in the wine, that represents the blood of Christ, and given to the rest of the church congregation.

Paten is the name given to the communion plate that holds the sacred bread of Christ. Before, in ancient times, an actual, ordinary plate was used to hold the real bread that represented the body of Christ.

Using an ordinary communion plate continued until the Middle Ages when the wafer that was used was still a bit larger compares to the ones we use today.

During a Communion service, the communion plate is just one of the several tools that are important when someone is having their first communion.

If you are a person that is celebrating their first Communion, you might want to help them celebrate this event by giving them a special gift. You can use these tips in deciding for the right gift.

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The Significance of Communion Cups

Whenever a layman movie buff hears of communion cups, the first thing that pops in his mind is usually the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Importance of Communion Cups

There is no denying the fact that pop culture has portrayed some of the most significant religious items in a very unorthodox manner, however, the great thing is that because of this they have allowed ordinary people to get acquainted with these same religious items.

In the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana is hunting for what people revere as the ultimate communion cup, the Holy Grail.

In some literary works, the Holy Grail is not taken to just mean the cup that Christ had used, but also the dish as well as plate that Christ had used as well in the Last Supper that he had with his disciples.

However, over the centuries, the Holy Grail came to stand for the cup that Jesus used and what we now call the communion cup.

Nevertheless, even if people actually know about it, the use of communion cups all over the world has expanded and is very varied. The cups that are used are usually made from different kinds of materials depending on the people who make it as well as the country they are from.

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Church Candles and Their Essence

Church candles have been a staple part of the Christian religion. They often symbolize many things about the Christian faith. For example, Catholics believe that the candle symbolizes the body of Christ.

Church Candles as Sacraments

In most Christian baptisms, the candle is taken to symbolize the person's passage into receiving and being baptized by the light of the Lord.

For weddings, the two candles that are lit by the couple's mothers represent their union. These are only some of the important roles that candles have during worship and ceremonies.

Ever since before, the candles have represented the light in the path of darkness has been something that's become a big part in the lives of Christians and unbeliever's as they transform themselves and start walking with the Lord.

In addition to that, the candles not only stand for the guidance of the Lord, but also the Lord's love.

Church Candles also helps the church for announcement or events purposes.

Making Use of Church Bulletins

Most churchgoers take their traditional church bulletins for granted. Hence, they resort to other forms or means to grab the attention of their churchgoers and let them know of any upcoming events or special announcements that need to be circulated within the church community.

Use Church Bulletins for Event or Announcements.

If you find yourself taking the lead for spreading church announcements through your bulletins, you can make use of several ways wherein you can try and catch the attention of your church mates.

There are several things that you can take into consideration before you actually create your own church bulletins.

One, ask yourself the question of what you want to communicate to your members. Is the church bulletin going to be used exclusively for the church or would you allow people to post other announcements provided it's related to the teachings or the faith?

Getting this straightened out will help you narrow down your choices to some of the more important announcements.

Two, figure out whether the postings that you'll make will communicate anything about your church or community. It is best to send out positive signals.

This is a must especially if you have a big denomination and your church bulletins are one of the few ways that you could reach the church's non-active members.

Three, consider the entire theme of your service. Most of the time, church bulletins are updated weekly; thus, it would be perfect if you could include a posting or information that is related to the sermon given by the priest or pastor and help wrap things up together.

Most churches use church bulletins as the foremost tool in communicating with their members. It can be a powerful tool that will help members as well as visitors to know about the church and its upcoming events and activities.

Most of the time, churches would place important events, like dates, times as well as service opportunities in the church bulletins, other churches however, use it as a great teaching tool by giving out a major outline of the sermon given by the priest or pastor.

You can also checkout some of our Church Bulletins.