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Notice to news desks
14 October 2003
For immediate release
Roots celebrates its first birthday
Roots, the highly successful resource for churches, has
just celebrated its first birthday with news of over 15,000 subscriptions.
The publication has become a vital support for worship leaders,
preachers, children's workers and youth leaders who follow the three-year
lectionary.
Roots is a lectionary-based resource for Churches of all
denominations. As well as two bimonthly magazines - Roots Children
and Young People and Roots Worship, there is a companion
web site. Each week reflections and prayers are added to www.rootsontheweb.com
in quick response to topical events. Subscribers can swap experiences
and resources in online forums.
'Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,' said David Goodbourn,
chair of the managing group and general secretary of Churches Together
in Britain and Ireland (CTBI). 'The web site has been particularly
welcomed. Roots has taken root.'
He acknowledged that some users of the former Worship and Preaching
magazine had missed features they valued. 'We have made changes,'
he added, 'to increase and further strengthen what is offered for
preachers. We aim to listen.'
Roots is jointly sponsored by several Churches and agencies,
including the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United
Reformed Church. Working as part of CTBI's family of agencies, it
aims to serve the whole Christian spectrum and to make a real contribution
to genuine local ecumenical understanding.
'We are also beginning to develop an international presence,' said
Hamish Bruce, the Roots project leader. 'Already we have
subscribers in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.'
Among the plaudits Roots received was one from Clare Amos,
editor of The Reader. Speaking of the Worship magazine
she wrote, 'Roots Worship encourages and assists those responsible
for leading worship, both clergy and lay people, to work creatively
with the lectionary reading throughout the Christian year.' While
Shelley Porter, a children's group leader, wrote of the magazine
for children's and young people's leaders, 'A brilliant resource.
Great mix of games, storytelling ideas, prayerful quiet times and
creative gems. Got me out of a 'hole' on Remembrance Sunday. I would
be loath to change to anything else!'
The success of Roots has made the hard work worthwhile for
its team of part-time staff. 'Each week's Roots resources
represents the work and ideas of up to a dozen people,' explained
Jean Harrison, editor of Roots Worship. 'And we work with
different teams of writers each two months,' added Pam Macnaughton,
editor of Roots Children and Young People. 'That way we keep
the content fresh.'
-Ends -
For further information:
Anne van Staveren, Communications Officer, CTBI: 020 7654 7254
or 07939 139 881.
Notes to Editors:
1. Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is the umbrella
body for all the major Christian Churches in Britain and Ireland.
It liaises with ecumenical bodies in Britain and Ireland as well
as ecumenical organizations at European and world levels. Its work
includes Church Life, Church and Society, Mission, Inter Faith Relations,
International Affairs and Racial Justice. It provides a forum for
joint decision-making and enables the Churches to take action together.
See www.ctbi.org.uk
for more information.
2. Roots is supported by the following representatives
from the Churches and Church publishers: Methodist Publishing House,
The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, The United Reformed
Church, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), The Council
for Sunday Schools and Christian Education in Wales, and Christian
Education.
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