A time capsule of worship resources used by Presbyterian congregations is currently being created and will be sealed and stored for 50 years. The General Assembly approved the project in 2006, and the committee on history with the help of the national archives, is administering it.
“It's a tangible way to see the various forms of worship, as well as the similarities, within the denomination at this point in time,” said Kim Arnold, archivist.
The idea came from Rev. Dr. Fred Rennie, secretary of the Experimental Fund, which is funding the project. While gathering the archival records of his congregation, Rennie realized that printed materials of his church's historical life were virtually non-existent. Even more disheartening was the likelihood that similar situations can be found across the denomination.
Hoping to change this trend, Rennie devised the Moment in Time project — a snapshot of the church at a particular moment that can be used by researchers, historians and social scientists in the future. “Such materials will say that at a particular 'Moment in Time' this is what we as Christian people of the Presbyterian persuasion in Canada were about,” said Rennie, as quoted in the 2006 Acts and Proceedings.
He also saw it as a fitting endeavour for the church's Year of Sabbath, a time he hoped would be used for “reflection on where we have come from as a church on both local and national levels.”
Seventy-three congregations have submitted materials so far, which can include hymns, sermons, prayers, orders of service, children's stories, and music used. Congregations are supposed to choose an average Sunday, and also include information on attendance (with age and gender breakdown, and Sunday school attendance), as well as photos of the worshipping area and congregation, if desired. The official deadline for submissions is Nov. 25, though materials will still be accepted after that time.–AM
