How to Conduct a Commemorative Event

SERVICES

The attached Word document contains a simple order of service for Remembrance Day. The service can be used by itself – or be inserted into another suitable setting such as a school assembly or a church service. We have used a Word document so that you can adapt the service. Right click to download.

Remembrance Day Simple Order of Service

The following Word document is a full Remembrance Day Lament (a full service) courtesy of the Uniting Church in Australia. It is a public domain service that can be used by anyone as long as the Uniting Church is acknowledged. Right click to download.

REMEMBRANCE Day Lament (UCA 2012)

STORIES OF PEOPLE

Remembrance Day is about people caught up in the tragedy of War. Here are four examples of people caught up in war. These personal readings can be added to your Remembrance Day service. Right click to download.

Seaman Teddy Sheehan, HMAS Armidale 1942
Lieutenant George Meysey HAMMOND, AIF 1915-18
Flying Officer Martin Corcoran, Bomber Command 1940
Emily to husband Private Arthur Dunbar, Egypt 1915

MULTIMEDIA

Audio - right click to download

Rouse
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Abide With Me
Last Post

Video Presentation

This is a reflection based on the poem In Flanders Fields. Suitable for use amongst young people – such as a school assembly setting. Right click to download.

Remembrance Day

Resources are also available from the DVA Website

SERVICES

Simple Orders of Service

We have attached some simple orders of service in Word format so that you can edit them for your own use:

- ANZAC Day Service Suitable for a Military Group or uniformed gathering such as Scouts, Guides, CEBS, Cadets etc
- ANZAC Commemoration suitable for a school assembly
- ANZAC Aged Care Order of Service suitable for use in a nursing home or retirement villiage.
  
In the Public Space, such as a guest of your local RSL or Veterans Group, we recommend the outline on the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. However we suggest that you use the newer form of the Lord's Prayer.

Note: It is a great privilege to be invited to participate in a public ANZAC Day commemoration service. However, we would say that unless the service is being held in your local church, at your initiation, you are a guest of the organisers. You have a great opportunity to work with the local community as an ambassador of Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), but you do not "own" the service. The ANZAC service is a secular service, in the public space. Nevertheless, you must be true to being an ambassador/clergy person, and often that is what the local organisers (eg RSL, etc) desire.
 
Secularism: Increasingly, there are objections to the public involvement of Christian clergy in civic events. Not everyone present is a Christian, some belong to other religions and some people are atheists. Some of these people object to the nature of some of the prayers including them. Yet being a Christian is distinctive and prayer is distinctive. We pray in the name of "our Lord Jesus Christ" or in the name of "the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit." One way of dealing with this issue is to individualise your prayer conclusion. For example, alter the ANZAC Day prayer conclusion (AAPB p 204) from  "This we pray in the name............" to "This I pray in the name................"

Dress: If you are taking part in the local ANZAC Day march, robes are awkward. But "dressing down" is also not appropiate from a leadership perspective. Each local situation is unique - but take note at what the other leaders, such as the local sub-branch president and secretary and the local politicians and councillors are wearing. We would recommend for most situations, the clergy person wear at least a clerical collar and coat, and consider wearing a preaching scarf while leading part of the service. Medals can be worn on a preaching scarf. If they are your own medals, on your left side. If they were one of your relative's medals (eg Father, Grandfather) then you wear them on your right side.