This is your invitation
to share in a Journey into Faith
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BECOMING A
CHRISTIAN ~ a course in Christian Basics, offered by the Church of
England (Anglican) congregation, Holy Trinity Shared Church, SWF. Our
next course begins on Wednesday 23rd April 2008, 8.00 pm at 18 Victoria
Road (The Vicarage) and continues weekly for about 10 sessions.
Why not join us? ~ you would be most welcome! The course we use is a flexible local alternative to the nationally advertised introductions to Christian Faith such as "Alpha" or "Emmaus". It is suitable for anyone who would like to learn a little more about living as a Christian. That means not only those who are newcomers to the Church - it also takes in established members who want to refresh their understanding and give some encouragement to others who are younger in faith. Christians have always held a broad range of views on how best to make a personal response to God's offer of life in all its fullness. Whether we speak of believers' Baptism, of reception into full membership of the Church, or of Confirmation, we are in each case referring to the need for each of us, one day, to own for ourselves a living faith in God our Saviour. A living faith is not necessarily a strong faith, but it is a real faith that is honestly possessed. Better to own your own belief, however shaky that might be, than to spend your whole life leaning upon the faith of others. This could be a precious chance to discover God's closer presence in your life! The aim of our ‘Becoming a Christian’ course is to awaken in every one of us a deeper awareness of God, and to equip us to continue learning more and more throughout the rest of our lives. There is no "hard sell" - that’s not our style! Joining the course requires no specific commitment from the outset, other than reasonably regular attendance and participation in the weekly sessions. This course is suitable for all ages, from school year 8 and upwards, as well as adults of any age. (Younger children - year 3 and upwards - have their own programme of Christian development called ‘I Belong’, which gives them the opportunity to club together for a few weeks and learn more about Jesus.) Times and dates for ‘Becoming a Christian’ are not set in stone: alternative sessions can be arranged in response to particular requirements, and we are pleased to make individual arrangements for those who are housebound and/or have special needs.
So how about it?
Is this for you?
Do give it your thought!
Here are some of the topics covered during our ‘Journey into Faith’:-
Why are we here? Open the Bible - and meet Jesus - but who is he? Ways to the Kingdom - what/how did Jesus teach? The Old Testament - Creation - God the Father - being a parent - campfires, promises, pilgrims, prophets, messiah The Gospels - Redemption - God the Son - being a The Acts and The Letters - Sanctification - God the Holy Spirit - being a family - fruits/gifts, letters & learning Our Church Family - Faith & Order, Creeds, Sacraments, Ecumenism, other forms of belief Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion down the ages Holy Communion and the Christian life today 10 Commandments, Lord's Prayer, the Christian Hope Spirituality - worship & prayer, what/who helps us best?
Some big stuff up there! But don't panic, we unbundle everything as we go along. We don't duck or dodge the hard bits (neither did Jesus). We help one another along the way, so we all learn together.
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