A regular programme of course are held during the year.

 

Currently there are no planned courses - when planned these will appear here and in the Church Calendar which can be found HERE.

 

See the report below from Fr Jeremy of Courses undertaken during the year:-

 

Report on the courses followed in 2019

 

During this past year we have continued to offer courses designed to help us be a church that is mission orientated and is grounded in the word of God.

Our church has as it’s strapline ‘To Encounter Christ in Word and Sacrament’ and these courses have been followed with this teaching in mind.

Courses

  1. 1) Bible Studies based on ‘Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes’ by Kenneth Bailey. These wonderful studies of some of the great texts from the New Testament are viewed through the eyes of the 1st century middle eastern understanding and then viewed as they would be understood today. Bailey also challenges the Western reader to interpret the stories with this new knowledge gained to see how these stories make sense in the 21st century.

From these studies we developed new insights within our preaching.

  1. 2) The diocese of Oxford led by Bishop Steven Croft has challenged us to be ‘Contemplative, Compassionate and Courageous’ church communities. A group of us delved into the course written by the Bishop of Oxford on ‘Exploring the Beatitudes’ and how these central texts of Christian teaching lead us to be the church of the 3c’s.
  2. 3) The other Diocesan course we studied was how to be Contemplative, Compassionate and Courageous using the ‘Deep Water Fishing’ model of church. This model used by the Diocese owes its understanding to Pope Francis and the book that we used in Lent 2017 called Pope Francis ‘The Church of Mercy’.

In this wonderful book Francis sets out a vision for a church showing God’s mercy to the World. Francis wants us to understand the meaning of throwing out our nets in mission. To not be afraid of ‘Deep Water Fishing’. Francis is aware, that we the poor fishermen have fragile boats and much mended nets and despite our best efforts we seem to fail to catch a single fish! However, Francis knows too that the strength of the church does not depend on its members but on the strength of God. We are called to be the house of mercy, a place of welcome, a place where our weakness as humans is met by God’s patience, mercy and grace. We must seek those encounters of the human meeting the divine, or ‘Thin Places’. 

  1. 4) Bible studies were based on Tom Wright’s ‘Acts for Everyone’ which looks at the early church through the stories of the Apostles following the dramatic conclusion in Luke’s Gospel of the Road to Emmaus and the invitation to know the Risen Lord in the breaking of bread, to feel our hearts burning as we hear afresh the scriptures and to be that church of mercy, welcome, patience and grace. A church that is compassionate, courageous and contemplative.

Blessings

Fr Jeremy