Exploring Christianity

Exploring Christianity

Exploring Christianity is a six-module course to help you grow in discipleship, deepen your faith and explore the Bible. 

Do you ever wish you knew more about your faith? Have you ever wondered about how we got our Bible? Do you wish you could answer your neighbours' questions with more clarity? Do you feel you could be more active in the life of your church if you knew more? If so, this course is for you.

Next course dates: Contact Claire Eade at mindevadmin@bristoldiocese.org for more information.

There are six modules covering prayer and spirituality, Old and New Testament, questions of faith and doctrine, ethics and the church. Courses are held across the diocese, there are no age limitations and no previous experience is necessary. Come willing to share your experience and to listen with an open mind. (If you are a very new Christian or not sure if you are a Christian yet, we suggest you try Alpha or a Foundations course first.)

Our Exploring Christianity course is for Christians who are interested in finding out more about their faith. It also fulfils the first two years of training for those exploring licensed Lay Ministry. The course runs following the academic year. There is one module per term for six terms but the course can be joined at the start of any term.

FAQs

How does the course work?

People meet weekly, usually in a church. Each student receives a Study Guide with preparation to complete each week – reading, thinking and reflecting – which takes one–two hours each week. During the tutorial, there will be a discussion of the work done at home. The tutor will also provide additional activities for the group to shape and guide their learning and understanding. Some students will complete assignments. (These are compulsory for LLM candidates, but optional for others.)

Where will the course be held?

Courses are based locally across the diocese. For more details of a course near you please contact the Exploring Christianity course administrator

How much does the course cost?

The cost of each module is £50 (or £25 is a student does not wish to do the assignment). Students are encouraged to buy the module book, which is generally in the region of £20 or less but it is not essential to buy the book. A limited bursary scheme for those students who experience financial hardship is available. Please contact the Exploring Christianity course administrator for more information.

Comments from previous participants

"I have been inspired! You meet new people with different backgrounds, and learn about different styles of worship."

"It has given me confidence in what I believed, and in myself."

"It enlarges your mind. We revisited stories I knew well, but I gained a greater perspective."

"A lot of trust built up in the group."

Module topics

There are six core modules to the course:

Spirituality and Prayer

Explores what is meant by spirituality and prayer.
Discovers and uses some of the rich traditions of the Christian faith.
Shares some of the resources in the life of prayer.

Exploring the Bible – New Testament

Explores parts of the New Testament.
Encourages reading of the New Testament in a communal way.
Explores how to study the New Testament.

Questions of Faith

Studies the history of Christian belief.
Enquires into difficult contemporary questions concerning faith.
Discovers the richness of Christian thinking.

Reshaping the Church

Studies the history of the Christian Church.
Enquires into some difficult contemporary questions concerning Church and culture.
Discovers the richness of some models of the Church.

Exploring the Bible – Old Testament

Gains an overview of the Old Testament story.
Discovers some of the different writing present in the Old Testament.
Grapples with the interpretation of texts from a far away time and culture.

Challenging Choices – Christian Ethics

Helps come to an understanding of the ethical principles implicit and explicit in the Bible.
Discovers how Christian ethics has responded to social change over time.
Discovers how Christian theological positions might be applied to emerging contemporary ethical dilemmas.

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