Very few people these days are active church members. Many have been brought up with only a minimal exposure to the teachings of Jesus Christ and what it means to know him as our Saviour and King. The courses listed below give people an opportunity to hear some of the Gospel message in a friendly environment where they can ask questions and discuss their beliefs with others who are exploring whether Christianity is true.
Start
Some years ago, the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) produced a course, written and devised by the Rev Canon Robin Gamble, called Start. It came out of Robin's parish evangelism in Bradford, so is well suited to inner-city people, although lots of suburban churches are also now using it. People say that, unlike most basics courses, it starts right at the beginning, is very flexible, is well-suited to smaller groups, is easily do-able by most churches, and being only six weeks long, is less demanding than some others. The Department of Mission & Unity has several copies of this course, which can be lent to parishes. Please contact Carol Evans by phone 01634 844508 or email
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. For more information visit www.start-cpas.org.uk.
Alpha
The Alpha course is well established and effective at helping people come to faith. You can buy a set of DVDs and members' handbooks. Other resources include training in how to lead the course. Bear Grylls, TV Adventurer, says: "The Alpha Course has helped so many people find a personal relationship with God & a quiet strength in their life - me included. I have also learnt that it takes a proud man to say he never needs any help! Alpha is a super non-pressured, and fun course, that helps show how Christianity can be relevant and empowering to our lives." For more information visit http://uk.alpha.org.
Christianity Explored
A 10-session course based on Mark’s Gospel that explores who Jesus is, why he came and what it means to follow him. Described as ‘an informal course for people who’d like to investigate Christianity, or just brush up on the basics’, it involves teaching input, Bible study and group discussion. Full resource materials are available, including comprehensive teaching material on CD plus free downloads. The talks are also available on DVD. For more information please visit www.christianityexplored.org/course
Emmaus
The Emmaus course has been used now for many years as a way to introduce people to the Christian faith and to prepare adults for baptism or confirmation. Nurture is a 15-session course aimed at enquirers or new believers. The Leader's book costs £25 and is available from Christian bookshops. It includes a free CD-ROM that contains handouts for all sessions as PDF files; an Emmaus poster; a Powerpoint presentation on Emmaus; and downloadable supplementary material to use in sessions. For more information visit www.chbookshop.co.uk
Credo : A Course For The Curious
This is a seven session course written by Bishop Lindsay Unwin to be used in anglo-catholic churches. It uses video presentations and discussion in small groups to answer the following questions :
1. Was the world 'made' or thrown together by chance- and how do we fit in?
2. Who was Jesus and what sort of person was he?
3. Why is the cross the Christian symbol?
4. Can anyone take the resurrection seriously?
5. Can you be 'in touch' with God now?
6. What's the Church for and what's in it for me?
7. What will heaven be like?
Glad you Asked
Glad You Asked provides a place for people to ask questions, discuss what they believe, and come to their own conclusions about some the most important issues that people are concerned about. Questions include:
- Does God matter?
- Does God exist?
- How can God allow pain?
- Do the differences in religions matter?
- Can the Bible be trusted?
- Why is religion full of hypocrites?
- What was Jesus really like?
The 11-session resource concludes with four sessions that explore the life of Jesus through the questions he asked others. The material is available in several languages and costs £30 for the DVD and leaders' manual. For more information visit www.innovista.org
