Alpha

The Alpha Course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith.  You may never have been to church or you may have been coming a while.  It’s relaxed, low-key, friendly and fun.  It’s an opportunity to ask anything!

Having run two great Alpha courses at St Matthew’s we are going to run our third jointly with Redland Parish Church this Autumn from Thurs 6th Oct – Thurs 8th Dec (with a half-term break on 27th Oct)

Commencing at 7.30pm in Redland Parish Hall, we will begin with tea/coffee & cake & an opportunity to get to know everyone on the course.

How can I be involved?

You may want to come on the course, or invite a friend to come.  There will be invitations available. We also need those who can welcome and host guests and make cakes! If you would like to help lead a small group there are opportunities for this as well. For more info/offers of help etc contact Vicky Wright

Tea and Theologians

Theologians
Augustine of Hippo
Karl Barth
Thomas Cranmer
Julian of Norwich
John Calvin
NT Wright
CS Lewis
Hans von Balthasar
Dietrich Bonheoffer
… and others!

Last year we looked central ideas within Christian Theology, their Biblical roots and the different perspectives which exist with respect to them. This year we are going to focus more on the role of the theologian in combining these ideas into a way of understanding the Christian faith as a whole. The work of the theologian can be compared to that of an artist. Working with the palette of resources provided to them by the Biblical texts and the history of Christian reflection they aim to present a Big Picture, which is coherent, compelling, inspiring, challenging and draws people in to the community and work of the gospel. Just as different artists will paint the same scene in different ways—using different techniques to build up the picture and to draw our attention to particular elements – so the theologian will appeal to scripture or reason or the traditions and experience of the church in different ways, and will try and enable the picture as a whole to speak powerfully of the God whom they love and the Christ that they follow.

3rd Sunday of the month 4.30–6.30

tea cake input discussion