Lent and Easter 2020: Christians in Politics Course

STARTS MONDAY 10TH FEBRUARY AT 7PM SIGN UP FOR A PLACE BELOW
“All over the UK the Church is doing an incredible job. We’re running foodbanks, mentoring at-risk teenagers, counselling those in debt, being friends to the elderly, sheltering the homeless, running parent-toddler groups, homework clubs, music/arts workshops, healing on the streets, sports camps, working with prisoners, community choirs. This is wonderful. But there is a danger. 

Martin Luther King said that as Christians we enjoy being the Good Samaritan on life’s roadside. It often feels good to help someone and see the change up close. But he went on to ask, “Who is going back to the Jericho road?” In other words, who is making sure that no one else gets mugged. Do we need more street lighting? More CCTV cameras? More police on the beat? The thing is that those political decisions happen in fairly dull committees pouring over statistics and reports. Not as exciting as seeing that change right in your face. But if we don’t show up in those places, the Church may spend the next fifty years as the nation’s paramedic, treating the victims of a flawed system but failing to bring righteousness and justice to the system itself.

It’s good to be the Good Samaritan but it’s also good to give him the odd day off. Some of us need to be in the system. Might that be you? Don’t just vote. Show up.”

COURSE OUTLINE

This year's Lent and Easter course is split in to six main topics giving you more ways to engage with our Lenten study outside of our regular pattern of Sunday morning worship. 

Meal Times

At each session we will provide a light meal to share as people arrive. This is normally around a table and will give our participants a chance to get to know each other before we start the discussion. Politics and Religion don't tend to be given a subject matters for the dinner table but we say "why not?" 

​Refreshments will also be provided.

Bible Study

This is a committed time of study and discussion to help people go deeper with our Lent and Easter Course this year. 
Our sessions are intended as good natured discussions about faith and politics, people of all political persuasions are encouraged to attend. ​
​
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

​(Mark 12:30-31)

What to expect.

Each week will involve Bible based input from videos and
talks, group discussion, prayer and a practical activity. Below is the sort of running order you should expect (total time is 1hr 30mins)

Welcome, introductions and food (30 minutes)
Video introduction (2 mins)
Discussion (10 minutes)
Talk (10 minutes)
Discussion (20 minutes)
Conclusion (10 minutes)
Prayer (5 minutes)
  • SHOWUP
  • WHAT IS GOD'S?
  • TRANSFORMATION
  • BEHIND THE SCENES
  • CAN'T AGREE
  • WHAT'S NEXT?
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SESSION ONE
​7pm 10th February
Show Up!
​
This first session will look at how loving our neighbour in the Biblical sense leads to questions which may require political answers. Churches are very often engaged in running local groups and projects as an expression of love for their communities, but perhaps we need to go further in order to seek transformation.

SESSSION TWO
​7pm 24th February
What is God's?
​
This second session will look at how God has authority over all things,
including politics, and what that means for us as Christians. It will address false understandings of a secular-sacred divide in society. This session also emphasises the centrality of good governance in Scripture by taking a tour through the Old and New Testament.

SESSION THREE
7pm 9th March
TRANSFORMATION

​This third session looks at why politics is a part of God’s mission to transform all things. It looks at how we can be a part of that in different spheres of life.

SESSION FOUR
7pm 23rd March
BEHIND THE SCENES

This fourth session looks at the vital role to play behind the scenes for Christians as administrators within
government, locally and nationally.

SESSION FIVE
7pm 27th April
CAN'T AGREE

This fifth session looks at the importance of Christians disagreeing well in politics and how they can be distinctive in that way.

SESSION SIX
7pm Monday 11th May
WHAT NEXT?

This final session will look at what it means to see God’s will be done and his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. It provides a time to reflect on what participants will do next in their political engagement after the course finishes.

    IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PLACE ON THE COURSE PLEASE LET US KNOW BY COMPLETING THE FORM BELOW. THANKS.
Course dates are:

SESSION ONE: MONDAY 10TH FEBRUARY AT 7PM
SESSION TWO: MONDAY 24TH FEBRUARY AT 7PM
SESSION THREE: MONDAY 9TH MARCH AT 7PM
SESSION FOUR: MONDAY 23RD MARCH AT 7PM
SESSION FIVE: MONDAY 27TH APRIL AT 7PM
SESSION SIX: MONDAY 11TH MAY AT 7PM