Alpha

We are now 7 weeks into our 10 week alpha course. It is very surprising how quickly it has gone. On Sunday we went up for our “Alpha Away Day”. It was a great day. Interesting last night to hear how the 3 guys had found it. All of them said they had enjoyed the day and appreciated the opportunity to dwell on things for a longer period of time. I think they were all pretty clear that God had touched them in some way when they were prayed for. Looking back now over the last weeks, this is a different group of people than we thought we had at the start - part of that change is our own misconceptions, but it is also clear that a lot of the change is God’s work in their lives. The idea of working through a process and allowing people time to walk it through in the context of community is deomonstrated to be of crucial importance.

It is because of this fact, and Alpha’s emphasis on it, that it is SO surprising that the teaching on Alpha is so individualistic. even one of the ladies on our Alpha Away Day commented on it “why”, she said “does he only ever talk about ‘me’ and ‘I’ and not the community, surely we are social beings who need each other”. How true! But even more importantly it is a huge New Testament concept that the Holy Spirit fills his house - the community of God - not just the individuals that make up the house. The focus of the course is the individual getting relationship with God, which then has implications for church, which then has implications for the world. That of course should be completely the otyher way round: the gospel is about God’s saving action for the cosmos, which calls out a people, which is made up of individuals.

Ponder on that a while…

Alpha

We are now 7 weeks into our 10 week alpha course. It is very surprising how quickly it has gone. On Sunday we went up for our “Alpha Away Day”. It was a great day. Interesting last night to hear how the 3 guys had found it. All of them said they had enjoyed the day and appreciated the opportunity to dwell on things for a longer period of time. I think they were all pretty clear that God had touched them in some way when they were prayed for. Looking back now over the last weeks, this is a different group of people than we thought we had at the start - part of that change is our own misconceptions, but it is also clear that a lot of the change is God’s work in their lives. The idea of working through a process and allowing people time to walk it through in the context of community is deomonstrated to be of crucial importance.

It is because of this fact, and Alpha’s emphasis on it, that it is SO surprising that the teaching on Alpha is so individualistic. even one of the ladies on our Alpha Away Day commented on it “why”, she said “does he only ever talk about ‘me’ and ‘I’ and not the community, surely we are social beings who need each other”. How true! But even more importantly it is a huge New Testament concept that the Holy Spirit fills his house - the community of God - not just the individuals that make up the house. The focus of the course is the individual getting relationship with God, which then has implications for church, which then has implications for the world. That of course should be completely the otyher way round: the gospel is about God’s saving action for the cosmos, which calls out a people, which is made up of individuals.

Ponder on that a while…

Alpha

We are now 7 weeks into our 10 week alpha course. It is very surprising how quickly it has gone. On Sunday we went up for our “Alpha Away Day”. It was a great day. Interesting last night to hear how the 3 guys had found it. All of them said they had enjoyed the day and appreciated the opportunity to dwell on things for a longer period of time. I think they were all pretty clear that God had touched them in some way when they were prayed for. Looking back now over the last weeks, this is a different group of people than we thought we had at the start - part of that change is our own misconceptions, but it is also clear that a lot of the change is God’s work in their lives. The idea of working through a process and allowing people time to walk it through in the context of community is deomonstrated to be of crucial importance.

It is because of this fact, and Alpha’s emphasis on it, that it is SO surprising that the teaching on Alpha is so individualistic. even one of the ladies on our Alpha Away Day commented on it “why”, she said “does he only ever talk about ‘me’ and ‘I’ and not the community, surely we are social beings who need each other”. How true! But even more importantly it is a huge New Testament concept that the Holy Spirit fills his house - the community of God - not just the individuals that make up the house. The focus of the course is the individual getting relationship with God, which then has implications for church, which then has implications for the world. That of course should be completely the otyher way round: the gospel is about God’s saving action for the cosmos, which calls out a people, which is made up of individuals.

Ponder on that a while…

Holidays

I am a bit surprised that we have not seen a blog here from Col after the epic footy match on Wednesday night! what a match that was! After the first half it looked like it was gonna be an embarrassment, maybe 6 or 7 nil. Then they come ouit after half-time a different team [i am not saying which side came out a different team mind you ;o)]. Fifteen minutes into the second half and we were laughing with disbelief - stupiud foul in the penalty area and Liverpool have a penalty to go 3 all. Then even the penalty took two hits to go in! This could be Liverpool’s night!

And it was!

Fantastic evening’s entertainment. Makes you believe God created sport! “A theology of Sport” - hmmm i’ll think on that one!

Tomorrow we go on holiday. A weeks camping with my mum and dad. It’ll be great. I just hope the weather is resonable! Check here if you want to check up on our weather! That is not to say that there will be no blogs here, I might try and put a few surprises in!! Especially on the 1st of June…

Holidays

I am a bit surprised that we have not seen a blog here from Col after the epic footy match on Wednesday night! what a match that was! After the first half it looked like it was gonna be an embarrassment, maybe 6 or 7 nil. Then they come ouit after half-time a different team [i am not saying which side came out a different team mind you ;o)]. Fifteen minutes into the second half and we were laughing with disbelief - stupiud foul in the penalty area and Liverpool have a penalty to go 3 all. Then even the penalty took two hits to go in! This could be Liverpool’s night!

And it was!

Fantastic evening’s entertainment. Makes you believe God created sport! “A theology of Sport” - hmmm i’ll think on that one!

Tomorrow we go on holiday. A weeks camping with my mum and dad. It’ll be great. I just hope the weather is resonable! Check here if you want to check up on our weather! That is not to say that there will be no blogs here, I might try and put a few surprises in!! Especially on the 1st of June…