Our School of Theology takes place once a month as part of our 'Stronger Lives' initiative and was launched in 2011.
This nine week DVD based course looks at the following subjects.

Talk 1 - The Character of God (Dr Graham Tomlin)
Talk 2 - Creation (Dr Jane Williams)
Talk 3 - Sin, Evil and the Fall (Dr Michael Lloyd)
Talk 4 - Incarnation (Dr Jane Williams)
Talk 5 - The Death of Christ (Dr Graham Tomlin)
Talk 6 - Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension (Dr Jane Williams)
Talk 7 - The Holy Spirit (Dr Graham Tomlin)
Talk 8 - The Trinity (Dr Michael Lloyd)
Talk 9 - Fulfilment (Dr Michael Lloyd)

Each session starts at 6:00pm with coffee and cake and a chance to catch up.
At about 6:15 there will be 15 minutes of acoustic worship and then the main session begins with the DVD being shown on a large screen at about 6:30pm. Lecture notes and outlines will be handed out at the begining of the course which cover all the nine sessions.

At 7:30 you will have the opportunity to discuss what has been covered during the teaching session and there will be an opportunity for questions and answers.

Why a Theology Course?

We believe it is important to re-establish theology at the heart of the local church for a variety of reasons. To start, the great theologians of the classic Christian tradition were always rooted in the realities of church life, from Irenaeus in Lyons and Augustine in Hippo to Luther in Wittenberg and Calvin in Geneva. It was originally a discipline of ‘faith seeking understanding,’ not an abstract academic discipline primarily to be conducted in the clinical atmosphere of university classrooms, as
it has often become today. It was therefore a discipline intimately connected with the realities of ordinary people living the Christian life in the context of the church. Theologians were those set apart by the church (and sometimes into an academy which was closely linked to the church) to be its ‘doctors’ – those who reflected on the faith of the church, its experience, life and doctrine, to guard it, teach those entrusted with the cure of souls, and develop it to meet new challenges and questions. Only after the Enlightenment period did theology turn into an increasingly secularised
academy as it also grew distant from the life of the church. We believe that theology desperately needs to return to the heart of the church, both for the sake of theology (to enable it to be connected to into the actual, everyday living of Christian life and for individuals to encounter God), and for the sake of the church (to enable it to bear witness to the grace and rule of God with theological integrity and distinctiveness).

Furthermore, in today’s pluralist society, it is vital that lay Christians are able to thoughtfully articulate their faith and possess the ability to connect their faith with the rest of their lives. Since lay people are often significant contributors to the ministry of local churches, they can benefit from theological study as they learn to connect theological ideas with their ministry practice. We believe that this requires more than just discipleship or ministry training; it requires theological study, which
is one of the primary reasons that the School of Theology courses exist. If lay people have access to theology, it is more likely that their theological understanding has the potential to reach a wider variety of people and affect the local church community that they are engaged with on a regular basis. Otherwise, access to theology would be limited only to those who would study theology at a university or seminary as part of a formal degree of study.

We also believe that by engaging theology within the heart of the local church once more, churches will be equipped to act as educational sources of Christian principles, in addition to the traditional role of a worshipping and mission-oriented community. Currently, synagogue and mosque leaders take this educational role far more seriously than leaders in Christian churches. Our desire is that people who complete the courses will generate a new passion for theology, seek to think deeply about their faith, and continue their theological studies to enrich their own Christian walk and impact the church. The foundational principles of the School of Theology position believers to make a profound difference in the world today.

Who is this for?

This course is for anyone who wants to explore more about their existing faith and gain a better understanding of basic Christian theology. If you are looking to explore Christianity for the first time get in contact and we will let you know when our next Alpha course is starting. We do ask that all participants make every effort to be at all nine sessions.