Courses

St. Mary's offers a number of courses, run throughout the year, which are aimed at encouraging Church Members to explore the Christian Faith and its implications for the whole of life. These courses allow exploration particular topics in more detail than can be done within Sunday services and House Groups. 

Explore the various planned courses listed here: 

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  • Alpha Course


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    Got questions? 

    Try the Alpha course, which  creates a space for people to bring friends for a conversation about faith, life, & God. Over 24 million people have tried Alpha in over 100 countries, and it has been translated into over 100 different languages.

    Developed as a short course at Holy Trinity Brompton in London, Nicky Gumbel took over running Alpha in 1990 and found that many people outside of the church wanted to explore the Christian faith. Alpha now runs in every part of the global church, including the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and all mainline Protestant denominations.

    If you were interested in attending our recent Alpha course but couldn't make it along for one reason or another then there is an opportunity to cover the material during lockdown on Monday evenings from 7.45pm. If so, please contact hughbarne@gmail.com for further details or to ask any questions.

  • Discipleship Explored

    Discipleship Explored

    Details of next Course awaited


  • Digging Deeper

    imageLecture/discussion sessions that offer the opportunity to 'dig deeper' into the Bible in relation to an aspect of the Christian life. This year the general theme is "Important Questions" No previous knowledge or experience is required, and the session is pitched at an accessible level, with a friendly and relaxed feel.

    Sessions run from 7.30 pm and are held in St Mary's Church Centre and start with tea and coffee. Contact hughbarne@gmail.com or johnrmcook@btconnect.com for more information / to register interest.


    The first session for 2019-2020 ws on Friday 18th October, and Philippa Wilson addressed the question 'Where was God when that happened?', drawing on her experience of the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
     
    The next session was postponed  from earlier in the year. It took place on Saturday 2nd November, and  incorporated the usual Ladies Breakfast The speaker was Mark Meynell, on the subject "What makes us human?" - and other questions about God, Jesus and human identity.

    The next session on January 17th 2020 was an ‘Important Questions’ event to answer the question "Has Science buried God?"  Oxford University Lecturer and Associate Professor Dr Jonathan Cook  joined us. He is an expert in what science can actually tell us due to his work in medical statistics and clinical trials, and is also a Christian believer. It proved to be a very interesting evening with a true expert. Use the link below to  hear a recording of Jonathan's talk.   
    Digging Deeper Talk - Has Science buried God?Play Download


    The final session was on February 7th, on the subject of "Can we trust the Gospels?"  led by Jacob Rodriguez, who is based at Oxford University while studying aspects of Biblical manuscripts. Jacob's outline script and references for his presentation can be read in the PDF file here. 
    image200207-Can We Trust the Gospels.pdf


    Use the link below to hear a recording of Jacob's talk. 
    Can we trust the Gospels?Play Download

  • Marriage Course

    imageWhat is the marriage course?

    The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage.

    Nicky and Sila Lee, authors of The Marriage Book, developed The Marriage Course for couples looking for practical support to strengthen their relationship. The course is designed to help couples build strong foundations, learn to communicate more effectively and resolve differences well.

    Who is it for?

    The Marriage Course is for couples who are seeking to strengthen their relationship. Some couples do the course to intentionally invest in their relationship, others are looking to address more specific challenges. Either way, the course offers essential tools and practical ideas to help you build a relationship that lasts a lifetime. 

    The Marriage Course is based on Christian principles but designed for all couples with or without a church background. 

    What can you expect?

    On the Marriage Course, you are seated at your own table for two. Each course is unique, but usually every session will include: food, a practical talk and a time for private discussion between you and your partner. 

    You never share anything about your relationship with anyone other than your partner. Background music ensures that you can chat in complete privacy.

    Over seven sessions you will explore:· 

    • Building Strong Foundations - Learn to understand each other’s needs
    • The Art of Communication - How to listen and communicate effective
    • Resolving Conflict - Develop methods to resolve conflict and disagreements 
    • The Power of Forgiveness - Learn how to apologise and forgive as a couple
    • The Impact of Family – Past and Present - Explore the impact of your family on your relationship 
    • Good Sex - Find ways to develop greater sexual intimacy

    The next course will run in 2020. 

    Feel free to contact Salome Laschinger on 0118 940 6308 or salome_laschinger@me.com

  • Parenting Course

    Putting Parenting to Bed

    imageA 3-week parenting course for mums, dads and single parents.  Aimed at parents of preschool and primary aged children, this course looks at different aspects of parenting including: parenting pitfalls, communication, discipline, values and virtues. 

    Look out for dates of the next course or contact  Camilla Cook (camillacook@btconnect.com)

  • Bereavement Care Awareness Course

    Bereavement Care Awareness Course

    imageAs much as we might like to, bereavement is something that we cannot avoid. The Bereavement Care Awareness course has been produced by ‘Care for the Family’ and is designed to help anyone to support people going through bereavement – something that we all have to do at some point. It was delivered by ‘Care for the Family’ trainers Glenda and Di. 

    Contact the Rev Steve, stephen.turville@ntlworld.com or 0118 9016720.

    Venue: St Mary’s Church Centre Cost: £15

  • Christianity Explored


    We all get one life to live and deep down we're all asking the same question - what's it all about? The Christianity Explored course seeks to answer some of the big questions in life such as:

    • Hasn't science shown that Christianity is wrong?
    • If there is a God, why does he allow suffering?
    • Wasn't Jesus just a great teacher?
    • Isn't believing in the resurrection ridiculous?
    • How can a loving God send anyone to hell?
    • Why are Christians so old-fashioned about sex?
    • Aren't all religions basically the same?
    • Doesn't Christianity just cause conflict?

    You won't be asked to sing or pray aloud but will be encouraged to engage in vital questions.
    If you would like to join the group please contact John Cook on 940 2202 or email 

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