| Going Deeper
"An opportunity to
learn, think and apply faith to all of life "
What is “Going Deeper”
“Going Deeper” is a unique, home grown course that is being run
in Bruntsfield Evangelical Church during 2006/07.
Going Deeper could be a key way to grow as a Christian over the
next year -ensuring that the faith you hold to is solid, biblical and
applied to all of life.
If you are keen to grow in your faith and in your knowledge of
God then the course is for you – whether you are a new or a more
experienced Christian .
What, when, and for how long?
The course will consist of 16 sessions, divided into 4 distinct
parts.
The four parts are:
1. Christianity and Salvation
2. Learning from the history of Christianity
3. How does God want us to live?
4. Relating to people of other religions and none
We have fixed dates for the first part, Christianity and Salvation.
Each session will be on a Tuesday, fortnightly, from 7 to 9pm.
Timings and dates for subsequent sessions will be arranged
soon. All sessions will take place in Bruntsfield Evangelical
Church.
How has this come about?
The elders have been thinking and praying about discipleship in
the church over recent months. We have sought God’s will for
how we can provide more opportunities for those associated with
BEC to develop in their faith.
While this discussion was ongoing, Victor Ezigbo approached the
elders about a desire to run a discipleship course. We believe
that the timing was no co-incidence, and are delighted that Victor
has conceived and designed “Going Deeper” and has agreed to
lead the course during his time with us at BEC.
Format and practicalities
The course will be interactive and participative. There will be
plenty of opportunity for discussion, questions and debate.
Victor will prepare course notes in advance of each part of the
course, and some suggested reading material will also be
provided.
The course is free. The church will be meeting all costs, as the
course is seen as a key part of our ministry – developing
disciples of Jesus Christ.
Coffee, tea, cold drinks and nibbles will be provided during each
session.
Victor Ifeanyi Ezigbo is a Nigerian preacher and theologian. He has
studied philosophy and theology in Nigeria, America and Britain. Recently
married in Nigeria to Ada, he has returned to Edinburgh to continue his PhD
research in systematic and contextual theology at the University of Edinburgh.
He is a member of BEC. He loves to teach the Bible and consider how it
applies to life in both Africa and the West. His interests not only include
philosophy and theology but also playing football and watching movies.
Why run “Going Deeper”
Our purpose as a church is to worship God, to introduce others
to Jesus and to become more and more in every way like Jesus.
To truly worship God we need to know who we are worshipping.
How do we worship? What do we worship him for?
To introduce others to Jesus we need to understand the
message of Jesus. What is that message at its core? How we
have been asked to communicate it? How is the message
relevant in a society that seems to have little knowledge of God,
and little interest in Christianity?
To become more and more like Jesus we need to spend time with
him. Going deeper into God’s word. Understanding and
applying biblical truth to our lives now.
The prayer of the elders at BEC is that this course would help us,
as individuals and as a church, to go deeper in our faith and
knowledge of Jesus. If that is your desire then, whether you are
a young or an old Christian, this course could be for you.
Course Overview
Part 1: Christianity and Salvation
The following questions will shape the structure and contents of
this part:
• Is there a need for salvation as Christianity teaches?
• Who needs salvation?
• On what basis are people saved?
• What is the role of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in
salvation?
• What is the responsibility of people in procuring their
salvation? What is the fate of those who have never heard
the gospel?
• What is the hope of people who are saved?
• What are the charges against Christianity’s teaching about
salvation?
Part 2: Learning from the History of Christianity
This part will be a brief survey of the history of the Christian
Church from 2nd century AD to 21st century AD. We will pay
attention to crucial turning points and will also highlight the
major theological themes (doctrines, beliefs, and opinions) and
controversies.
We will consider what can be learned from the past that can
equip us for the future. Roughly, this part will be divided into the
following segments:
• The Early Church Fathers;
• Medieval/Scholastic period
• Reformation era;
• Modern/Enlightenment era;
• Postmodernism/contemporary story of the Christian church
• Where does BEC fit in, looking back and looking forward.
Part 3: How does God want us to live?
In this part we will explore:
• What is God’s plan for the world, and how can we play a part
in it?
• What is his plan for our lives?
• What can we learn from looking at the lives of other
Christians and the practice of the Christian mission in the
19th and 20th centuries focusing on some Scottish missionary
movements?
Download the programme for part three of the
course here Part 4: Relating to persons of other Religions and none
In this part we will explore how Christians are to relate to people
of other religions, faiths and people who confess no religion.
Christians in the West are now facing in an astonishing way the
threat of religious pluralism and secularism. These two parallel
ideologies are now shaping conversations both in private and
public spheres.
Response Form
If you are interested in attending the
course or in finding out more information then please submit the form below.
You can download a
printable flyer (pdf format) for our Going Deeper discipleship course run by Victor Ezigbo
by clicking Here.
|
