THEOS - A Deep Learning Space

What is a Disciple?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Theos meets again on Thursday 21st April at 7.30pm Salford Elim Church, Holy Angels, Moorfield Road, Salford M6 7ET. Following the sessions looking at the kingship of Jesus, the goodness of God and the incarnational pattern of ministry, we turn our attention to the central questions that have been raised so far: What, according to the New Testament, is a disciple? What does it mean to disciple someone? How can we do this? What do we need to be careful about? Can you disciple a non-Christian? This will be a very interactive discussion so please come with questions and your point of view. we look forward to seeing you there!

God is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:16:00 +0000

This month at THEOS we'll consider how the incarnation impacts our disciple-making. God's choice of entering into our world in Jesus both reveals his character and provides a model for our own efforts to disciple others. Here are a few questions to get you thinking:

Where is God for you?

How present are you in your day to day life? Are you living in the now or always harking back or leaning forwards?

In which aspects of your life do you feel a strong sense of calling? Where is your 'mission field'?

Looking forward to seeing you next week.

Disciple making and the goodness of God

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Lane) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:45:00 +0000

In our first session, Neil described the central importance of the question 'who is Jesus' in the gospel of John, and how this relates to our calling as disciples and disciple makers.

This week we are going to dig a little more into this, and consider how our view of God, and our experience of his goodness, affects the whole of our lives, and can help us to make disciples.

Some questions to be pondering:

Can you think of examples of how a wrong view of God's character has adversely affected your life, or that of someone you know?

Looking back at the most difficult times in your life, how do you maintain a belief that God is good? Can you see God's goodness even in those moments?

Do you use your own story to encourage others to persevere in tough times?

See you all on Thursday!

A New Beginning: Explorations in Disciple-making

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Theos is back and with a new 6 month course designed to get us making disciples using all the principles we've been learning together in previous meetings.

If Jesus' promise of disciples bearing fruit is going to be a reality, this must mean that we have to learn how to be not only disciples, but disciple-makers.

This course is designed to help people think clearly about what it means to help others grow as disciples, understanding more about God, themselves and the whole discipleship journey.

We'll do this with a mixture of presentations, discussions and exercises that everyone will be able to get involved in. The Gospel of John is going to be the key text for all the sessions and it would be really helpful if people have read through that before they begin the course with us.

Our hope is that the course will inspire you as a disciple and go some way towards equipping you as a disciple-maker of others.

The Theos team is: Andrew Belfield, Neil Hudson, Chris Lane and Anna Thompson.

Venue: Salford Elim, Holy Angels, Moorfield Rd, Salford, M6 7EY

Time: 7.30pm – 9.15pm

20^th Jan

Discipleship Dynamics - Introduction

What do we mean by discipleship anyway? And how does disciple-making work? Do we have any right to expect to be engaged in helping others be shaped in their Christian life? What can we expect from a course like this? These and many other questions will be raised – and answers explored.

17^th Feb

The Goodness of God

Through the ups and downs of life many people (Christian or not) struggle to accept God’s goodness in the face of tragedy or to trust in his right judgement in things outside of our control. Here we’ll address the most significant question we can ask: ‘Who is God?’ Amidst his many names and the numerous facets of his character we build a sure foundation for our disciple making on the persistence of God’s goodness.

Key text: John 3.16

17^th Mar

God Incarnate

God is here! As we explore the way of life modelled by Jesus we discover the choice of God to ‘move into the neighbourhood’ in a particular time and place. As we seek to emulate the way of Jesus we consider the implications of the ‘local’ God to our discipleship and our disciple making; including our own hearts, our community of relationships and our interactions with our culture and society.

Key text: John 1:14

21^st Apr

I am in Christ

In this session we begin to consider the fundamental question ‘who am I?’ Building on the understanding of God gained in the previous two weeks we will consider our nature as children of God existing ‘in Christ’. Discovering both our rights and our responsibilities we will consider the dynamic relationship between the Spirit of Jesus and the believer and identify how we can anchor our lives through a renewed identity and can lead others into a deeper security in Christ.

Key texts: John 15, 2 Cor 5:17

19^th May

I am in Community

How can being part of a community shape us as disciples? What does it need for this to happen? How does this go beyond our common experience of church? Can we see this working out in our everyday church lives? What’s the cost of being in a disciple-making community?

Key text: John 13

16^th Jun

Being Fruitful

What does it mean to bear fruit as disciples? What responsibilities do we have as followers of Jesus? What is the relationship between what God has promised to do and what we have to do? In particular how does this play out in our personal relationships?

Key text: John 15, Gal 5:16-26

Saturday 2^nd Jul

9.30am -1.30pm

Being even more Fruitful

In this final time together we will consider our wider responsibilities. What is God’s intention for how our fruitfulness will extend his kingdom purposes?

We will also conclude the course with some evaluation and a celebration lunch together.

Key texts: John 16, Rev 21-22

To book your place on the course email Andrew Belfield with your name and telephone number ajbelfield@gmail.com by 10^th January.

We look forward to seeing you there and learning together how we can enable discipleship in our communities!

Engaging the powers

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:52:00 +0000

This Tuesday it's our last THEOS before the summer break and Gary Bishop will be concluding our year on the Mission of God by sharing his experiences of engaging with social and political powers in Openshaw, East Manchester.

Through his charity JustLife, Gary has been working closely with statutory agencies to provide safe and humane housing and services to vulnerable adults. Practising hospitality, exposing oppression and standing with the powerless to demand that their voices are heard have been very real practises for Gary and the JustLife team. Through telling their story Gary will help us to think creatively about the ways in which we can engage with the power structures in our communities in order to partner with God in his redemptive plan for our society.

THEOS, Tuesday 8th June, 7.30pm at the Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

It'd be great to see you there!

Taking care

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:46:00 +0000

As we take seriously God's call to join in with him in his mission to restore our broken world it's not long before we encounter brokenness in the people around us.

This month at Theos Roger Sutton will be speaking on Pastoral Care in the Mission of God. We will think together about how to walk alongside people in the ups and downs of life and how to enable people we care for to experience their place in God's big story.

THEOS, 11th May 7.30pm at Nazarene Theological College, Didsbury.

Look forward to seeing you there!

What does the church look like in the mission of God?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:43:00 +0000

Tom Wright suggests that the role of the church is to faithfully improvise its role in God's great 'play' - the great story of the mission of God that we have been discussing over the last few months.

Based on what we know of the story so far - the big themes of Creation, Fall, Israel and Jesus - and where the Bible shows us the story is heading - universal cosmic restoration, peace, justice and reconciliation; how do we improvise our part?

And most importantly for this session what does this mean for the way we do church? Do we see this outworking in our own church communities? What do we notice that God is doing in other church communities that can help us?

Bring your thoughts, ideas and struggles on this subject to Theos tomorrow evening 7.30pm at the Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

See you there!

A Fractured World?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:42:00 +0000

This months at THEOS we will be turning the spotlight on our understanding of 'sacred' and 'secular'.

Are there bits of your life that seem irrelevant or discordant with your faith?

What can we learn about enacting the mission of God in our whole lives from the whole life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He is the ultimate manifestation of mission who united the sacredness of God and the 'secularity' of human life in himself.

Join us tomorrow, 9th March, 7.30pm at the Nazarene Theological College, Dene rd, Didsbury.

Discipleship - The 'Mark' of Following Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Is discipleship really an essential for the Christian or is it just an extra for those who are really interested?

Why does Jesus seem to frame the whole of his mission around the idea of discipleship in Matthew 28?

On Tuesday night at THEOS this is our discussion. It would be excellent if you would join us.

THEOS, Tuesday 10th February 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.www.theosmanchester.co.uk

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:17:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:04:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Just a heads up about our next THEOS gathering on 12th January 7.30pm at Nazarene Theological College, Dene Rd, Didsbury.

This month Trevor Hutton will be sharing with us on The Spirit & the Mission of God.

In all of our discussions on the Mission of God so far the big question for me has been 'how does the Holy Spirit fit in here?' It seems there's a danger either of dimissing the personhood of the Holy Spirit within the coming of God's kingdom by speaking of him/her/it as the force of God in the world. Or limiting our understanding of the Holy Spirit to specific expressions or gifts such as tongues or prophesy that only come into play during the slow songs in a worship time.

There must more to the Holy Spirit than this!

Trevor Hutton is a lecturer at Nazarene Theological College in Church Development & Evangelism and is also Director of Momentum an organisation bringing creative thinking and action to mission and evangelism across the UK.

Should be a good night, I hope to see you there!

THEOS November

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:38:00 +0000

What is the mission of God?

Remember it is Neil Hudson this month and he is going to take the line of Mission, Humanity, Jesus and the story of reconciliation. This with reference to the book 'Mission of God'. Neil is going to be considering us as individuals and our responsibility in making disciples. Should be a great time and I am sure Neil with be stimulating and challenging as ever. This will lead on to Chick Yuill's session next month when he will be taking more of the Mission and the Church emphasis as collective activity.

THEOS, Tuesday 10th November 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

www.theosmanchester.co.uk

What is God up to?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Thompson) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:10:00 +0000

It's the question that on some level the whole world is asking.

In trying to following Jesus in a real and meaningful way we want to know what God's doing and how he wants us to respond or get involved. For people unsure about the reliability of the creator of the universe this is often the cry of their hearts as they look for hope in their world.

This week in THEOS we are starting with the conviction that God is up to something, but we're holding our preconceptions lightly and trying to take a fresh, big picture look at the Bible to figure out just what is the mission of God.

Join us!

THEOS, Tuesday 13th October, 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College... and THEOS Extra afterwards at the pub!

THEOS in October - Tuesday 13th 7:30pm

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

What is the mission of God?

How is the story of that mission told in the Bible?

This month at THEOS Chris Lane and Anna Thompson will be exploring both sides of the Bible asking that very question.

It would be great to see you there.

Also, don't forget, we'll announce the location of THEOS Extra so we can all continue the discussion after THEOS if you so wish.

THEOS, Tuesday 13th October 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

www.theosmanchester.co.uk

Tonight - THEOS

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:34:00 +0000

http://twitpic.com/gvxvx

Tonight we'll all be talking about mission.

Join us...

THEOS, Tuesday 8th September 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

What is the Mission of God?

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:25:00 +0000

What do you think the main mission of the follower of Jesus should be?

Improving the earth...

Getting to heaven...

Neither...

Or something completely different.

Join us as we consider.

THEOS, Tuesday 8th September 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

THEOS is back from its summer holidays

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Hopefully you’ll be back too.

This year at THEOS we’re building on the foundation we laid last year in our discussions about subversive ethics and life as a follower of Jesus. Building from where we left off, we plan this year to talk about ‘mission’. We’re looking forward to a year of great discussions that we hope will challenge us and affect the way we live.

In our first session, on Tuesday 8th of September, David Harvey will be leading a discussion about our views on mission, which will guide us towards October’s session, in which Anna Thompson and Chris Lane will focus on the perspective of mission in the Bible.

Also this year we are introducing THEOS Extra. Immediately after THEOS we will reconvene in a more social environment for a relaxed chat around the subject of the latest teaching. Not everyone will necessarily be able to stay for this, however, we hope this will create an environment that those that wish to can take a little time to talk about the latest teaching. More details about this will be given at THEOS.

Back to this coming THEOS. We are going to be discussing what we think mission is, what it involves and how we should be involved in it. So think about this. When someone asks you, “What is the mission of the church?”, what is your answer?

THEOS, Tuesday 8th September 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

How revealing is Revelation?

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:25:00 +0000

A significant book for all students of New Testament ethics is the book of Revelation. But 'Ethics' or a 'model for living' are not ideas that often spring immediately to mind for most readers of the book.

At THEOS this month as we conclude our year of considering subversive ethics we will discuss how the book of Revelation helps us to understand this issue.

However, one of the main reasons we often don't know what to do with Revelation is because of how we read it, or rather, what type of book it is. So as we prepare for our discussion consider this:

Richard Hays identifies that there have been three principle approaches to Revelation over the years.
1. Predictive – the text is a literal transcript of future historical events.
2. Historical – the text is a commentary on events contemporary to the author written in the apocalyptic genre. Revelation becomes a resistance text like Daniel.
3. Theopoetic – the text is a visionary and poetic representation of the spiritual environment within which the church perennially finds itself living and struggling. It is a theo-ethical rhetoric that disclose God’s truth about the human situation, relevant to any first-century church.

Which approach to Revelation are you most familiar with, and with which do you most agree?

THEOS, Tuesday 14th July 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

THEOS July

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:04:00 +0000

As it's the end of our year considering subversive ethics we wanted to bring the various subjects of the year together. In July we will briefly consider the message of the book of Revelation, one of the most ethically subversive books in the New Testament, then we will have an open discussion of all the subjects we've covered this year.

So if you've still got any thoughts or questions from any of the THEOS sessions you've attended this year, then this will be the time ti discuss them. If you want to help us out, feel free to post your questions as a comment here.

THEOS, Tuesday 14th July 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

Theme for July THEOS

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:40:00 +0000

As promised we said we would announce what would be happening at THEOS in July.

As it's the end of our year considering subversive ethics we wanted to bring the various subjects of the year together. In July we will briefly consider the message of the book of Revelation, one of the most ethically subversive books in the New Testament, then we will have an open discussion of all the subjects we've covered this year.

So if you've still got any thoughts or questions from any of the THEOS sessions you've attended this year, then this will be the time ti discuss them. If you want to help us out, feel free to post your questions as a comment here.

THEOS, Tuesday 14th July 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

Questions from THEOS - Subversive Sex

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Following on from the session Subversive Sex (THEOS 9th June), here are some of the questions we discussed in the forum. Many of these questions build from discussion in Walsh and Keesmaat's Colossians Remixed.

Discuss
1 – What is the difference between betrothed commitment and animal instinct?

2 - Has sex become a commodity like everything else in the Empire? What effect does this have?

3a - Both marriage and community require trust, patience, respect, mutual help, forgiveness - in other words the practice of love, as opposed to the feeling of love. This practice is rooted in the respect of the other, mutuality, self-sacrifice and responsibility for the consequences of sexual love.
3b - Like any industrial or commercial enterprise, industrialised and commercialised sexuality seeks to conquer nature by exploiting it and ignoring the consequences.

4 - An ethic of sexuality rooted in community and fidelity subverts the fragmented world of cold economic efficiency by embracing the ridiculously inefficient life of committed love.

5 - Is there anything more offensive to consumer society than the word ‘enough’?

6 - If we live in a disposable, instant culture, what happens to our sex lives?

7 – Is it just sexual idolatry that we face today?

8 - Can the church proclaim a counter-cultural message of sexuality when it embraces culture in most other areas? (ie. wealth - ownership - equality - prosperity - war and violence - globalism - commercialism - celebrity - politics)

Post your thoughts and comments...

The economics of sex in an instant culture

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I've been thinking about how we've been telling ourselves the same lie for some time now...

"You can build real community in a self-gratifying culture."

The reason we struggle to build community is nothing to do with our community values, it's to do with our individual values. If my happiness, fulfillment and enjoyment is more important than any other's then community won't work.

Will it?

Does community work in economic terms, where I invest and expect interest on my return?

What about relationships? What if we assessed their potential on similar economic terms - 'what's in this for me?' If we did that we'd need legal documents and agreements about how to know if someone was in breach of contract...that wouldn't work, would it?

Would these words bring restoration to a self-gratifying culture...
For richer...
For poorer...
In sickness...
In health...
from this day...

A self-centred culture doesn't like the word 'forever', does it?

Subversive Sex, THEOS, Tuesday 9th June 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

Subversive Sex - THEOS in June

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Can the church proclaim a counter-cultural message of sexuality when it embraces culture in many other departments?

wealth
ownership
equality
prosperity
war and violence
globalism
commercialism
celebrity
politics

Your thoughts?

Subversive Sex, THEOS, Tuesday 9th June 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

A New Vision of Sexuality

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Is there really any space for a biblical view of sexuality anymore? Does the seemingly antiquated view of scripture really work in a 21st century world?

Here are two thoughts for you:
1 - Both marriage and community require trust, patience,respect, mutual help, forgiveness - in other words the practice of love, as opposed to the feeling of love. This practice is rooted in the respect of the other, mutuality, self-sacrifice and responsibility for the consequences of sexual love.
2 - Like any industrial or commercial enterprise, industrialised and commercialised sexuality seeks to conquer nature by exploiting it and ignoring the consequences.

How would a new vision of sexuality subvert the common view? Post your thoughts and comments.

Subversive Sex, THEOS, Tuesday 12th May 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.

Turning the lights back on...

noreply@blogger.com (David Harvey) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:33:00 +0000

We live in a sex crazed culture.

This year at THEOS we've talked about ethics, or how those of us who believe that the world needs restoring should go about doing that.

Essentially, how should a follower of the way live their life.

So what about Sex? All of our ethical discussion have led us towards something of a 'subversive ethic', a way of living that opposes destructive regimes in whatever form they appear.

But we couldn't be subversive with sex, could we? It's not as though sex has been abused by powers and people, or used to manipulate and control, has it? Has sex become destructive?

If we are going to embrace the truth that God is restoring everything, then is it time to ask about the ethics of sex for the follower of Jesus?

Subversive Sex, THEOS, Tuesday 12th May 7.30pm @ Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury.