Introduction to Theology provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible, the history and doctrine of the church, and the shape and task of Christian living today.
This course is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about faith and discipleship and is not limited to those exploring a ministry role. Here's a bit more information about the course:
- Module 1 Faith, Hope and Love and the Witness of the Scriptures
- Module 2 The Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer: Two Essential Summaries of Christian Faith and Hope
- Module 3 The call and Cost of Discipleship
The 15-week course is structured in three modules, each consisting of five sessions.
These will all take place online via Zoom, on Monday evenings throughout the year, from 6.45 - 9.00pm
Book your place here: elydatabase.org/events/mission_ministry
Dates for the 2025 Course
Module 1
- Session 1 - 3 November 2025
- Session 2 - 10 November 2025
- Session 3 - 17 November 2025
- Session 4 - 24 November 2025
- Session 5 - 1 December 2025
Module 2
- Session 1 - 12 January 2026
- Session 2 - 19 January 2026
- Session 3 - 26 January 2026
- Session 4 - 2 February 2026
- Session 5 - 9 February 2026
Module 3
- Session 1 - 13 April 2026
- Session 2 - 20 April 2026
- Session 3 - 27 April 2026
- Session 4 - 11 May 2026
- Session 5 - 18 May 2026
Course outline
Module 1 – Faith, Hope and Love and the Witness of the Scriptures
This Module sets a foundation for understanding how the Bible witnesses to God’s nature, intention and actions and how this can shape our beliefs, hopes and actions.
- Session 1 – Introduction: faith, hope and love and understanding the Bible in context.
- Session 2 – The nature of God in the Old Testament: Creator, Covenant maker (Sustainer) and Peace-Giver (Redeemer)
- Session 3 – Freedom, identity, and redemption: The experiences of exile in Isaiah of Jerusalem and Second Isaiah
- Session 4 – Discipleship through the eyes of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels
- Session 5 – Scripture as witness in John’s Gospel and the Letter to the Galatians
Module 2 – The Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer: Two Essential Summaries of Christian Faith and Hope
This module sets the foundation for an exploration of theology. We explore how the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer complement each other to bring a comprehensive understanding of Christian faith and discipleship.
- Session 1 – Introduction to the Creeds and the Lord’s Prayer
- Session 2 – The Nature of God and Jesus in the Nicene Creed and how reciting the Nicene Creed can transform us
- Session 3 – The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Church
- Session 4 – The nature of grace in the Lord’s Prayer and the Nicene Creed
- Session 5 – Christian tradition meets contemporary life: Transforming what we do in the World (Liberation Theology)
Module 3 - The call and Cost of Discipleship
This module addresses how our beliefs and hopes inform our choices, and how we seek to reflect Christ through loving actions.
- Session 1 – How do we make our mind up as a disciple of Christ?
- Session 2 – What sources and tools do we use to make decisions?
- Session 3 – Deontology – ethics arising from commands and moral obligation
- Session 4 – Taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions
- Session 5 – Virtue Ethics – Developing a flourishing character to serve the church as a community of grace