Category Archives: Study

MCC Europe Network Gathering 2012 – 2nd to 4th November 2012

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Sedgley Park Centre, ManchesterWe return, for the 3rd year running, to the lovely Sedgley Park Centre in Manchester for our Network Gathering over the weekend of 2nd-4th November 2012.

The centre boasts en suite accommodation, 60 single rooms, 14 doubles and five twin rooms. Two rooms are adapted for wheelchair users. Those with mobility problems but who don’t need a fully adapted room can request a ground floor room.

The chapel can seat 120 people comfortably and has all the audio visual equipment we need. There is a selection of smaller rooms for workshops, and the bar will be open on Friday and Saturday nights.

There is ample, safe parking for cars.  Camper vans can not be welcomed if they are used to sleep in, as the site is not licensed for camping.

A variety of dietary needs can be catered for. Just let us know your needs on the booking form.

The cost is just £70 per person, which includes your accommodation and breakfast each day. Lunch and dinner are on a pay-as-you-eat basis. Extra nights’ accommodation is just £35 per night.

There will be a day for clergy on Friday, so clergy should aim to come for Thursday evening.

Details:
www.tinyurl.com/networkgathering2012

In order to book, simply go to our booking page:
sites.google.com/site/mccnetworkgathering/booking

If you need to contact anyone about the conference:
please email JasonONeill@MCCchurch.net.

Booking questions only:
please email Andy Braunston mcc.network.gathering@gmail.com

A Book Club – to help us explore a bit of theology

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A Bit of Theology?

Some people have asked if we could explore some theology together and we’d like to do this using a “book club” format.

The Idea

We are offering a bi-monthly Book Club where we can talk about some theology and religious ideas and apply them to our own context.  We want to spend time exploring how different ideas from a range of theological writers can stimulate our own faith (either as we agree or disagree with them) as we work out what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus in our own contexts – often as LGBT people.  It’s good to be able to deepen our faith and explore the depths and riches of our Christian tradition as it helps us:

  • grow as Christians,
  • think about whether we agree or disagree with each other and the particular writer we’re looking at,
  • deepen our own faith journey as we explore, question and think.

Some people get a bit worried when they hear the word “theology”, but don’t worry – we will choose books which are easy to understand yet deep enough to stimulate some good discussion.  The books will be inexpensive, easy to get hold of and useful to keep as they will help deepen our faith and understanding of it.

So, every other month, after the Sacred Space service, we will look at some ideas in a book that we’ve read beforehand.  We can post some ideas about the book and the author online first giving us some ideas to work with.

By having the session after the Sacred Space service we’re making use of our existing booking of the church and allowing time for prayer and reflection as well as for discussion and thinking.  The plan is a 7.30 sharp (!) start for the Sacred Space service; tea and coffee at 8pm; and then from 8.15pm – 9.15pm discussion on the book.  Those who don’t want to come to both can easily come to just Sacred Space (7.30) or just the Book Club (8.15) with the refreshment break serving as an opportunity to arrive or depart.

We will try this on 6th December and 17th January – details are below.    If the idea develops, we will try and use books which are easily available either in print or electronically for download.  Please let Andy know if you would like to be part of this and if you have any suggestions for books worth including in the future programme.

Book Club – sessions 1 and 2

We will kick off the first Book Club meeting at 8.15pm on Tuesday 6th December with C S Lewis’s classic, and funny book The Screwtape Letters.  This is available from Amazon.co.uk for just £5.50 or for download to a Kindle electronic reader for £4.50.

It is a set of letters from a highly placed demon who is an assistant to the Devil, “Our Father Below”, to a younger, more inexperienced demon who is seeking to tempt and turn a Christian away from his faith.  It’s a very good presentation of theology, is very funny and quite a light read whilst, at the same time, is deeply spiritual.  It’s a short book and won’t take long to read but you should allow time to order it and for it to arrive if you want to come to the session on 6th December.

The next book, which we will look at at 8.15pm on Tuesday 17th January 2012, is Surprised by Hope by Tom Wright.  Wright has just retired as the Anglican bishop of Durham and is one of the most popular theologians writing today.  He seeks to re-present traditional doctrines in ways which make sense to contemporary people and is a hero for evangelicals – even though he isn’t that evangelical really.

Surprised by Hope looks at the traditional Christian view of what happens when we die and argues that this is a two stage process (just as we sang in the hymn For All the Saints recently) of rest/paradise being followed by resurrection and a new heaven and a new earth.  It’s quite different from popular notions that we become angels or sit on clouds playing harps!  This book is available at around £12 new or about £8 used.  An e-book version is available for just over £10.  It’s an easy read.  Wright uses a clear accessible style and explains his ideas well.

Session 3

On 13th March 2012 the Book Club will look at the Dalai Lama’s Freedom in Exile.  This is available new in paperback for around £6 or can be obtained very cheaply second hand (e.g. 1p plus £2.70 postage and packing from Amazon UK).

This is His Holiness’s autobiography.  Believing himself to be born as the latest in a long line of reincarnated Dali Lamas, His Holiness recounts his childhood, being discovered as the latest Dalai Lama, moving to the palace in Lhasa, his education as a Buddhist monk, and the early years of his reign when the Chinese invaded to make Tibet part of China.

Since fleeing Tibet in the 1950s he has served as the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetans and has toured the world seeking to raise awareness of the plight of Tibetans in China as well as teaching Tibetans in exile.

Session 4

On 22nd May 2012 we will be discussing Jeanette Winterson’s powerful autobiography Why be happy when you can be normal?  This is available in both print and e-book format for around £7.

Update – March 2012

We have started to use an online companion to our church Book Club.

The instructions below look more complicated than they really are.  Please don’t be put off before you try.

Much of what will happen is entirely intuitive, but it looks complicated because I have covered as many eventualities as possible, just in case you do get stuck at some point.

The benefits of having an online home for the Book Club are:

  • It provides us with one place to look for past, present and future activities within the club, including dates of meetings and titles scheduled for our reading list.
  • It gives space to share ideas, impressions and comments about what we’re reading as we go along, as well as the conclusions we reached as individuals and as a group when we finished a particular title.  Hopefully this will serve to keep the club ticking over between the actual meetings.
  • It gives a way of being involved in the club and staying connected with other members even if we can’t attend some of the real-life meetings in person.

If these ideas appeal to you, follow the link below.

http://www.my-bookclub.com/bookclub/mcc-manchester/

In order to become a member of the online MCCM bookclub, you will first need to register as a member of the my-bookclub.com web site.

1.  Joining my-bookclub.com 

1.1  Click on the large button ‘Sign up or login to join this club’ and you will arrive at a registration page.

1.2  An easy way to register is to use the option to sign in with your Facebook account.  However, if you don’t have a Facebook account, you can simply complete the bottom section of the registration page and tick the various terms and conditions agreements.

1.3  When you click the ‘Register’ button, you will be taken to an ‘Edit your details’ page where you are invited to add extra information to your profile on ’my-bookclub.com’.  You do not need to add any further information at this stage if you prefer not to – *except for* the birth month and birth year fields which are mandatory and to which the page will throw you back if you try to move on without entering data in these two fields.  You can revisit your profile and add/amend other details at any time via the My Profile button at the top of each page.

1.4  The email preferences in section 4 are ticked by default.  You may wish to review these before moving on.

1.5  Just click on the ‘Save details and continue’ button at the bottom of the page when you are ready.

1.6  You will also find that, by now, the system has sent an email to the email address you gave when registering asking you to confirm that you wish to subscribe to the ’my-bookclub.com’ service.  Simply click the ‘Yes, subscribe me to this list’ button and the system will respond with an email confirming your userid and key profile information.  You can now start joining bookclubs within my-bookclub.com.

2.  Joining the MCC Manchester Book Club

2.1  In your web browser, you will now be brought back to the MCCM Book Club page but, as you are now a registered member of my-bookclub.com, there is an option ‘Apply to join this club’ near the top of the page inside the ‘Status…’ box.

2.2  When you click this link, you are taken to a screen with a default message which will be sent to the Club administrator when you click the ‘Send Application’ button.  You can amend/add to this message if you wish simply to personalise it a little.  A pop-up shows when the application has been sent.

2.3  The administrator will then authorise your request to join the club, you will get an email to this effect, and you will now have full access to the content of the Club’s pages within my-bookclub.com.

3.  What you can do when you’ve joined the club

3.1  Calendar - You can see the schedule of events for the Club.  By clicking on an event the system gives the book title planned for discussion at that meeting.

3.2  Discussions - You can start discussions on new topics, or by clicking on an existing discussion you can add your own viewpoint to it.  The original author of a discussion can choose whether it is visible by anyone in my-bookclub.com or whether it can only be seen by members of our Club.  Even if it is visible to all my-bookclub.com users, it can only be added to by members of our particular Club.

3.3  The club’s bookshelf - This serves as the club’s ‘library’ and holds the book details of the titles that the Club has discussed, is presently reading, or plans to read in the future.

3.3  Your profile - This holds information about you as a member of my-bookclub.com and can be useful if you wish to join other clubs or share views within the my-bookclub system.

3.4  Your bookshelf - This serves as your own personal ‘library’ and can contain as many or as few of the books you own as you may choose to include.  You can also write reviews for the titles on your bookshelf, and can give star ratings to titles on your own bookshelf or on the bookshelves of any of the clubs you belong to.

3.5  Messaging and Chat - You can send emails from within the system to other members of the Club (the system delivers messages to the email address that each member gave when signing up), and you can use online real-time chat with any members who are signed into the Club at the same time as you are.

3.5  Joining other clubs - The my-bookclub.com system is a comparatively new network but there may be other online bookclubs within my-bookclub.com that you may wish to join.  Details of other clubs are accessed via the ‘My Community’ button.  Or you could set up your own club for another group or social network to which you belong.

Have fun!

Feedback

Andy would really appreciate expressions of interest in the Book Club idea, so please let him know if you are interested or if you have any suggestions.  Contact details are here.

Bible Studies on Paul’s Views on Homosexuality – November and December 2011

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We are going to have three bible study sessions looking at the passages in Paul’s letters which are widely considered to relate to homosexuality.  All sessions take place at 8pm in church.

  • The first, on Wednesday 30th November will look at the passages and what we think of them.
  • The second, on Wednesday 14th December, will look at what contemporary scholars think Paul may have meant in his writings – some people don’t think he meant lesbians in Romans 1:26, some think he referred to pederastic relationships or relationships between slave owners and their slaves, others think he meant temple prostitutes.  We will look at these ideas, see why people think this and discuss them.
  • A third session, on Wednesday 21st December will reflect on whether any of these contemporary views have changed our own thinking about these texts.

If you’d like to come along please let Andy know; please also let him know if you’d like more of this type of Bible study – we can plan some for next year!  Thank you for all those who have already said that you’d be interested in taking part.

Contact details are here.  Location details are here.  Facebook users are welcome to complete our short opinion poll about Paul and sexuality here.

Update

Notes from Discussion on 30th November 2011

Romans 1

  • Written to the church in Rome in the context of some mad emperors.
  • Roman sex regulated.  Sexual rules strict around passive and active roles giving or taking away status.  Pederasty rampant.
  • God inflicts punishment of homosexuality not for!
  • Free will means God lets us get on with it.
  • Christianity still young, idol worship still prevalent this was Paul’s concern.
  • Doesn’t read gay people into this passage.  Sex talk about sexual practice ie homoeroticism not gay identity as that is a modern phenomenon.
  • His concern was power imbalance in relationships.  Did “gay identity” exist in ancient world?
  • “Shameless acts” is about anal sex.  All this was beyond what was acceptable for men in Paul’s view.  Was Paul taking the piss?

Turning the tables on his readers? Because of start of chapter 2

  • It’s about the cultic practices of worship of Cybele.
  • How precise is Greek?
  • The important part of the passage is “Salvation is open to all” and “who are you to judge”.

What do you make of the Passage?

  • Others used it to make me feel guilty
  • Have a reverse understanding, I am suspicious of translations.  It was written by a fallible human being and I differentiate from Jesus – the Gospels have more authority.
  • Hard not to be affected by it.  At first it was what others said about it that affected me.  Don’t think he is talking about loving relationships was about something else.
  • Ironic that homophobes still use it when the context is so different now.
  • Thinks people don’t know the passage, makes me feel sick, I avoid reading it, it makes me angry.
  • My illness was blamed on my sexuality due to this passage.
  • Does Jesus talk about homosexuality? The Bible is never quite what we make of it, God is not against love.
  • Most hurtful is the way we’re reduced to sex.  Biblical message as a whole is good for lgbt people.  Truth is found when we read the Bible in a group and allow different perspectives to come forth.
  • But it’s hard to keep the argument going about pro-gay Christianity in the face of opposition.
  • I am surprised at the imprecise nature of the translation.
  • The bible is an oral work – it’s meant to be read aloud.

1  Corinthians 6 

  •  It’s easy to deal with this  – just point to the ambiguity in translation.
  • I’m glad we’re not at the top of Paul’s list!
  •  This is used against us in evangelical circles as they are taught this passage a lot.
  • Romans and Corinthians didn’t bother him but had an emotional reaction to Rev 22:15 as some translations have “homosexual dogs”.
  • It’s clear that it’s about gay sex but what Paul knew about gay sex was bad and abusive.

“Going deeper” – an online discussion about Christ of Saint John of the Cross – Wednesday 6th July 2011, 7.30pm via Skype

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If you haven’t already done so, please see our news item about the Seeing Salvation sermon series which we are running throughout the summer.  This explains how we plan to look at 10 paintings during our weekly sermons and seek to discover the artist’s own spiritual meaning behind the work.

As a follow-up to each sermon we will offer a short (30 minutes) online discussion – via Skype – in which we will share our thoughts and feelings about the paintings and the ideas they evoke in us.  In this way, we hope to “go deeper” by reflecting on the ideas we touch on in the series.  In order to do this we suggest you study the image itself, read the sermon for the week in question (or listen to the audio version), view a short video presentation on YouTube,  and then join us for a discussion using the free internet phone call software Skype.  All the links you will need for this activity are given below.

For the ’Going Deeper’ session, Wednesday 6th July 2011, 7.30pm to 8.00pm, looking at Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dali (preached Sunday 3rd July 2011):

If you want to join the discussion please let Andy know in advance, by email (revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk)  before 7pm on discussion day, so he will be ready to include you on the conference call.

You have two alternatives methods for connecting with the conference call.  If you want the call to be completely free, then you will need to have the Skype software installed on your computer – it’s free to download and use – and you will need to have Andy listed as a contact.  You can find him within Skype via his email address: revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk   Full details are given on our Skype Help page.

Alternatively if you don’t want the hassle of downloading another piece of software onto your computer, you can pay the cost of a local telephone call and connect with the conference call by dialling 0161 408 0131 on your phone.  This will connect you to Andy via his Skype account and he will be able to add you into the conference call, but you will be paying your normal call rate for 0161 numbers throughout the duration of the call.  If you call this number at 7.30pm Andy will add you to the conference.

If you decide to install Skype software on your computer, in order to participate effectively in the discussion, please:

  • Make sure your computer is fully booted-up and that you have logged in to your own Skype account by 7.20pm, so that Andy can see your online status and can start to put the conference call together.
  • Do not Skype-call Andy or attempt to join the conference call yourself.  Wait until Andy Skype-calls you, and be prepared to wait online for a few minutes until all the remaining participants are brought into the conference.
Whether you join the conference call via Skype, or via the dedicated phone number, please bear in mind that an online audio conference gives you no visual clues from other participants about when they might wish to speak; so please be prepared for Andy to ‘chair’ the discussion and to call upon people to speak in a structured way.  This approach ensures that everyone can be heard and everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.  Skype conferences cannot cope with two participants speaking simultaneously – nobody hears anything properly.

“Going deeper” – an online discussion about The Washing of the Feet – Wednesday 29th June 2011, 7.30pm via Skype

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If you haven’t already done so, please see our news item about the Seeing Salvation sermon series which we are running throughout the summer.  This explains how we plan to look at 10 paintings during our weekly sermons and seek to discover the artist’s own spiritual meaning behind the work.

As a follow-up to each sermon we will offer a short (30 minutes) online discussion – via Skype – in which we will share our thoughts and feelings about the paintings and the ideas they evoke in us.  In this way, we hope to “go deeper” by reflecting on the ideas we touch on in the series.  In order to do this we suggest you study the image itself, read the sermon for the week in question (or listen to the audio version), view a short video presentation on YouTube,  and then join us for a discussion using the free internet phone call software Skype.  All the links you will need for this activity are given below.

For the ’Going Deeper’ session, Wednesday 29th June 2011, 7.30pm to 8.00pm, looking at The Washing of the Feet by Sieger Köder (preached Sunday 26th June 2011):

If you want to join the discussion please let Andy know in advance, by email (revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk)  before 7pm on discussion day, so he will be ready to include you on the conference call.

You have two alternatives methods for connecting with the conference call.  If you want the call to be completely free, then you will need to have the Skype software installed on your computer – it’s free to download and use – and you will need to have Andy listed as a contact.  You can find him within Skype via his email address: revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk   Full details are given on our Skype Help page.

Alternatively if you don’t want the hassle of downloading another piece of software onto your computer, you can pay the cost of a local telephone call and connect with the conference call by dialling 0161 408 0131 on your phone.  This will connect you to Andy via his Skype account and he will be able to add you into the conference call, but you will be paying your normal call rate for 0161 numbers throughout the duration of the call.  If you call this number at 7.30pm Andy will add you to the conference.

If you decide to install Skype software on your computer, in order to participate effectively in the discussion, please:

  • Make sure your computer is fully booted-up and that you have logged in to your own Skype account by 7.20pm, so that Andy can see your online status and can start to put the conference call together.
  • Do not Skype-call Andy or attempt to join the conference call yourself.  Wait until Andy Skype-calls you, and be prepared to wait online for a few minutes until all the remaining participants are brought into the conference.
Whether you join the conference call via Skype, or via the dedicated phone number, please bear in mind that an online audio conference gives you no visual clues from other participants about when they might wish to speak; so please be prepared for Andy to ‘chair’ the discussion and to call upon people to speak in a structured way.  This approach ensures that everyone can be heard and everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.  Skype conferences cannot cope with two participants speaking simultaneously – nobody hears anything properly.

“Going deeper” – an online discussion about The Hospitality of Abraham – Wednesday 22nd June 2011, 7.30pm via Skype

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If you haven’t already done so, please see our news item about the Seeing Salvation sermon series which we are running throughout the summer.  This explains how we plan to look at 10 paintings during our weekly sermons and seek to discover the artist’s own spiritual meaning behind the work.

As a follow-up to each sermon we will offer a short (30 minutes) online discussion – via Skype – in which we will share our thoughts and feelings about the paintings and the ideas they evoke in us.  In this way, we hope to “go deeper” by reflecting on the ideas we touch on in the series.  In order to do this we suggest you study the image itself, read the sermon for the week in question (or listen to the audio version), view a short video presentation on YouTube,  and then join us for a discussion using the free internet phone call software Skype.  All the links you will need for this activity are given below.

For the ’Going Deeper’ session, Wednesday 22nd June 2011, 7.30pm to 8.00pm, looking at The Hospitality of Abraham (preached Sunday 19th June 2011):

If you want to join the discussion please let Andy know in advance, by email (revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk)  before 7pm on discussion day, so he will be ready to include you on the conference call.

You have two alternatives methods for connecting with the conference call.  If you want the call to be completely free, then you will need to have the Skype software installed on your computer – it’s free to download and use – and you will need to have Andy listed as a contact.  You can find him within Skype via his email address: revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk   Full details are given on our Skype Help page.

Alternatively if you don’t want the hassle of downloading another piece of software onto your computer, you can pay the cost of a local telephone call and connect with the conference call by dialling 0161 408 0131 on your phone.  This will connect you to Andy via his Skype account and he will be able to add you into the conference call, but you will be paying your normal call rate for 0161 numbers throughout the duration of the call.  If you call this number at 7.30pm Andy will add you to the conference.

If you decide to install Skype software on your computer, in order to participate effectively in the discussion, please:

  • Make sure your computer is fully booted-up and that you have logged in to your own Skype account by 7.20pm, so that Andy can see your online status and can start to put the conference call together.
  • Do not Skype-call Andy or attempt to join the conference call yourself.  Wait until Andy Skype-calls you, and be prepared to wait online for a few minutes until all the remaining participants are brought into the conference.
Whether you join the conference call via Skype, or via the dedicated phone number, please bear in mind that an online audio conference gives you no visual clues from other participants about when they might wish to speak; so please be prepared for Andy to ‘chair’ the discussion and to call upon people to speak in a structured way.  This approach ensures that everyone can be heard and everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.  Skype conferences cannot cope with two participants speaking simultaneously – nobody hears anything properly.

“Going deeper” – an online discussion about Captive Daughter of Zion – 16th June 2011, 7.30pm via Skype

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If you haven’t already done so, please see our news item about the Seeing Salvation sermon series which we are running throughout the summer.  This explains how we plan to look at 10 paintings during our weekly sermons and seek to discover the artist’s own spiritual meaning behind the work.

As a follow-up to each sermon we will offer a short (30 minutes) online discussion – via Skype – in which we will share our thoughts and feelings about the paintings and the ideas they evoke in us.  In this way, we hope to “go deeper” by reflecting on the ideas we touch on in the series.  In order to do this we suggest you study the image itself, read the sermon for the week in question (or listen to the audio version), view a short video presentation on YouTube,  and then join us for a discussion using the free internet phone call software Skype.  All the links you will need for this activity are given below.

For the ’Going Deeper’ session, Thursday 16th June 2011, 7.30pm to 8.00pm, looking at Captive Daughter of Zion (preached Sunday 12th June 2011):

If you want to join the discussion please let Andy know in advance, by email (revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk)  before 7pm on discussion day, so he will be ready to include you on the conference call.

You have two alternatives methods for connecting with the conference call.  If you want the call to be completely free, then you will need to have the Skype software installed on your computer – it’s free to download and use – and you will need to have Andy listed as a contact.  You can find him within Skype via his email address: revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk   Full details are given on our Skype Help page.

Alternatively if you don’t want the hassle of downloading another piece of software onto your computer, you can pay the cost of a local telephone call and connect with the conference call by dialling 0161 408 0131 on your phone.  This will connect you to Andy via his Skype account and he will be able to add you into the conference call, but you will be paying your normal call rate for 0161 numbers throughout the duration of the call.  If you call this number at 7.30pm Andy will add you to the conference.

If you decide to install Skype software on your computer, in order to participate effectively in the discussion, please:

  • Make sure your computer is fully booted-up and that you have logged in to your own Skype account by 7.20pm, so that Andy can see your online status and can start to put the conference call together.
  • Do not Skype-call Andy or attempt to join the conference call yourself.  Wait until Andy Skype-calls you, and be prepared to wait online for a few minutes until all the remaining participants are brought into the conference.
Whether you join the conference call via Skype, or via the dedicated phone number, please bear in mind that an online audio conference gives you no visual clues from other participants about when they might wish to speak; so please be prepared for Andy to ‘chair’ the discussion and to call upon people to speak in a structured way.  This approach ensures that everyone can be heard and everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.  Skype conferences cannot cope with two participants speaking simultaneously – nobody hears anything properly.

Forthcoming events and courses at Luther King House in 2011-12

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Luther King HouseWe are pleased to reproduce the June newsletter for Luther King House - an interdenominational Christian theology college located in the heart of Manchester, providing diverse and affordable opportunities for Christian learning for lay and ministerial students.

Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester has good links with this College and we confidently promote to our members and friends the various training opportunities offered there.

1.  Church Saturday, 18th June: Glen Marshall – “God in the City – An Urban Retreat”

This day event is a chance to explore what it means to seek the presence of God in the city, and will include a time of retreat in Manchester City Centre.  The day will start and end at Luther King House but will be spent mainly moving around different locations in Manchester city centre.  Please bring a packed lunch with you to eat in the city centre – and some money for the bus journey there!

This retreat does involve movement around the city centre.  As well as the standard itinerary, an alternative itinerary will be offered for those with limited mobility.  Please do contact us if you have any queries or would like to see the itinerary in advance.  Meet at Luther King House to depart at 10am.  Returning to Luther King House by 4pm.  Costs £10 for the day (excluding lunch & travel).

Please book in advance.  To book places, or for more information, email: learning@lkh.co.uk or phone: 0161 249 2504.

(Overnight accommodation may be available if needed, but needs to be booked separately – please enquire about accommodation through Reception:  reception@lkh.co.uk, 0161 224 6404).

2.  Lay Preachers’ & Worship Leaders’ Conference: Rejuvenation for Lay Preachers and Worship Leaders – PLACES STILL AVAILABLE!

Tuesday 21st – Thursday 23rd June 2011, beginning Tuesday lunchtime and ending after lunch on Thursday.

Costs: £185 residential (including all meals and accommodation);  £150 non-residential (including lunches and evening meal)

A discounted rate is available for those who are unable to obtain funding support from their church or denomination.  Please enquire if this applies to you.

A mid-week event (from lunchtime on Tuesday to lunchtime on Thursday) involving Bible engagement, discussions and activities intended to intrigue, stimulate and refresh preachers and worship leaders and start new ideas growing and developing.

Led by the staff of Luther King House, including David Goodbourn (Ideas about adult learning), John Campbell (Bringing the Bible alive), Kathy White (Hebrew Bible for today), Jonathan Tallon (Preaching on Paul) and Andrew Pratt (Liturgy, worship and hymns).

All in the relaxing comfort of Luther King House, South Manchester – a leafy oasis in the city with an extensive and up-to-date theological library right there in the middle.

For more information or to book a place, please email: learning@lkh.co.uk or call: 0161 249 2504.

3.  MA Summer School: “Researching Issues in Urban Theology”, Mon 4th – Fri 8th July

This 5-day course gives you the opportunity to learn about contemporary theories of church mission and ministry in urban areas, and to use these theories, linked with urban development theories, to do your own piece of theological research in a local urban area.  It will help you to be able to understand how to set about exploring mission opportunities in that area.

For more information or to book a place, please email: learning@lkh.co.uk or call: 0161 249 2504.

Luther King House4. Foundation Degrees in Mission & Ministry for lay Christians – apply now for 2011-12

Ever thought about exploring your Christian faith, ministry and theology at a deeper level?  Our Foundation Degree/BA and MA theology courses allow you to do just that…

This course could be an opportunity for anyone who didn’t benefit from Higher Education first time round.  Luther King House is about more than training for ordained ministry – our Foundation Degree in Mission & Ministry is open to anyone who wants to explore their faith and lay ministry in their church or the wider community in more depth.

In a time when some people are having enforced career changes due to redundancy, this course can open up new opportunities for you.  People who don’t have a degree are often eligible for grants towards their fees and living expenses.  The course is also suitable for people on access courses.  If you’re unsure and would like to know more, do get in touch with us.

Full-time fees for people starting their degrees in 2011 are only £3,300 (part-time fees charged pro-rata) – apply now, and avoid the national fees hike in 2012!

For more information: email: learning@lkh.co.uk  phone: 0161 249 2504  or see our website: www.lutherkinghouse.org.uk

5. MA in Contextual Theology – for lay & ordained Christians - apply now for 2011-12

Validated by the University of Manchester, our MA in Contextual Theology gives you opportunities to reflect on your experience of lay or ordained ministry and practice, with excellent library resources to support your learning. Whether you are involved in ministry or mission, faith-based community work or lay forms of Christian education or service, the MA offers you the opportunity for further study and professional development.  Our flexible teaching timetable enables part-time study to be combined with work and family commitments.  Limited bursary support is also available for those with low incomes.

Full-time MA fees for 2011 are only £3,300 (part-time fees charged pro-rata) – apply now and avoid the higher fee rates for those starting study in 2012-13!

Contact us for more information: email: learning@lkh.co.uk phone: 0161 249 2504 or see our website: www.lutherkinghouse.org.uk

6. Short Courses – now available for 2011-12

If you don’t want to commit to a whole degree programme, but you still want to explore faith, theology and Christian spirituality in a little more depth, you might like to try one of our theology Short Courses – this is a chance to join one of our individual modules without having to do all the hard work that goes with assessments – and next year it only costs £110 for the whole 8 or 10 week course.

We also have a Guided Reading scheme – offering you the opportunity to use our academic library to study an area of interest to you, with specialist academic tutorial support, for only £100.

Contact us for more information: email: learning@lkh.co.uk  phone: 0161 249 2504  or see our website: www.lutherkinghouse.org.uk

7. Exploration into Alternative and Emerging forms of Worship – can you help?!

As part of her sabbatical, Rev Dr Jan Berry is looking at various alternative, or emerging, forms of worship, particularly in the following areas:

  • cafe church/fresh expressions,
  • inclusive liturgy,
  • healing services or prayers for healing,
  • rites of passage,
  • and liturgy with survivors of abuse.

If you are involved in any of these, and would be interested in talking with Jan or inviting her to a service/event, please contact her on Janberry@homecall.co.uk

8. External Study Opportunities – Summer School at Holy Rood House

‘Changing times, changing faith: a summer school on change and transition’ at Holy Rood House, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, July 18th – 21st 2011.

Through seminars and papers, creative arts and story, imaginative liturgy and ritual, we will explore our own journeys of change, and how we encounter the divine in the midst of transition.  How do we develop a theology and spirituality that can sustain and challenge us as we journey through the transitions in our personal lives and communities, and the social and political changes we face?

Speakers are Jan Berry, Elizabeth Baxter, Stanley Baxter; programme includes workshops on counselling survivors of domestic violence, transition into retirement, and creative arts.

For more details please contact: enquiries@holyroodhouse.org.uk  01845 522580.

Luther King House9.  Sign up to our Facebook page

We are on Facebook!  Why not sign up as a fan of “Luther King House” on Facebook to keep abreast of our news and events on a regular basis!

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Luther King House - Short courses, degrees, MA, MPhil and PhDs
Tel:  +44 0 161 249 2504
www.lutherkinghouse.org.uk

Luther King House
Brighton Grove
Manchester
M14 5JP

Seeing Salvation: Searching for God in Art – Sermon series – 12th June to 21st August 2011

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Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch (Rembrandt)Over the Summer we are going to have a series of sermons called Seeing Salvation: Searching for God in Art.  We will look at 10 paintings and the spiritual message each artist wished to convey.

Artists, like writers, try to convey ideas, concepts and stories using tools, symbols and styles appropriate to their own cultures.  Christianity is a universal faith and throughout the series we will see how the artists have taken a biblical message or idea and portrayed it in ways appropriate to their own cultures.  We will link the message of scripture with the ideas that the artist had, and reflect on these ideas ourselves in worship.

Each week we will project the painting onto the projector screen and also have it on A5 flyers for you so we can reflect on the art together.

We will be looking at a range of art dating from the 1400s to the 20th Century, from European to American and Chinese artists from Christian to Jewish, with a view who’s faith perspective is unknown.  The pictures we will be looking at are:

  • Sunday 12th June 2011 – Captive Daughter of Zion by Robert Lentz – a contemporary gay American Franciscan friar.  (Click here for details of the “Going Deeper” discussion and resources relating to this work.)
  • Sunday 19th June 2011 – The Hospitality of Abraham by Andrei Rublev – a 14th Century Russian Orthodox icon painter.  (Click here for details of the “Going Deeper” discussion and resources relating to this work.)
  • Sunday 26th June 2011 – The Washing of the Feet by Sieger Köder – a 20th Century German Catholic priest.  (Click here for details of the “Going Deeper” discussion and resources relating to this work.)
  • Sunday 3rd July 2011 – Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dali – a 20th Century Spanish artist.  (Click here for details of the ‘Going Deeper’ discussion and resources relating to this work.
  • Sunday 17th July 2011 – The Resurrection, Cookham by Stanley Spencer – an English painter from the first half of the 20th Century
  • Sunday 24th July 2011 – Driving the Traders from the Temple by El Greco – a 16th Century Greek artist.
  • Sunday 31st July – The Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch by Rembrandt – a 16th Century Dutch artist, child of a Reformed father and Catholic mother.
  • Sunday 7th August 2011 - The Woman Taken in Adultery by He Qi – a contemporary Chinese artist who came to faith through art and the ravages of the Cultural Revolution.
  • Sunday 14th August – The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder – a subervisive Flemish painter.
  • Sunday 21st August 2011 – White Crucifixion by Marc Chagall – perhaps the most famous Jewish artist of the 20th Century.

Driving the traders from the Temple (El Greco)We hope that as we reflect on these wonderful pieces of art we, together, will gain different perspectives on our faith and how it is expressed in the complexity of our world.

We start the series on Sunday 12th June, as we celebrate Pentecost together.  The sermon texts will appear on the Newsletters and Sermons page on our main website after the sermons have been delivered in church.

With much love,

Andy

Rev Andy Braunston
Pastor: Metropolitan Community Church, Manchester

Introduction to Sexuality Studies course, 7th to 11th August 2011

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From Sunday 7th until Thursday 11th August, Rev Andy Braunston (Pastor of MCC Manchester) and Rev Jane Clarke, (Pastor of our congregation in Glasgow) are teaching the Introduction to Sexuality Studies course.

This course, which is compulsory for those who wish to train for ordained ministry in MCC, is useful for anyone who undertakes pastoral work or who wants to understand more about Christianity and human sexuality.  It explores:

  • how we make ethical decisions as Christians,
  • our views of the Bible,
  • a range of pastoral responses to sexual issues,
  • some theology of sexuality,
  • and much more!

It costs just £85 for tuition and there are some extremely cheap hotel deals in Manchester at the moment.  The Travelodges are, for example, offering four night’s accommodation for around £120.  The course is taught at our church venue in Chorlton, Manchester which is easily accessible by both road and tram from the city centre.   For details click here.

If you want to book please do so via www.tinyurl.com/sexualitystudies.  There is some on-line pre-reading to do before the course starts which will be explained when your booking is confirmed.

We will be joined by MCC folk from all over Europe; so far people have signed up from Torbay, Glasgow and Dublin.

For more details just drop Andy an email at revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk

Sacred Space on alternate Tuesdays, Emmaus South on alternate Wednesdays, Emmaus North on alternate Thursdays – all re-starting soon

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andy_smDear Friends,

Now we’ve settled into our lovely new home and the Summer is drawing to a close we’re re-starting our various mid week activities.

Every fortnight we have a special service called Sacred Space.  This is an intentional time of calm and quiet, allowing us to have a time of guided meditation.  Sometimes this is set in an informal celebration of Holy Communion, sometimes within the context of the sacramental annointing, sometimes with an extended period of prayer.  These will now take place every other Tuesday at 8pm and they start on Tuesday 6th October.  We will be meeting in the main church.  We won’t be having a second service in October but the dates for the rest of the year are: 3rd & 17th November, and 1st and 15th December.

On the weeks when the Sacred Space service doesn’t happen we have two mid week groups meeting south and north of the city centre.  These Emmaus groups offer a chance to pray, study and get to know each other better.  John Foulds leads a group in Margaret and Gwen’s home in Altrincham on Wednesday evenings and Andy Pugh leads a group in his home in Newton Heath on Thursdays.  The groups start on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th October and will meet every other week from then on until Christmas.  If you’d like more information please let me know or chat to Andy Pugh, Margaret, Gwen or John on Sunday.

With much love

Andy

Andy Braunston
Pastor
Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester
www.mccmanchester.co.uk

Emmaus Groups, and Membership Class, Thursday 21st May 2009

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Dear Friends,

Our two Emmaus groups meet this Thursday evening (21st May).  These groups give an opportunity for friendships to develop, discussion about our faith and prayer.  One group meets in Altrincham and the other in Newton Heath.  If you would like more information please let Andy know.

Also on Thursday we have a membership class for anyone who wishes to explore becoming a member of MCC.  Membership is about making a formal commitment to the work of God through MCC.  The class will look at our history and beliefs, how we work, and our expectations of members.  The class starts at 7.30pm and lasts until 9.30pm.

With much love,

Andy

Andy Braunston
Pastor
Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester
www.mccmanchester.co.uk

Emmaus Groups – Metropolitan Community Church, Manchester

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MCC Manchester runs two Emmaus groups – one in the south of the city and one in the north.  They meet fortnightly in the group leader’s home, and usually follow a sequence of biblical themes based on the popular Emmaus: The Way of Faith programme.

Emmaus 1 meets in Altrincham, and Emmaus 2 meets in Newton Heath.

We invite anyone who might wish to attend either of these groups to contact our Pastor (revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk) for specific information about dates, locations and contact details for the group leader.

Second Emmaus group to start from 12th February 2009 – North Manchester

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For some time we have wanted to start a second mid-week Emmaus group.  This is a chance to meet together, learn a bit more about the faith, get to know each other and pray together.  We have had a very successful Emmaus group in Altrincham, South Manchester, and now Andy Pugh has offered to lead and host a second group at his flat in Newton Heath, North Manchester.

This will meet every other Thursday, starting next month on 12th February.  Andy lives just 3 miles from the city centre.  His flat has very good public transport links and plenty of safe parking.

We’ve already had some interest from people who would like to attend the group – if you would too, please let Andy know on Sunday.  We will soon have leaflets giving details of where the group will meet and what it will be studying!

Details of this second group, as well as Emmaus Group 1 (Altrincham) are available from the Pastor – revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk

Emmaus Group starts again on Thursday 29th November 2007

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Our Emmaus Group starts a new programme on Thursday 29th November.

The Emmaus Group is a small group of people who meet together every other week to pray, study the scriptures and get to know each other better.

In September and October they looked at Prayer using the Lord’s Prayer as a model, and after a short break, they are now going to look at the Old Testament (in three sessions!) to get a rough idea of the general sweep of history of the Old Testament and some of its key characters. The Old Testament was the Bible that Jesus and the disciples knew and is the Bible of the Jewish people today. These three sessions will help us get to know the history of the Old Testament better and cover the following areas:

Thursday 29th November From Abraham to Joshua

Thursday 13th December From Joshua to the Exile

Thursday 17th January From the Exile to St John the Baptist.

Then on 31st January we will start a brief overview of the New Testament.

The group usually meets at Margaret and Gwen’s home in Altrincham, but this week will meet at Sue’s home nearby. If you wish to come, and need directions, please email Margaret and Gwen on migwy4@ntlworld.com.

With much love

Andy