Discovering Christianity and living as a Christian is not meant to be an entirely solo experience. No-one is born knowing all about the Christian faith. Everyone is a learner and we all start from different places.
It can be very helpful to have others guiding and supporting you on the journey of discovering and deepening your faith. It’s good to find someone who can help you explore faith at your own pace and to whom you can bring any questions and share experiences. Many churches run introductory courses such as Alpha to help people discover more about Christianity.
Further information and introductory courses can be found via the links below:
- https://alpha.org/
- https://www.christianityexplored.org/
- https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/pilgrim-journeys
- https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/explore-the-bible/the-bible-course
The Christian Church is a worldwide community of people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and believe their lives have been transformed by him. There are certainly times when Christians seek solitude, perhaps for private prayer or personal reflection, but Christianity’s most important book, the Bible, makes it clear that Christians do best when they meet together regularly to worship, to learn and for encouragement and support.
Visit our Come and see page to see examples of services and other activities that you may wish to explore.
Being a Christian is not just about going to church, it is about living out the Christian faith ‘24/7’. It is often a joyful experience, but it does bring challenges and that is where the encouragement of other believers provides essential support. Many churches run small midweek groups where Christians gather in homes to encourage each other. This might be through exploring what the Bible has to say, by praying with and for each other, or just talking and sharing personal experiences of life. Because of their relaxed atmosphere, these midweek groups are often an ideal place for Christians to develop their faith.
‘Churches are about people, about families, about coming together to share pain and sorrow but also joy and happiness.'
Jenny
‘I get to be a part of a community of faith, hope and love.’
Emerson
Midweek clubs and groups
Most churches provide many activities throughout the week, not just for people who go to church, but also for the wider community – for people of all faiths and none. The range may include:
- Parent and toddlers’ groups
- Lunch clubs for older people
- Breakfast clubs for school children
- Activity groups such as dance classes and fitness groups
- Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides packs
- Sports teams
- Music and therapy groups
- Art classes and creative sessions such as ‘knit and natter’
- Advice centres for people needing help with issues such as finance and bereavement
These groups give Christians not only the opportunity to benefit personally by participating, but also to serve their community by getting involved in running clubs and societies - why not explore what your local church is doing?
Many churches work together and with other organisations to support their community, for example, by providing shelter to homeless people or food to families through a Foodbank. These bigger groups provide other opportunities for Christians to work together and live out their faith in a practical way.
In serving each other and their communities, Christians are following the teachings of Jesus to be a positive influence on the world around them.