All Saints' Church Hertford

Lent Course 2021

Tuesdays @ 7.30 beginning on February 23rd

As our key vision is to grow the Church, we invite you all to join us on the Lent course, based on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book for 2021, Living His Story by Hannah Steele. This book uncovers liberating and practical ways of sharing the gospel story afresh. With warmth and encouragement, Hannah shows us how we can live Jesus’ story in our own lives simply by being the people God made us and allowing people to be drawn to him through our natural gifts.

We will be meeting on Zoom to share our thoughts and discuss the week’s readings each Tuesday evening at 7:30, for the six weeks of Lent, starting on February 23rd. Those who do not access Zoom may join in the Zoom group by phone or may even like to form a phone group to share their ideas. Please let me know if you intend to join the Zoom sessions, or if you would like to be put in touch with others who would like to form a phone group.

The book is available from Amazon or the Church House Bookshop in paperback and also on Kindle. To accompany this course, or as stand-alone reading through Lent there are daily reflections. These are published in a booklet, and also available as a free app, via email, audio and through the Church of England’s social media accounts. Janet Bird has some copies of the booklet for those who do not have access to online material. Please phone her on 01992 587544 if you would like a copy.

The sessions are detailed below. I know that you are all so busy so please join us for those that you can make! (I really find myself marvelling at the way in which despite not going out very frequently we still find ourselves busy!) Janet and I can’t be at every session either, despite our best efforts. Just like any book club we would love to share the leading and discussion and prayers. Please let us know if you would like to help us with this, whether leading the session or the variety of prayer at the end?

To join the group, and share in the discussions, here is the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84970984521 Meeting ID: 849 7098 4521
‘Zoom’-ing by ‘phone Call 0203 051 2874, 0203 481 5237, 0203 481 5240 or 0131460 1196 and use meeting id followed by #

Session 1 Janet Bird Tuesday 23rd February:
The Greatest Story of All Time

This session explores the story of Jesus and how evangelism is rooted in the resurrection. It aims to encourage you to think about how the first disciples heard and told Jesus’s story and what that means for evangelism today. This session is based around Chapter 1 of Hannah Steele’s book Living His Story. Followed by Prayers of Praise and Intercession

Session 2 Jo Tuesday 2nd March:
Catching Up with God

This session lays out God’s mission in the world and our involvement in that mission. Our role is to respond to what God has initiated and to partner with the Holy Spirit. The session aims to increase your awareness of what God might be initiating in your life and your confidence to join in. This session is based around Chapter 2 of Living His Story. Followed by Compline in Candlelight

Session 3 Tuesday 9th March:
Jesus was in the transformation business

This session explores the transformational power of stories. Jesus was, and is, in the transformation business. As a result, we have powerful stories of what Jesus has done to share with others. The session aims to embolden you and give you the tools you need to tell your story. This session is based around Chapter 3 of Living His Story. Followed by Celtic Night Prayer

Session 4 Tuesday 16th March:
Communicating Like Jesus did

This session is all about relationship and conversation. The gospel writers often depict Jesus in conversation with others. By examining the primacy of relationships for evangelism and the nature of Jesus’ conversations, this session aims to equip us to converse like Jesus did. This session is based around Chapter 4 of Living His Story. Followed by Evensong

Session 5 Tuesday 23rd March:
Passing on the story of Jesus

This session attempts to scratch the surface on the many ways that the holy spirit enables us to share the good news, from miracles, to dreams, to giving us the words to say. By the end of the session, you will have explored some of the ways the holy spirit inspires and releases our evangelism and will be encouraged to step out in faith. This session is based around Chapter 5 of Living His Story. Followed by Night prayer

Session 6 Tuesday 30th March:
Finding echoes of the story of Jesus in our world today

This session explores how we can share the good news by bridging from common references such as books and films. With Paul’s sermon at Athens providing the principal example, this session aims to equip you to share the good news in this way, outlining key practices and questions to consider as you do so. This session is based around Chapter 6 of Living His Story. Followed by Silence and Meditation

Session 7 Tuesday 6th April:
Stories of finding Jesus

This session explores the different ways that people come to faith in Jesus and unpacks the implications of this for our models of evangelism. The session aims to prepare you to share the gospel both ‘long and short’. This session is based around Chapter 7 of Living His Story.

See you soon on Zoom, Love, Jo, Janet and Nerine

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