People from across the Diocese have received a certificate from Bishop Martin, marking the completion of a course designed to help them relate their Christian faith to their own life and locality.
The groups took the Bishop’s Certificate course over 12 months with the support of local tutors. It covered subjects such as Christian faith and the Creeds, the Old and New Testaments, Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, discipleship and living as Christians with people of other faiths.
Bishop Martin spoke to the candidates ahead of the presentation, asking them what they enjoyed about doing the course, what they found surprising and what difference it might make to their lives. He said:
“It is great to be there this evening and to get a taster of the amazing experience you’ve had. Thank you for completing the course and for giving God this time in your lives.”
Sam Andrews from Pershore Abbey was part of a group which met in Worcester. She said: “It was sometimes hard work and challenging but it was also very interesting, and I learnt a lot from it. I enjoyed meeting with a group of people, and we had some really useful discussions as we explored different ways of looking at each topic. I’ve always gone to church and always taken everything at face value without questioning it. This course has opened up different ideas and made me think about things more. I’ve now started a ALM course in Children’s and Young People’s ministry to continue my journey.”
Jacob Davey from St Mary’s Church in Kingswinford, said: “The course was really eye opening and I was surprised how much I learnt from it. I would absolutely recommend it to others. It has grown and developed me as a Christian and I’m now exploring whether I can take these studies further and perhaps train to become an ordained minister.”
Sandra Robinson lives in Halesowen and joined a Bishop’s Certificate group in Dudley. She said: “I really appreciated hearing other people’s experiences and perspectives. The materials helped to stimulate discussion in our group, and it has definitely deepened my faith. I would recommend it to others – everyone will get something from it and it gives a broad overview of the faith. I’d now perhaps like to go deeper and learn more theology.”
Stella Price from St Andrew’s Church in Wollescote, Stourbridge, said: “I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot. In fact, there was so much in it that I’m going to do it again this year! I especially liked sharing with other people and getting different perspectives. It has made me think more about my opinions and has given me a broader view of the bible and how we might do it today.
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Clotilde Lima from St Martin in the Cornmarket, Worcester, said: “It was an excellent course, and every piece of information was important. We met each Wednesday, and I found it very helpful. My faith has definitely grown, and it gave me more skills to be able to offer pastoral support to other people.”
Congratulations to all those who received their Bishop’s Certificate or had completed the ALM Worship Leader course. If you would be interested in exploring your faith through this course, you can find more details on this page of the diocesan website.
