Education

Heslington Church puts on short courses for those who wish to learn more about the Christian faith or wish to discuss their own faith with others in the church community.

Taste and See is an introduction to Christianity which runs each autumn. It is aimed primarily at overseas students but is also open to the congregation. The six sessions are based around meals in the Bible and they cover the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Each session begins with a meal, then there is a talk given by a speaker followed by an opportunity for discussion and questions. The speaker then summarises the evening and closes in prayer.

The most recent course attracted a number of visiting students, most of them in some way familiar with the message. They were very appreciative of the reviving introduction and a number of them have stayed on to form the nucleus of a continuing house group.

2007 course
Thursday 8th November	Abraham entertains strangers	Genesis 18: 1-15
Thursday 15th November	The Hebrew Passover Feast	Exodus 12: 1-14
Thursday 22nd November	Jesus feeds the 5000	Mark 6: 30-44
Thursday 29th November	Jesus at the Last Supper	Luke 22: 7-23
Thursday 6th December	The journey to Emmaus	Luke 24: 13-35
Thursday 13th December	The Great Feast in Heaven	Luke 14: 15-24

A second bite is our follow-up to the Taste and See meetings held before Christmas. This was in the form of a house group meeting at the home of Chris Dunn (3 Hesketh Cottages) between 7.30 and 9.30pm for the three Thursdays 17th, 24th and 31st January to study St. Paul's letter to the Colossians. This continued into the Lent Course together with an additional afternoon group in Heslington Court. They followed the York course on the Lord's Prayer as suggested by the SE Churches. These groups plan to continue regularly until high summer.

The Lent Course in 2008 was on The Lord's Prayer. For this year's course, there were three groups:

2.30pm on Tuesdays starting on 12th February	Social Room in Heslington Court
7.30pm on Thursdays starting on 14th February	3 Hesketh Cottages
7.45pm on Thursdays starting on 14th February	277 Hull Road

One of the lively discussion groups

These are the days of Elijah - Bible studies on a man of God in an age of compromise. Sundays 5.00 to 6.15pm in the church library. Bring sandwiches - tea and coffee are provided.

Programme for 2008
Sunday 6th January	Climate change	1 Kings 17
Sunday 13th January	Conflicting religions	1 Kings 18 vv20-46
Sunday 20th January	Experience of depression	1 Kings 19
Sunday 27th January	Greed	1 Kings 21

A Confirmation course is held every year, starting after Christmas. Anyone is welcome to attend and attending the course does not commit you to being confirmed at its conclusion. However, in June each year the bishop, together with the Methodist minister, conducts a service of Joint Confirmation into both the Methodist and Anglican denominations.