Teaching in ChristChurch

……………..  to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
Eph. 4:12-13 (MsgB)

It has never been our ambition in ChristChurch to seek a reputation as a 'teaching church' - but rather to be a 'learning church' where lives are transformed by God's Spirit as He speaks to us individually, and as a church, through His declared Word.  Lives that are made new, and characters that are conformed to the image of Christ, and in turn impact upon family, friends, and community.   

We have over the years been well served by gifted teachers within our membership, as well as many visiting from other churches, and we have been brought along a journey of understanding and growth together.  The ChristChurch archives make fascinating reading, and listening, as do the lives of those who have been on that journey.

However to realistically address the particular and peculiar needs we face at present, and into the immediate future, we believe that there needs to be coherence and consistency in the teaching, with continuity, clarity and focus in its application - right into the heart of ChristChurch.   Our approach to the core teaching ministry has become more deliberate.

We have therefore called a small number of members of ChristChurch to work as a team and together to study and teach God's message for ChristChurch.   This team is guided in their programme and emphasis by the Elders and supported by other members in resourcing and delivering this message to us.  We believe this team approach to be right for the next stage in our development as a living, growing, testimony to the gospel.

We want to encourage all our members, and visitors, to explore God's Word in ever more depth, from whatever starting point they are at, and be exposed to the transforming, cleansing and refreshing of God's Spirit active through scripture.  We encourage bible studies arising from a Sunday morning, we arrange seminars on related topics, suggest reading material, articles and web pages - whatever is available to satisfy our need and appetite for learning more about our God and responding in ways that will make a difference in our community, both church and neighbourhood.

There is no substitute for hearing and obeying God's Word declared to us in ChristChurch.

We believe that we should not only be ready, but hungry, for a raised awareness and experience of God in our lives and our church, and our community …so …

…… roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now.  As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness.  God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
1 Peter 1:13-16 (MsgB)