The Word became Flesh

Next week we start our Advent series. We will be going slowly through one of the most beautiful and rich passages in the Scriptures – the opening to John’s Gospel. Many of us may well be familiar with this passage from Christmases past. For example: John 1 is the final lesson every year at Carols from Kings.

 

21 Nov           In the beginning                           John 1:1-5                 Sam Bostock

28 Nov           The true light                              John 1:6-14               Frank Sellar

5 Dec             The Word became flesh                 John 1:15-18              Steve Auld

12 Dec           God made known                          John 1:19-20             Steve Auld

Each week will feature a Bible reading and a 20 minute talk over lunch or a hot drink.

Everyone working in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, in the restaurant of the Clayton Hotel Belfast 22-26 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HS.

(On entering the building turn left, you’ll find us at the far end of the restaurant.)

Sandwiches and hot drinks are available (suggested donation £3).

 

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Becoming Like Jesus- Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit

 

God wants to fill the world with people who look like Jesus, “little Christs” as CS Lewis liked to call them. He does this by giving us his Spirit and helping us to grow the Jesus–like qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self–control. Over the next four Wednesday afternoons, we’re going to be thinking about some of these “fruit of the Spirit” and how cultivating them means we’ll become more like Jesus.

Christoph Ebbinghaus and Stephen Kerr will be sharing with us over the next few weeks as we consider this fruit the Spirit of God wants to grow in our everyday lives.

 

Weds lunchtime        Series Topic/Title                                 Passage

24-Oct                                Love                                           1 John 4 7-21

31-Oct                                Joy                                              1 Peter 1 3-9

07-Nov                               Kindness                                     Titus 3 3-8

14-Nov                               Self control                                  Titus 2 1-8

 

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, in the restaurant of the Clayton Hotel Belfast 22-26 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HS. (On entering the building turn left, you’ll find us at the far end of the restaurant.) Sandwiches and hot drinks are available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Good News For The Just About Managing

In her first speech outside Downing Street, Theresa May announced her intention to govern on behalf of the ‘just about managing’ – the people who maybe aren’t desperately poor, but they don’t feel very well off either. It may feel like a long time ago, but Theresa May’s government promised to bring radical change on behalf of those people.
Spiritually, many of us might be tempted to describe ourselves as ‘just about managing’. That’s interesting, because Jesus said he came to bring ‘good news to the poor’.
Over the next few weeks we’re going to be looking at the climax to a section in Luke’s gospel that is all about how we get eternal life. We’ll see that there is good news for the ‘just about managing’, but it involves some honest evaluations about where our spiritual lives are really at. Join as we discover how bad news for Mr Big can be good news for the little people.

Andy Hambleton, Christoph Ebbinghaus and Sam Bostock will be joining us over the coming weeks to help us think through the truth and challenge of these Gospel stories for us today.

 

Weds lunchtime        Series Topic/Title                                 Passage

30-May                      Good News for the Failing                        Luke 18:9-17

06-June                      Bad News for Mr Big                                Luke 18:18-30

13-June                       Seeing and Believing                                Luke 18:31-43

20-June                      A Big Change in a Little Man                    Luke 19:1-10

27-June                       Escape to the Country                              Luke 19:11-27

 

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, in the restaurant of the Clayton Hotel Belfast 22-26 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HS. (On entering the building turn left, you’ll find us at the far end of the restaurant.) Sandwiches and hot drinks are available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

What Jesus really thinks about money.

It’s often said that money was one of the topics Jesus spoke most often about, and it’s the subject of a number of Jesus’ parables recorded in Luke’s gospel. Join us over the next three weeks, as we explore what Jesus really said about wealth.

14/2     The Wealthy Fool                                      Luke 12. 13-21

21/2     How to make your wealth last forever        Luke 16. 1-13

28/2     How not to be wealthy                              Luke 16. 14-31

Alongside this, each week we’re going to continue taking a bit of time to discuss some of the pressure points where the 21st century workplace presents a challenge to living as a Christian.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Colossians: A Fruitful Life

As we start the New Year, we’re going to spend some time thinking about what a fruitful life would look like in our workplaces. We’re convinced that of all people, Christ’s life is the best. It’s hard to think of anyone with a greater reputation for living a good life or with a greater impact on history. It was a truly fruitful life.

So it’s interesting to find that the great evangelist of the early church, the apostle Paul, expects that the first followers of Jesus would “bear fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10). He goes on to explain that Christ’s life is not only something we should imitate, but also something that we share. “Christ”, he says, “is our life” (Colossians 3:4).

Join us over the next few Wednesday lunchtimes as we unpack what Paul means and consider how Christ might help us to live fruitful lives in our workplaces.

Weds lunchtime                Series Topic/Title                                           Passage

03-Jan                      A fruitful life: A New Year prayer for our workplaces       Col 1.9-14

10-Jan                      A fruitful life: How to live in heaven 7 days a week         Col 3.1-15

17-Jan                      A fruitful life: Whatever you do                                      Col 3.16-17

24-Jan                      A fruitful life: Work and family                                      Col 3.22-4.1

31-Jan                      A fruitful life: A healthy church                                      Col 4.2-6

07-Feb                     A fruitful life: Networking for the kingdom                     Col 4.7-18

Alongside this, each week we’re going to take time to discuss one specific area where the 21st century workplace presents a challenge to living this fruitful life.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Lunchtime Carol Service

This year Gospel in the City will once again be hosting our Lunchtime Carol Service on Wednesday  20 December 2017 from 1:10-1:50pm in the downstairs venue of May Street Church (Where Urban Soul cafe used to be).

This will be a traditional carol service with well-known Christmas carols led by a brass band, with mulled punch and a short message from Christoph Ebbinghaus. It is intended to be accessible to anyone who enjoys a traditional Christmas service and we hope would be perfect for a pre-Christmas office trip out for your whole team.

 

Romans: Back to the start……..again!

Over the last few weeks at Gospel in the City we’ve been looking at why our world is the way it is from the first chapters of the Bible.

For the next two weeks we’re going to fast forward to the decades after the life of Christ and see how the Apostle Paul uses Genesis 1-3 to explain what’s wrong with the world in his letter to the Romans.

29th November: Romans 1. 1-17. God’s Powerful Gospel

06th December: Romans 1. 18-32. Why is God so Angry?

Our speaker for this series will be Johnny McClaughlin (Hamilton Road Baptist Church)

Each week we’ll also be including a short slot that aims to equip us very practically for living as a Christian in the workplace. We will be continuing our series focusing on 10 tips for everyday evangelism from New York Pastor Tim Keller.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes at 1:10, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

Feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

The Call of the Kingdom: for the many or the few?

For our first autumn series of short Bible readings and talks we are looking at Luke’s Gospel, chapters 13-15, under the title: The Call of the Kingdom: for the many or the few?

At this busy time of year we’re praying that these talks will refocus our priorities for life in the workplace.

In the first passage in this section a man asks Jesus, “will those who are saved be many or few?” (Luke 13:23) It wasn’t an academic question! Is the kingdom of God basically for a few hardened believers, or is open to everyone? If everyone’s invited, why aren’t more people embracing it?

Join us on Wednesday lunchtimes as we discover how Jesus responds.

  • 13 Sept – For the many or the few? Luke 13:22-35
  • 20 Sept – Discipleship and the greasy pole Luke 14:1-24
  • 27 Sept – Come to the party! Luke 14:1-24
  • 4 Oct – You need a plan Luke 14:25-35
  • 11 Oct – Lost and found Luke 15
  • 18 Oct – The heart of God Luke 15

Each week we’ll also be including a short slot that aims to equip us very practically for living as a Christian in the workplace. This autumn we are focusing on 10 tips for everyday evangelism from New York pastor Tim Keller.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes at 1:10, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St.

A copy of a flyer for this series is available to view and download here.  Feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested.