StAG

ec2-18-117-182-179.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com | ToothyWiki | RecentChanges | Login | Webcomic

St. Andrew the Great is right by the Lion Yard. It's the big church-like building that you've probably walked past without thinking there's a church building there, like Anna before she chose it as her church.

During termtime, services are:

9:30am with children (and so all the fun songs)
11:15am with students (and so all the more trendy songs and a late start)
5:00pm

During holidays they're at:

10:30am and everyone gets to join everyone else's songs
5:00pm again

StAG is very much a conservative evangelical church, to those whom such a label will mean anything. The emphasis is definitely on a personal relationship with Jesus, and the gospel as life-changing and sufficient.

It is focused around the preaching/teaching, from the Bible, which is the word of God. If this means they have an unpopular view on certain issues then SoBeIt.

Hm. Just in case people haven't noticed, someone is making [changes] to this on the [quiet] that tweak the sense of what it says [^-^] - MoonShadow

: SunKitten just spotted another quiet change to MoonShadow's words. Don't change someone else's words; it's very rude. Say something yourself.
: AlexChurchill adds: we'd be very happy to discuss on here if you disagree with something that's written. But it's hard to discuss if all you do is make slight changes to other people's words. Come let us reason together? :)

There are lots of things people can be involved in - helping with welcoming, bookstall, creche etc, Bible study groups for all age groups (including students, 20s and 30s, home groups), breakfasts and brunches and jazz evenings and all sorts of things generally. They make a big effort to put on a lot of events and talks explaining who Jesus is and why he's important.

: I hope I'm not seen as /Bashing (if I intended to be I'd've put this comment there), but I will note that at least some of the arguments I've heard (here and elsewhere) are on the basis of disagreements about the interpretation of the Bible? that StAG appear to be using. Hmm, I guess what I'm wanting to say is that just because the line they take on an issue is unpopular doesn't mean that it's based on a true understanding of the Bible?. -- Senji

See /Bashing.

(I've put this section down here because I suspect discussion may ensue from it.)

A number of people think that StAG make a big effort to strengthen existing Christians. A number of other people think pretty much the reverse, that StAG's sermons are very focused on bringing new people into the church and don't do much about building up those who are already Christians.

The evidence for the first point of view includes the large number of Bible studies and student lunches discussing theological issues. The evidence for the contrary point includes the frequent re-emphasising of the central gospel message in sermons.

AlexChurchill tends to lean towards the first point of view. Thoughts are welcomed.

: Some explanation of what I understand to be the position and understanding: it is assumed that there will be non-Christians in sermons at StAG, so that the Gospel is preached fairly fully, most weeks. But that doesn't take up all the sermon, because of the system of trying to make sure that all of the Bible is covered - i.e. sermon series try to cover, over a long rolling period, every book, and all parts of them. Though in less detail when it comes to things like genealogies or parts of the Mosaic law, which are not gone over in full. In any case, an understanding of an issue in order to build up Christians needs to be related to the Gospel to make sense anyway, so that the proclamation of the Gospel is tied in with explaining why the issue covered in a passage makes sense. In spite of all this, it perhaps means that some issues from passages are not covered in as much depth in sermons as they would be if it was regarded as purely for Christians. As well as this being for the benefit of the seekers, this is also because I think that homegroups/other midweek meetings for various groups are regarded as being the mainstay of Christian building up, anyway, more than Sunday sermons. The church's commitment to building up existing Christians is mostly seen in their keenness to get everyone involved in such groups, which they are far more proactive about than other churches I have had contact with (which I admit is probably not statistically significant, but it's all I have to go on). MikeJeggo

CategoryPlace CategoryChurch