We are delighted to be running a free online Lent course.
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This will run for five weeks from Thursday 25 February 2021, with sessions starting at 4pm and ending at 5:30pm.

The Mystery of Everything is a new and original Lent course by Hilary Brand, which takes the multi-awarding winning film about Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything, as its starting point.

The course explores ways in which the mysteries of the universe and of everyday life - and the acceptance that we have more questions than answers - can reinvigorate our faith and spiritual journey.

The course is based around five weekly group sessions entitled:
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1. The experience of wonder
2. The enigma of weakness
3. The complexity of relationships
4. The encounter with frailty
5. The hope beyond brokenness

Each session includes an extract from the film, group discussion questions and a meditation. There are also short introductory and follow up chapters for individual reading each week, and a chapter of Bible passages for further daily reading.

Rev Ulrike Bell will be running this course via Zoom.

There will also be an advanced screening of the whole movie via Zoom on Saturday 20 February at 7pm.
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The sessions will not be recorded or streamed live, and you can switch off your camera if that makes you feel more comfortable.

These sessions are free. Advance purchase of the course book by Hilary Brand is recommended but not necessary.

For more information and to obtain the Zoom link, please contact [email protected].

We are delighted to be running a free online Prayer Course 
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This will run for eight weeks from Monday 19th April, with sessions starting at 8pm and ending at 9pm.

This course is open to everyone and may be of particular interest if:

• you’d like to learn how to pray or improve your prayer life
• you're wondering how to experience God in prayer
• you're looking to find guidance, strength and wisdom for your life

Rev Ulrike Bell will be running this course via Zoom. There will be video clips, group chat and personal reflection.

The sessions will not be recorded or streamed live, and you can switch off your camera if that makes you feel more comfortable.

These sessions are free. 

For more information and to obtain the Zoom link, please contact [email protected].

If you’re curious about the Bible, this course is for you.

• Maybe you have always found the Bible a bit difficult to read.
• Maybe you have been put off by stories you read in school or in church.
• Maybe you think: “How can an old dusty book be relevant for me today?”
• Maybe you have wondered how the Bible’s books were put together, how it all developed.
• Maybe you are wondering how to read and understand biblical texts, how to find guidance, strength and wisdom for your life?

If any of these resonate with you, please join us for this 8-week course, starting in September. We will be running this via Zoom.

​The course will run either on Thursdays 11:00-12:30 or on Mondays 20:00-21:30 - please let us know your preference.

The coursebook is available online, or a copy can be purchased in advance (£4.99).

Interested? Contact Ulrike Bell on [email protected] for more information or to sign up.

Our Marriage Preparation Course is a series of five sessions designed to help engaged couples or those exploring the possibility of marriage to build strong foundations for their future together.

It’s designed for those who want to give their marriage the best possible start, whether they’re exploring marriage for the first time or have been married before.

The course is based on Christian principles but designed for all couples with or without a church background. You do not need to be getting married in a church to come on the course.

Over the five sessions, the course will help couples learn to communicate well, understand and appreciate their differences, and prepare for potential challenges. 

This course starts 3 May at St James' URC.

​We will be running a free six week course, starting on 30 January, entitled End of Life Matters.

This course is for people of all ages and covers questions to do with the end of life. It is open to people of any religion or no religion.

Each session will have a time of information/ input (sometimes with guest speakers), a time of exchange and learning from each other, a prayer and a time of sharing cake and tea/ coffee.

This course is free of charge. You can attend as many or as few as you like. Donations welcome.

• 30 January - Why talk about death and dying?
• 6 February - Making a will, lasting power of attorney, financial considerations.
• 13 February - Legacy: The story of my life. How I’d like to be remembered.
• 20 February - Planning my (or someone else’s) funeral.
• 27 February - The last days. What happens when we die?
• 5 March - What comes next? Thoughts on “life after death”.

Location: St James' URC, Palmerston Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5NG
Time: Thursdays 10:30 – 12:00

For more information or to sign up, please contact Rev Ulrike Bell on 020 8505 5542 or [email protected].