Talks from the Gospels
A traditional service of lessons and well-known carols. With music from the Salvation Army brass band and seasonal treats, and a talk on the meaning of Christmas by Lee Campbell (Strandtown Baptist Church).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many people today see Jesus as an interesting religious thinker (like the Buddha) or a revolutionary prophet (like Che Guevara). But to contemporary people Jesus was either a dangerous heretic or he was the son of God. Put another way, they either believed he had been rightly executed by the Romans, or that God had raised him from the dead, offering life to the world.
This Easter we will be joined by Stephen Shaw QC to consider the evidence for the empty tomb. Stephen has practiced at the Northern Irish Bar for over 30 years and has been Senior Counsel since 2001. Stephen regularly speaks on the evidence for the Christian faith and we are delighted that he is able to join us for this one off event, organised by Gospel in the City.
Wednesday 12 April 2016, 1:10 – 1:50pm
May Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast (see below for directions)
All welcome. No booking necessary.
A copy of a flyer for this event is available to download here. Feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested.
In the run-up to Easter, we are returning to Mark’s Gospel after a couple of months’ break. After the excitement and enthusiasm of the early days of Jesus’ public ministry, the mood has turned sour as Jesus is challenged again and again about his unique claims.
We’re going to be looking at five “conflict stories” in Mark 2-3. In each we’ll see how Jesus’ claims are at the same time wonderfully good news and strangely controversial. Ultimately, we’ll see that Jesus’ commitment to bringing life sets in motion the events that lead to his death.
This series will be great for anyone exploring what Jesus’ life was all about, and there will lots for Christians to chew on as we consider together what it means to follow a controversial Christ.
Our speakers for this series are Moore Casement (Cornhill Belfast), Sam Bostock (Union College), Christoph Ebbinghaus (Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian Church) and Jim Crooks (the Crescent Church). The series will finish in Easter week with a special talk from Stephen Shaw QC, “Dead Man Walking: the Case for the empty tomb” (12 April).
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.
What does it mean to be a disciple of King Jesus in our workplaces?
For the first few weeks of 2017, we’re going to be looking at the opening to the Sermon on the Mount. With potent images Jesus sets out what life in his kingdom looks like: comfort for the mourners, joy for the persecuted, salt of the earth, light for the world, a city on a hill.
Jesus gives us a vision for a kind of “public faith” – a way of shining brightly as citizens of his kingdom in a world that rejects his rule. As Tim Keller has said:
“To be “public” doesn’t mean being strident, nor to force the subject into conversations. It simply means that Christians should not hide who they are.”
Join us for a mixture of Bible teaching and interactive seminars over five Wednesday lunchtimes as we work out how we might bring light to our workplaces by being who we are.
