Welcome
BELIEF: Growing in Faith and Understanding.
“To offer a safe space to explore Christian faith in our time”
We hope you will be inspired to join us whether you are simply coming out of interest or curiosity, whether you need help in training for a ministry in the church or whether you just want to address those awkward questions about faith and life, all in an open, enquiring environment.
For details of forthcoming courses and events, click 'Future Courses'
Mini Science & Faith Course for BELIEF Bedford on Zoom
Saturday 24th September Revd Dr Dave Gregory (Science & Faith for children) - “Wonder, Play and Connections – Science and Faith Across the Generations”.
David has been a Baptist Minister for 25 years and has a master’s in applied theology from Oxford University. Prior to this he gained his doctorate at Imperial College in Atmospheric Physics and undertook research at the Met Office, Hadley Centre and European Weather Centre in weather forecasting and climate for 15 years. These fields have now come together and he recently stepped away from local church ministry to serves as a Baptist Missioner for Science and the environment.
David was Baptist Union President from 2018-2019 and convenes the Baptist Union Environment Network as well as chairing the Christian environmental organisation The John Ray Initiative. As “Dr Dave” he co-ordinates the “Messy Church Does Science” project which uses science experiments to help families to explore the wonder of creation and the wonder of the creator, now used in Messy Churches in several countries. He also led the development of the follow-on project “MESS-AI Church” exploring robots, AI, and faith and is the science advisor for “Messy Church Goes Wild Adventures.” He is also a regular speaker with “God and the Big Bang,” exploring science and faith issues with both primary and secondary school students.
Saturday 1st October Dr Martin Hodson (Biodiversity) Biodiversity Loss: A Christian Concern?
Dr Martin J Hodson is a plant scientist and environmental biologist, and a former Principal Lecturer, and now Visiting Researcher at Oxford Brookes University. He is also Associate Member of the Institute of Human Sciences at the University of Oxford. Martin is Principal Tutor of Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES). The tour scientist for the Hope for Planet Earth tours, he writes and speaks widely on environmental issues. Martin has over 100 publications, mostly in international science journals. His books are Cherishing the Earth (with Margot Hodson, 2008), Functional Biology of Plants (with John Bryant, 2012), The Ethics of Climatic Scepticism (with Margot Hodson, 2015), A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues (with Margot Hodson, 2015, 2nd ed. 2021), An Introduction to Environmental Ethics (with Margot Hodson, 2017), E 198 COVID-19: Environment, Justice and the Future (with Ruth Valerio, Margot Hodson & Timothy Howles, 2020), and Green Reflections: Biblical inspiration for sustainable living (with Margot Hodson, 2021).
Saturday 8th October Canon Dr Tim Bull (Artificial Intelligence) - "Questions that AI Raises for Believers?"
The Revd Canon Dr Tim Bull is an Anglican Priest serving at St Albans Cathedral and as the Director of Vocations for the diocese of St Albans. Previously Tim has been a country vicar, a trainer in church leadership, a chartered software engineer, and a university lecture in computer science. He has degrees from Oxford and Cambridge in mathematics and theology, respectively. He gained a PhD from Durham in software engineering and a second PhD from King’s College London in theology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, a member of the Society of Ordained Scientists and was elected in 2015 to the Church of England’s governing General Synod. His current interests include interfaith issues, artificial intelligence, and the phenomenon of post truth and disinformation.
Each event will run for two one hour sessions separated by a break;
from 10.30am to 1pm.
Order tickets individually for each week free on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/335254885387
Rev Simon Woodman
An Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew
Wednesday 26th October 2022
7pm to 9pm on Zoom
Tickets can be ordered for free on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/simon-woodman-on-matthew-tickets-381674477637
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