The popular ETS Saturday Courses will resume this Saturday, 17th September.
How do the Saturday Courses work?
One Saturday a month, from September through to April, three lectures are delivered by visiting speakers. These lectures, which are also available to access online, are specially designed to stretch the Christian mind and deepen an understanding of God’s word. The course content covers Biblical Studies, Practical Theology, Christian Discipleship and Christian Doctrine.
Who is the Saturday Course for?
The Saturday Courses, which may be completed with or without essays, are of great benefit to anyone who has a longing to dig deeper into the gospel.
No prior qualifications are necessary – everyone is welcome.
The following awards are available in these courses:
- Certificate in Theology: To qualify for a Certificate in Theology, the student is required to submit six essays (normally up to three essays each year).
- Diploma in Christian Studies: This is a further course for those who have already gained their Certificate in Theology. To qualify for the Diploma in Christian Studies, the student is required to submit a further six essays (normally up to three essays each year).
When will the lectures take place?
In 2022/2023, the lectures will be delivered one Saturday a month on the following dates:
2022: 17 September, 8 October, 12 November, 10 December
2023: 14 January, 11 February, 18 March, 22 April
The lectures will be delivered from the Chalmers Hall at ETS from 10am to 3.15pm.
Here are details of the lectures taking place in 2022-23:
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Practical Theology:
Christian Pastoral Care: Biblical Background, Purpose and Practices
Lecturer: Andy Hunter
Pastoral care in Christian ministry can be needed in many different situations and contexts. In these series of lectures, we learn that the goal of Pastoral Care is not simply to provide academic and theoretical knowledge, although learning of that kind is a necessary foundation. Rather, it is to explore how to approach this subject and its real-life examples with a Biblically balanced and compassionate understanding of the challenges and complexities in this area. We also look at some Biblical tools for the application of pastoral care in the context of Christian ministry.
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Biblical Studies:
People Jesus Helped
Lecturer: Alex MacDonald
There are two ways of learning about Christian life and witness. One way is to follow the teaching, such as in the epistles of the Apostle Paul. Another way is to learn from the narrative parts of Scripture, such as the Gospels. It is significant that more than half of the Bible is composed of narrative. Sometimes, of course, it is difficult to deduce teaching from narrative. However, this is not the case with the Gospel narratives of Jesus’ interaction with people. So this series will consist of studies of Jesus’ personal, pastoral and evangelistic interactions in the Gospels.
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Christian Doctrine
Creation and New Creation: How Grace Restores Everything
Lecturer: Cory Brock
To understand the power of Christ’s cross, one must first see the problem the cross addresses. That problem is both personal and cosmic, that creation is fallen. The apostle John famously says, “For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son.” He invites us there to understand Christ’s salvation in the light of God’s love for the world, for people and for everything else. The apostle’s creed reminds us: God almighty is the maker of heaven and earth. Therefore, God loves that which he has made and will not leave it to die. In this course we will explore the doctrines of creation, the fall, and re-creation or how the grace of Christ restores nature. The work of Christ is the work of restoration and so Christ came to be our great physician.
