Have you ever sat through a sermon, and come out fuming or saddened or just plain frustrated about some aspect of what the pastor said about marriage or women, but you haven’t known how to really put a biblical perspective on what you felt was wrong with what you heard?
Or perhaps you’re a woman who is gifted in some aspect of ministry, who is wondering if God has something more that He wants from you, and yet you are not sure if it’s biblical for you to want to develop your leadership or pastoral gifts. Or possibly, someone else is telling you that being female means you can’t pursue these gifts. Maybe your church is working through the issues relating to women in ministry or women elders and you would like to be better informed to help you process your thoughts about this.
Others among you may find some of the popular teachings about men’s and women’s “roles” (especially in marriage) to be hard to match against their life experiences, personality or the dynamics of their relationship.
These issues may be a quiet niggle or a screaming roar in your life at this point in time…a matter of intellectual curiosity, or a deep, burning personal issue that may even threaten to destroy your faith.
If any of this sounds like you or someone you know, and you live in Perth, Western Australia, then the God’s Design course may be what you are looking for. Over 7 study sessions, we will explore God’s plan for men and women in the home, church and world from Creation and Fall through to Paul’s letters, as follows:
Study 1: Male & Female, He Created Them (Genesis 1 & 2)
Study 2: The Fall (Genesis 3)
Study 3: Men & Women After the Fall (Old Testament)
Study 4: Jesus, Friend of Women (Gospels)
Study 5: Acts, Paul & Women in Ministry (Acts, Paul’s epistles)
Study 6: No teaching, No Authority? (1 Timothy 2)
Study 7: Marriage and Singleness (Paul’s epistles)
Participants receive a handbook which includes all the course handouts, additional resource sheets, a list of further resources and more. There is a low cost ($15, or $10 concession) to cover the cost of the handbook, but anyone who would find that financially difficult should contact me.
In 2016, I am planning to run the course:
- Two daytime sessions: On Saturday 30th January and Saturday 6th February at my home (south of the river). This course is almost full, so if you are interested, please contact me ASAP.
- Seven evenings: The evening course will run in either Term 2 or 3. Please contact me if you are interested so I can add your name to the list – this course has already had strong interest, so it is expected to fill up as well.
The God’s Design course is open to men and women of any age, from any church background. There is no level of background knowledge about these issues expected. It is designed to help you discover the Bible’s message for men and women for yourself. In the past, some participants have found that this course has helped them to heal from some of the hurts they have experienced in the church over the years. Others have felt a renewed sense of excitement about studying the Bible.
If you have a group of three or more people (perhaps from your church or other organisation) who might be interested in doing the God’s Design study, please contact me to see if we can tee up a time and location to suit your group. For those in some country locations, it might be possible to do it over the two daytime sessions, so don’t assume that your location necessarily means this is not accessible.
If you or anyone you know might be interested in attending, then please get in touch with me at godsdesignperth@gmail.com – I would love to hear from you!
God's Design - Perth 