Oasis Church Bath

As our ‘Rethinking the Bible’ series draws to a close, Jo Dolby explores the very first Christmas from a theological, historical and sociological context, dispelling some common myths about the Christmas story we know so well, as well as drawing out powerful meanings that apply to our lives today.

Joining us on the sofa this month is Revd Dr Helen Paynter. Helen is the Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College, which exists to facilitate cutting-edge research in the areas of biblical violence and the abuse of the bible in a violent world. We’ll be asking Helen how we can align the violent and angry God portrayed in the Old Testament with the lovin...

Some of the passages in the bible are really difficult to read, in fact some of them are shocking, violent and even abhorrent. What do we do with these difficult passages and how can we understand them in light of their original culture and context? Jill Rowe from Oasis Waterloo helps us understand how something called ‘progressive revelation’ can radically shift our views around the more difficul...

Gaynor Williams describes some of the many tools we can use alongside our reading of the bible, including commentaries, concordances, different translations and diverse perspectives. All of these can add to the richness of reading and applying the bible.

Joining us on the sofa this week is the founder of Oasis Rev Steve Chalke. Steve wrote a book called ‘The Lost Message of Paul’, which explores a particular way understanding the writings of Paul, a New Testament writer and leader of the early church.

Many Christians use the bible to make ethical decisions. Rob Trickey explores the kinds of ethical approaches we see in the bible and the pros and cons of letting the bible form the frameworks we use to make choices about how we live.

At Oasis, one of our four characteristics is an open and progressive theology. How can we see the bible through a progressive lens? For many of us who have deconstructed faith, or seen the bible used to harm or control, how can we reimagine our relationship with it? Jo Dolby explores the purpose and place of the bible in our lives.

As part of our Rethinking the Bible series, Dave Kingswood from ‘Home for Good’ joins us on the sofa to talk about how the bible has shaped his passion for vulnerable kids, particularly those who need to be fostered or adopted.

Rob Trickey helps us go back to basics with a look at what the bible actually is, who wrote it, how it was put together, and why all of that is so important in shaping our understanding of it.

The bible is an amazing, diverse and powerful collection of books, written over thousands of years by different authors from different contexts and communities. For Christians, so much of what we believe and how we live, comes back to what we think about the bible. The bible has been used to inspire, connect and guide, but if we’re honest it’s also been used to harm, control and divide. Perhaps it...

We’re joined by special guest Jane Stephenson from Bath Quakers, who will be telling us about the Quaker approach to peace and peacemaking. Quakers around the world are known for their activism and peacemaking work, and we have a lot to learn from them. We’re excited to be welcoming Jane as she shares some of her own story, and inspires us with examples of what Quakers are doing to work for peace...

What can we learn about peace and peacemaking from Jesus’ non-violent approach? When the world seems set on ‘an eye for an eye’, how can Jesus’ revolutionary teachings help us to find a different way, and inspire us to work for peace in our own lives, and in the world around us. Jo Dolby speaks to us on our last learning Sunday together before the school summer holidays.

In a famous sermon, Jesus once said “blessed are the peacemakers,” but what does it mean to be a peacemaker? Gaynor Williams shares with us as we begin a month where we reflect on war and peace, and what they mean.

Our youth leaders Gabriella Palmer and Ian Spence interview some of the young people that belong to Oasis Church Bath, finding out what life is like for them and what they'd like adults to know.

Worship can too often be reduced down to simply being about ‘a time of singing’. And whenever anything gets reduced down we end up missing out. But if we understand worship as connection, participation, protest and declaration it takes on a whole new meaning. Jill Rowe from Oasis Church Waterloo is our guest speaker.

Rob Trickey gets us thinking about how we might understand corporate worship through the lens of a progressive theology. What should it look like in a church like Oasis, and how can we explore new and diverse forms of worship whilst not rejecting established methods that some find so much meaning and connection through?

Join our panel who introduce 'worship songs you won't hear in church'.

Life as a disciple of Jesus is a call to growth. Jo Dolby and Sara Reynolds explore faith stages/shifts and models of faith development to help us understand how where we’re at in our faith has a huge impact on how we live out what we believe, and how we make ethical decisions and formulate theological opinions.

Rob Trickey explores the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as a tool for making decisions about our faith and practice in the world. Balancing scripture, reason, tradition and experience all together can be an exciting, conversational and dynamic way to live out a progressive faith.

As an Oasis church one of our four distinctive characteristics is an open, progressive theology, but what does this mean? Jo Dolby explains this term and why it reflects what it means to be an Oasis church.

In the last of our Life Together series, Elizabeth Bavin joins us on the sofa to talk about how different people meet God differently. As a spiritual director, Elizabeth is experienced in helping others to spot where God might be showing up and speaking to us. She draws on this experience to help us understand how personality and preference play a part in how we meet God together and individually.

What happens when life together becomes toxic, or damaging, and what are the signs of a toxic relationship? Why is it sometimes that relationships can be harmful to us and to others, and how can we put boundaries in place to protect ourselves? Jo Dolby explores these questions as part of our ‘Life Together’ series.

On the sofa this month we’re joined by some members of Oasis Church Bath who live with disabilities that might not be visible, or obvious.

Continuing our mini-series on disability, we welcome special guest Simeon Wakely. Simeon will be talking about his lived experience of disability, helping us see the world from his perspective, and opening up our understanding of how faith and disability interact.

In March we’re doing a mini-series on disability. To kick us off, Rich Blake-Lobb from The Life Project in Bath joins us to talk about a ‘theology of disability’. How can we understand disability from a progressive theological viewpoint, and what are some of the myths and harmful views Christians can sometimes have that may impact our ability to engage meaningfully and helpfully with the lived exp...