In the first few centuries the church took the task of evangelising and initiating people into the Christian faith very seriously. In some cases the process lasted up to three years, culminating in baptism.

Whilst in our own setting we may not want to delay baptism for that long, we do also want to take seriously our charge to make disciples. Hence, we are seeking to develop at Millmead something akin to a catechumate: namely a year-round programme of instruction and mentoring in the Christian faith, in which we seek to make connections between faith, worship, work and everyday life.

At the moment, our programme begins in September with Alpha, leading to Firm Foundations in January, for those who want to further their understanding and faith. Here we explore, through the biblical narrative, basic Christian doctrines. We are currently in the process of developing a third component, which would start after Easter, looking at Everyday Christianity.

It is possible to join the year programme at any point. It is not required to start with Alpha, for instance. Alongside this programme we have formed discipleship groups (PODs) for young people.

Beyond this we are also developing, in conjunction with London School of Theology, more advanced theological and biblical studies in Shaped by the Word. Having run a successful pilot in January 2007, a new course will be offered in September 2007 in Old Testament theology, with the intention of running various other components/credits over the next three years.

Alpha Course

The next Alpha Course here at Millmead will run at 2 pm on Tuesday afternoons in the Lounge from April 29th through to July 15th. It includes afternoon tea!
For further information, please contact Derek Wensley.

For more general information please visit The Alpha Course.

Here is the programme for the Course:

Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? How can I be sure of my faith? Why and how should I read the Bible? Why and how should I pray? How does God guide us? How can I resist evil? Why and how should we tell others? Does God heal today? What about the Church?

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Firm Foundations: Click here and a new window will open with more information on the course's content.

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Baptism At Guildford Baptist Church we practise Believers' Baptism, so we baptise anyone who is a believer, loves Jesus and knows Him as Saviour and Lord. Currently there is just one class to prepare someone for baptism. For more information on what is involved, click here

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Membership If you have been baptised by full immersion, you might want to consider becoming a member of Guildford Baptist Church. This is a Biblical notion, which requires responsibilities from you as a member, and of the leadership as they seek to care for you. Currently we hold a series of three classes for people who are considering commitment to the Church here. For more information click here

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Shaped by the Word: Click here and a new window will open with more information on the new theological education course which will begin in September.

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PODs - Places of Discipleship are particularly aimed at our young people. These small groups are places where they can get to grips with the Christian faith as it relates to them as they grow up through their teenage years. For more information please go to the youth page by clicking here

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