Lent Course
We're pleased to announce this year's Lent Course "Jesus and Calling: On the Road to Easter", a five-week video series encouraging us to explore our own calling as we delve into Jesus' calling to the cross through the Gospels. The materials are designed for use in small group settings and will be particularly helpful in discerning our own vocations (in the broadest sense) – in everyday life, but also our part in church life, mission and leadership.
The five sessions will represent a variety of voices and backgrounds from across the diocese looking at the Sunday Gospel readings set in the Lent lectionaries. Each session will include:
- A 15-minute video conversation, combining teaching from the Scriptures, theological implications, and applications for our vocations.
- Small group discussion questions based on the Gospel reading and leading us to explore our own callings further.
- Two 2-minute vocation-themed video testimonies from a wide variety of people who are in or have been through ministry training.
You can preview the first two sessions, Week 1 and Week 2, by clicking on the dropdown sections below. These will help you understand how the resources could be used. The accompanying resource sheets help guide you through the flow of each session.
The sessions will be shared via our weekly newsletter, the Parish Brief (sign up here to receive the Parish Brief), and added to this page weekly from 13 February, with a seven-day time-limited download link including captioned and non-captioned versions of the videos.
Our Bishops, Andrew Watson and Paul Davies, kick off the Lent Course series looking at Mark 1:9-19.
Teaching video
Testimony videos
Joy Bishop and Revd Kath Morris from St Savior's Church in Guildford host the second session of the Lent Course looking at Mark 8:31-38.
Teaching video
Testimony videos
Revd Gemma Foster, from the Parish of Cove, and Fr Neil Roberts, Area Dean of Guildford, host the third session of the Lent Course looking at John 2:13-22.
Teaching video
Testimony videos
Matthew Frost, from East Molesey, and Philippa Baker, from Godalming Minster, host the fourth session of the Lent Course looking at John 3:14-21.
Teaching video
Testimony videos
Revd Craig Holmes, Director of Ordinands, and Sarah Slater, Training Lead, at the Diocese of Guildford host the fifth and final session of the Lent Course looking at John 12:20-33.
Teaching video
Testimony videos
Revd Esther Prior, Vicar at St John's Egham, and Stephen Squirrell, Year Tutor on the Local Ministry Programme, host this extra post-Easter session as part of our Lent Course series looking at John 20:1-18.
Teaching video
We encourage those taking part in the Lent Course to consider their calling through the Foundations in Ministry course and we look forward to hearing how you plan to make use of the Lent Course resources.
Resources for schools
Our Education Team have pulled together a host of resources for use in school that could also be adapted for use in a church context.
You can find these by visiting our Lent and Easter Collective Worship page.
National resources
The Church of England are encouraging churches and individuals to "Watch and Pray" over Lent 2024, inviting us to seek God in both familiar and unfamiliar places this Lent: in darkness and in quiet; in movement and migration; in the healing and transforming work of the Spirit; in the weeping of Holy Week and in the joy of Easter morning.
The Bishop of Guildford's Communities Fund Lent Appeal
The Bishop of Guildford’s Communities Fund provides grants to support parishes and other church-linked organisations to reach out into the most challenged parts of our communities with the love of Christ.
Find out more about the amazing work they support and how to donate by visiting the BGCF website.