Churches
Finding A Church
As Coventry students ourselves, we've all found the first term is a time where everyone is trying to find their feet and settle into a whole new way of life. The quicker we settle into this new way of life, the easier things become. So as you can see, many of the events planned are an opportunity to get to know new people, but we really want to draw your attention to the "Church Crawl".A group of people from the CU, who all go to different churches, will meet together every Sunday morning for the whole of the first term. Everyone is welcome to come along, listen to the different church representatives give a quick introduction to their own church, and then you can decide which you'd like to try out. This is a great way for you to find a church that suits you, maybe one that's like your home church and you don't have the terrifying first step of going somewhere new on your own! And if you can't find the right church for you straight away, you could change and try out different ones for the rest of the term until you do!
Choosing a Church
Many people look at things such as the sort of songs sung, the length of services or how similar it is to their home church in order to determine whether or not a church is "good". While these aren't bad things to look for, the Bible does give us guideline in what to look for.Hebrews 10:25 reminds us of the importance of meeting together as Christians and, although a CU is a great place to do this, it isn't going to replace a church. In church we will find all sorts of people who can help to guide us in our Christians lives. I'm sure we can all list older, wiser people who have helped us in our walk and so it's important that we seek their help and not find ourselves completely submerged in our own little student world.
Is the Church Faithfully Teaching the Word of God?
2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 In this Bible passage we see Paul writing to Timothy, a young church leader. He reminds of his priorities of his work"Preach the word! Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction"
Find a church that is doing this- preaching the word above all things, make sure the church has its priorities right. After all, v15 God's word makes us "wise for salvation" and v16 "fully equips us for every good work" God's word need to be handled carefully in order to help us through our Christian lives.
Is What They're Saying True?
We must make sure that, just as Paul tells Timothy, they are correctly and faithfully teaching Scripture. If we look at Acts 17:11, we see that we're told not simply accept all that we're told, the Bereans were commended as being more noble than the Thessalonians because they tested what Paul told them against the Bible. Test what you hear.The church at Corinth was not a good place to be, it had completely lost its focus and Paul write to them urging them to get back to the thing of first importance. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Paul points them to the things that really matter:
* The Gospel is given by God, not man
* The Gospel saves people
* Jesus Christ is real and historical
* He died for sin and was raised to life again
* The Scriptures are authoritative above all else
You may find that there are plenty of churches that believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but will much more often be found talking about things of secondary importance; baptism, spiritual gifts, music etc. But the most important thing is that the focus is on teaching the Gospel, after all "Faith comes from hearing the Gospel"
Are Their Priorities for the Life of the Church Correct?
Acts 2:42-47 shows us the priorities of the early church. They were devoted to teaching the Bible, committed to fellowship with one another, they broke bread together and prayed together.So when we go to a church we must ask these questions: Do they faithfully teach the Bible? Do they share the Lord's supper and take it seriously? Do they pray together? Do they take fellowship seriously, will this be a church where they will love and care for you?
Conclusion
1. Do those who lead the church want us to grow in our understanding of the Scriptures and apply them to every area of our life?2. Do they study the Bible, break bread together, pray together and love one another?
3. Do they emphasis the gospel of Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection for sins above all else?
Local Churches
Name of Church: Holy Trinity, CoventryLocation: 5A Priory Row, CV1 5EX Situated in Broadgate next to Cathedral Lanes shopping Centre
Contact details: email address office@holytrinitycoventry.org.uk
telephone number 02476 220418
Description: A large city centre medieval church in the heart of the city. Founded in the early twelfth century. This Anglican church is the home to an active fellowship which aims to take a full part in the life of the city centre and offers a variety of worship styles, from quiet prayer to traditional choral music and modern songs and choruses. Holy Trinity serves the parish and the city as well as the University. There are home groups/cluster groups, healing ministry and youth groups. Five services on Sundays and three during the week. The present Vicar is Revd. Keith Sinclair and the office is open Monday to Thursdays up till about 4pm. The church is open every day from 9.30am until 4pm. There is a FARESHARE shop situated in the church and there is a large medieval doom (last judgement) painting on the chancel wall which has international interest. Welcomers are usually on hand to answer any queries. Do please join us and introduce yourself.
Name of Church: Kings Church Coventry
Location: Cheylesmore Community Centre
Corner of Poitiers Road/Arundel road
Cheylesmore
Coventry
CV3 5JX
Contact details: Melanie Coulthard (Student Contact) meljay_coulthard@yahoo.co.uk
or
Paul Jamieson paulj@kingschurchcoventry.org
Website: www.kingschurchcoventry.org
Description: Kings is a small community based church that has a real desire to model God's heart for community within and around. A theme running through every member is the importance of relationships, whether that being family, friends or those looking into our lives from more of a distance. There is a very active social life throughout the church, which means there is always something going on and something to get involved with. Sunday mornings, mid-week small groups and all the other regular events have a relaxed feel. Many people that have joined Kings Church have been looking for a place where they can find an alternative way of doing church, a way that for them answers some of the reasons why 'traditional' church structures have become alienated from the world around us. We are host to a number of students, mainly from the Nexus Christian Music Academy, although we do have some students from Coventry university. We also have a student hosting scheme, which allocates each student with a host family and a host single person. We are about 20minutes away from the campus centre, but lifts can be arranged.
Name of Church: BETHEL EVANGELICAL CHURCH
Location: SPON END, CV1 3HB ABOUT A THIRD OF A MILE (600 METRES) FROM JUNCTION 7 OF THE RING ROAD ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
Contact details:
STUDENT LIAISON: NIGEL AND DIANE SULLIVAN
email address Nigel@sullivan161.fsnet.co.uk
telephone number 024 76362331
WEB SITE: http://www.bethelcoventry.org.uk
Description: A friendly church with a family atmosphere where you are sure of a warm welcome. The church is independent and is led by a team of Elders and Deacons. We have two Sunday services. The morning service at 10.30 is for all ages and starts with 15 minutes of worship when all ages are present. At 10.45 the children go out for their own Junior Church. The evening service is at 6.30. Both services include worship and a message from the Bible. On the second Sunday evening of each month we have a service of contemporary worship, Broadband. We have Home Group meetings at 8 pm on alternate Tuesdays of the month. On the other Tuesday evenings at 7.45 we meet in the church hall for Bible study and prayer. Some of these Tuesdays are given over to a missionary theme, occasionally with a missionary speaker. We have a lively programme of events for the younger age range with action-packed sessions led by enthusiastic leaders. The church operates a child protection scheme.
Name of Church: Elim Pentecostal Church
Location: City Centre, 5 mins walk from Godiva, near the Sky Dome The Butts, Coventry CV1 3GR www.elim-coventry.org.uk
Contact details:
email address Helen@elim-coventry.org.uk
telephone number: Mo: 07876558278 Office: 0247 622 6493
Description: A lively, growing city church consisting of people of all ages, backgrounds and, at the last count, over 30 nationalities. Involved in local community projects, outreach and working with other city churches. Students are actively encouraged to become fully integrated into church life while studying in Coventry. In addition, our student reps lead student cells, a retreat weekend, and plan other student activities each year.
Sunday Services: 9.30am, 11.15am & 6.30pm
Name of Church: Jubilee Church
Location: Meet at: Blue Coat School, Terry Road, Coventry, CV1 2BA (Approx. 2miles)
Contact details:
email address; office@jubileechurchcoventry.org
telephone number; (024) 7622 5928
Description: Jubilee Church is a new and growing church of people from Coventry and the surrounding area whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ. Led by George Tee and Andrew Simpkins, we aim to enjoy the love of God and each other, to teach and live out the truth of the Bible and to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ. We are part of Newfrontiers, a worldwide family of churches with a vision to advance the kingdom of God through making disciples, restoring the church, and reaching the nations. We gather together at 10.30am each Sunday to worship God, enjoy the friendship of each other, and receive clear Biblical teaching that equips us to live life to the full. Sunday evenings at 6.30pm we meet for Powerhouse, our weekly prayer meeting, where we enjoy dynamic and refreshing times in the presence of God. This meeting is the driving force of the church and is held at St. Anne & All Saints Church, Acacia Avenue, Coventry. There are also mid-week cell groups which meet in different homes throughout Coventry.
Name of Church: King’s Community Church
Location: The Christian Centre, Bulkington Rd, Bedworth, Warwickshire CV12 9DG (6 miles (about 17 mins))
Contact details:
Email address; office@kingscc.co.uk
Telephone number; 024 7649 4320
Description: King’s Community Church offers a modern and open approach to life and faith. We can help you find positive ways of finding your destiny within the Christian community and help you realize your God given goals within a broad and vibrant Christian framework. All sorts of people come to King’s, young families, twenty-something-singletons, middle-age professionals, teenagers, children, and grandparents. Age is o¬nly o¬ne of the many facets of our community; we have people of a variety of races and at different stages of spiritual journey, some who have been o¬n the Christian path for years, others just starting out, others just investigating the opportunity of knowing God. Our services and events are packed full of life, vitality and fun. We believe in authenticity and relevance to everyday life and we have a variety of community and church-based programs focused o¬n meeting the needs within our local area.
Name of Church: Lower Ford Street Baptist Church
Location: Near Pool Meadow Bus Station, ring road and student accommodation
Contact details:
email address – paulwatts@lfsbc.org.uk
telephone number - 02476670694
Description: We are an independent local church in Coventry that has been teaching the Bible and telling people the good news about Jesus Christ for 140 years. We are passionate about the sovereign majesty and greatness of God; and the gospel of free salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone. We work hard to make a bigger impact in our City and community to God's glory, relying exclusively on the power of God the Holy Spirit. By God's grace we have seen growth, and are an all age, multicultural congregation, with life and love, and opportunities to serve. You would feel free to bring your friends along. We would love to see you!
Name of Church: New Horizons Church
Location: 10.30am Coventry Boys’ Club, Whitefriars Lane, CV1 2DT
Contact details:
Website - www.newhorizonschurch.com
Student Contact: Steve Ranford
E mail: students@newhorizonschurch.com
Mobile: 0794 620 2549
Description: Because our Sunday meetings are in the city centre, it is convenient to walk to the Boys’ Club from many Coventry University Halls of Residence. Whitefriars Lane is a left hand turn off the road with Browns on, between the Ellen Terry Building and the Campbell Pub. The Sports Centre is located on Whitefriars Lane. To get to the Boys’ Club, follow the Whitefriars Road round as it bends to the left. The Boy’s Club is right at the end on the left hand side. If you will be walking to the meeting and would like to meet with others to find the way, please email transport@newhorizonschurch.com and we will arrange to meet at the main student union building, opposite the Cathedral, at 10.15am to go to the meeting. NH is a community of believers whose lives have been impacted by Jesus Christ both individually and corporately. As a community we want to accurately model God’s values and directions for life – believing that His patterns, His choices and His preferences in all areas of life are the best way to live. We aim to bring those who have no knowledge of God into a life changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our response towards God is to worship Him with all our hearts, openly expressing our praise and gratitude to the One who withheld nothing from us. We value and enjoy community life and have a strong focus on being trained as disciples of Jesus Christ. Expressions of community life include regular Sunday meetings, growth groups, community events, and particularly for students, involvement in the Global Leadership Interlink [GLI]: www.glinetwork.org Changing Lives, Building Community, Impacting the world