Gay and lesbian Christians who are seeking a safe place of friendship in which to reconcile their faith and sexuality and grow towards Christian maturity
their partners and friends, parents and other family members
our relationship with God
to work out our Christian discipleship together, in a way that is consistent with the teaching of Scripture, especially for those who are gay or lesbian
to dialogue with our brothers and sisters in Churches who find homosexuality difficult to understand or accept
and to communicate the Good News to all who do not know Jesus Christ.
Our Discipleship Group meets once a month, usually on the first Friday of the month, with occasional additional special events – keep an eye on the What’s On page for further information.
These meetings are open to all Discipleship Group members, their wives/husbands/partners. Also open to supporting friends and church leaders by invitation.
Members are welcome to arrive from 6.30 pm onwards, for supper at 7.00 pm. We aim to finish the meetings by 10.00 pm.
Fellowship over a meal
Worship, teaching and discussion (often with a guest speaker)
Sharing and praying for one another in small groups (time permitting).
There is a small charge to cover the cost of the meal (currently £8). A freewill offering (according to what members can afford) is taken during the meeting to help towards the cost of hiring the venue and other expenses.
The Discipleship Group gives access to a forum where people are able to share something of their own journey and personal issues, if they choose. Also to pray for one another and share God’s grace with each other.
To ensure a genuinely supportive and safe environment, every member gives a prior signed undertaking that they agree to support the aims of the group and understand that no personal details shared in the group may be passed on to an outsider (which includes information about the venue).
For those who are interested in becoming involved in the Courage Discipleship Group, our first priority is to ensure that the principles of operation of the Group are fully understood and that commitment to confidentiality is agreed. Jeremy welcomes the opportunity to meet potential new members, normally before they sign up, to discuss the enquirer’s interest, to explain our aims and to ensure that membership is appropriate both for the individual and for the group as a whole.
If you are interested in knowing more, please write to the Courage office to request a Group membership brochure and form, stating briefly the reasons for your interest in the Group. Alternatively you may e-mail your request to office@courage.org.uk, remembering to include your full name and postal address in the enquiry. The membership form can also be downloaded from this web site and printed out – there is a choice of formats: HTML (standard web page) or Adobe Acrobat PDF.
If you are happy to agree to our Terms of Membership, the next stage is to complete and sign the membership form and return it to the Courage office. Further information, including details of the meeting venues, will then be posted to you and your details added to our Group mailing list.
Please note that membership of the Courage Discipleship Group is not possible until the signed Group membership form has been received in the office.
Once you are a Group Member, you will also receive the Courage Newsletter (2–3 times a year) and other relevant information from time to time, such as changes to meeting arrangements, details of forthcoming retreats and conferences or other special events.
The Watford group has ceased meeting for the present.
A new group based in Glasgow is about to open, led by the Revd Malcolm MacKenzie. For full details, including the group’s inaugural event – a carol service on 18 December 2006 – see the Courage Scotland page.
We hold two residential retreats/conferences each year for Group members. Based upon a theme of current interest and relevance to Group members, these retreats are ideal occasions for relaxation, prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship. They are usually held over a weekend late in the months of January and September, though more recently we have run a conference in May instead of our usual late-January retreat.
Details are routinely sent out in the post to signed-up Group members but are not normally made available to non-members. They are available on this website to registered members, who can log in using their username and password – see the What’s on – events page.
Jeremy Marks
August 2007
All enquiries to:
Jeremy Marks, COURAGE, PO Box 748, GUILDFORD, GU1 2ZY, U.K.
Tel: +44 1483 301411
E-mail: office@courage.org.uk