Over the past ten years Christianity Explored has become a tried and trusted, often highly informal, method of sharing the gospel.
It works by introducing people to the real Jesus from the pages of the Bible, exploring who Jesus is, why he came and what it means to follow him.
Many tens of thousands have become Christians as a direct result of doing the course — and not just in the UK. 5,000 courses are now being held at any one time in 60 countries around the world and CE has been translated into 20 different languages. It is used in many different settings too, ranging from traditional church missions to outreaches in schools and prisons.
Now upgraded
But this month, Christianity Explored is being revised, rebranded and relaunched. Why?
The key decision, which was to re-edit and shorten the course from ten sessions down to seven, emerged from research which showed that many users are doing this already, and that it is perfectly possible to convey the key elements of the Christian faith within a shorter timeframe. A further benefit of a shorter course is that it appears less daunting to potential guests, which in turn provided one impetus to redesign it, without compromising its fidelity to the gospel.
Another imperative was to ensure that only one clear, consistent theme was taught per session, since making it stronger thematically also results in it being easier for participants to understand. That has meant that the session on grace has had to be completely rewritten and that on the resurrection has had to be completely reworked, resulting in a ‘new’ edition that is streamlined and manageable.
Another factor driving the redesign is the simple fact that any DVD-based product looks dated after eight years. Consumers are used to seeing visually stunning, incredibly innovative, visual material everywhere, on TV, in films and on their computers. Such is their quality that people are simply turned off by poor production values, wherever they encounter them.
Re-shooting Rico
The CE DVD has, therefore, been completely reshot in an exciting and eye-catching way. It retains the best script elements from before, but adds a wealth of new material, including an account of a most amusing — and slightly embarrassing — personal encounter with an unrecognised VIP who is very much in the news at the moment. And both the DVD and the materials for leaders and guests have been completely rebranded under a crisper, clearer, more attractive design. Visually and aesthetically therefore, Christianity Explored is now a stunning production.
Some aspects of the course, however, remain uncompromisingly the same, in particular its straight-talking evangelistic programme, which is always thoroughly grounded in Mark’s compelling portrait of the identity, mission and call of Christ. And it continues to offer a crystal clear exploration of sin and its eternal consequences, so that the sheer wonder of God’s grace can be understood, appreciated and responded to. Churches that already know Christianity Explored well, as well as those trying it out for the first time, will be most impressed with the ‘new’ edition.
New churches get on board
Even before the launch of the new edition of CE, it is becoming clear that the course is having some positive results that are, in some respects, slightly surprising. The first is the interest shown by churches outside the normal conservative evangelical heartlands where it has hitherto proved most popular. So a significant number of theologically conservative Pentecostal churches (such as New Frontiers, Elim and Assemblies of God) have started using Christianity Explored recently, in parts of the UK as diverse as Surrey, Devon, Durham, south Wales and Northern Ireland. The feedback received reveals that these churches have been highly satisfied with both the course and the results that have been achieved. Moreover, the benefits were felt not just by those who attended, but by those who led the sessions too. This was because they themselves felt they had enhanced their biblical understanding. This mirrors the experience of many other churches.
The second area in which CE is having a major impact is the way it is bringing gospel-hearted churches together, often from very different denominations and traditions, as they instigate joint missions. A good example is in Scotland, where a few days ago in Edinburgh, Church of Scotland, Baptist, Independent Evangelical, Salvation Army and Free Church congregations combined in a major evangelistic initiative whereby a Christianity Explored course was held in a Costa coffee shop in the heart of the city.
The main UK launch of CE will be at the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown, Surrey on May 10. For more information about Christianity Explored resources and materials, contact Melanie Baird on 020 7636 6406 or see the website, http://www.christianityexplored.org
