Oasis Church Bath: Recent Episodes
Oasis Church Bath
We are an inclusive, welcoming local community church, passionate about transformation in ourselves and the world around us. We are part of Oasis Hub Bath.
The bible book of Acts is full of dramatic stories: supernatural wonders, arrests, healings, executions, natural disasters, and sudden conversions. Amanda looks at a story that has all of them in one! She tells us about the early church leaders Paul and Silas as they get into trouble and are put in prison, and suggests what we can learn from their encounter with corrupt power.
Jo Dolby is looking at the story of an early Christian leader called Paul and a dramatic, supernatural experience he had on the way to Damascus. Jo will help us consider what it means for us today - how we're able to see what we couldn't see before, what it means to change our mind, and the different ways God speaks to us.
John Barneby joins us as our Sofa Sunday guest! John is the CEO of Oasis Community Learning, the branch of Oasis UK which directs its 56 academies and provides education to over 32,000 young people. Many people know about Oasis from its schools before they encounter its community hubs and churches, so come to learn how the same Oasis ethos underpins every part of the organisation, as well as how John’s own faith influences his work.
We are revisiting the story of Mary and Martha. On the one hand, busy housework, and on the other hand, patient listening – these sisters, both friends of Jesus, demonstrate a tension that we often live with in our daily lives. Rob Trickey reflects on what this story can tell us about finding space amid the hurry and focusing on what is most important to us.
Did Jesus really walk on water? Amanda Higgin helps us look at this baffling story of when Jesus broke physics, and one of his friends tried to join in. We’ll think about what miraculous stories can mean to us, and what we might learn today from this quick stroll across a lake.
Our guest speaker is Dr Chris Southgate, poet and Professor of Christian Theodicy at the University of Exeter. Chris will be exploring with us how Christian faith and theology might help or hinder us in responding to the environmental crisis, and how different theological approaches might help us to tackle this challenge to human wellbeing.
Jonny Baker joins us on our sofa. Jonny is Mission Director at the Church Mission Society and is also an advocate for pioneers, a lover of all things creative, a photographer, and a writer. He’ll also be talking about his new book ‘Fringe Dweller’, which is a book with 40 stories about Jesus interacting with people on the fringes of society.
At Oasis Church Bath we are going Back to (Sunday) School again, and our curriculum has moved on to stories from the New Testament part of the bible. Jo Dolby will be helping us to reflect on a familiar tale of friendship, determination, and the destruction of property, and what it might mean for us today.
in 2010, and in 2015 spent 2 weeks alongside other Christians walking 200 miles from London to the climate change summit in Paris. He is now the minister at Keynsham Baptist Church, which has become a Silver award eco-church. Kevin has published two books which use stories from the bible to help Christians reflect on living through a climate crisis, and will be sharing some of his reflections.
Brave, beautiful, and the subject of many inspirational devotionals on biblical womanhood, Queen Esther was much more badass than she is sometimes given credit for. Amanda Higgin shares how she was far more than a beauty queen; she risked everything to avert a genocide and bring clever justice to corrupt power.
Lyle golden syrup has commemorated the story of this long haired strongman – unfortunately a rebrand means that we are no longer reminded ‘from the strong shall come forth sweetness’ when preparing our pancakes!
Oasis Church Bath hosts Steve Chalke, the founder of Oasis! Steve founded Oasis in 1985, and has been instrumental ever since in growing it from a community project in London to a thriving multinational organisation that runs academies, community hubs, housing projects, a secure school and of course churches like ours.
In the Back to (Sunday) School series, we've been re-reading Sunday School stories together, and through this, we've built up a range of tools to help us see things from new perspectives in our adult faith. Amanda Higgin will help us identify what these tools are and where we can use them, so we can be equipped to reimagine reading our wonderfully complicated ancient texts.
Stephen Natt will reflect on the story of Daniel, who is both a challenging example of what it means to have integrity in times of empire and a strong contender for the patron saint of zookeepers! We will wonder about how to look beyond simple answers, and what we might learn from Daniel about faith in exile.
Our Community Director Jo Dolby revisits the story of Jonah (the one with the whale even though the story doesn't actually mention a whale). It’s a classic tale with a simple moral: if you run away, you’ll be eaten by a fish. We think there might be more to it than that though!
Paul Revill is a pilgrimage guide for Pilgrim Pathways, who lead groups between sacred sites in the South West of England. He will share with us what pilgrimage means for him, and his reflections on the spirituality of being in touch with the earth.
In this talk we'll be revisiting the classic story of David and Goliath. Jo Dolby will be reflecting on what we can learn from this ancient military match-up, what it might have meant to us when we were younger in faith, and what it might mean for us now with attention to its original context, and the 'Goliaths' we experience in our world today.
In this podcast we'll be revisiting the story of Joseph and his multicoloured coat! Join us to dive into this epic tale of dreams, tricks, slavery, and political intrigue, meeting a range of weird and wonderful characters across the whole range of human nature. Our Associate Minister, Amanda Higgin, will talk about why we tell stories and how to find meaning in them, and wonder how a family drama in the ancient near east might help us to know God better in the 21st century.
On Sofa Sunday, we were joined on the sofa by LUX Youth Project! Lux works with young people in and around Bath, and partners with us in delivering Oasis Pantry at Roundhill. They provide groups and services, including Mentoring, Youth Work, and Faith Exploration, which aim to journey with young people and support them through the complexities of life. Join us in conversation with Luke Brightwell, their Chief Executive Officer, and Community Mentor Libby Piggot, as we explore what motivates Lux and what we might learn from their work.
The story of Noah’s Ark is a staple of Sunday School toy sets and colouring sheets, but when we look again at the narrative it can be difficult to understand. Amanda Higgin will help us reflect on this story in its ancient context, and how we might integrate it into our adult faith in all its complexity.
We headed back to Sunday School together as Amanda Higgin shared the story of Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to see Jesus and his life transformed as a result.
We kick off our new Back to (Sunday) School series with one of the stories we know and love best – the Nativity! Amanda will tell the familiar stories of the different guests who came to the manger, and encourage us to wonder what we might find if we explore these stories with new eyes.
As we draw our ‘Trajectories’ speaking series to a close, it’s time to Dream Big together! Can we imagine a brave, proactive, sustainable community, where people feel a sense of ownership and are reimagining their faith? Come and be part of the conversation, and dream with us.
Due to our constantly changing world we need to explore ways of making ourselves more sustainable and secure for the future, ensuring we have the resources and people we need to fulfil our vision and be mature followers of Jesus who can hold reliance and sustainability in tension. At Oasis Church Bath this Sunday, Gaynor Williams shares some thoughts that can help us navigate this tension, as part of our current trajectories speaking series. This service will also include a brief reflection on the theme of remembrance.
We’re joined on the sofa by three wonderful creative people from Oasis Church Bath for a panel discussion on creativity and spirituality. Claire Shelswell chats to Julia Trickey (botanical artist), James Otto (composer) and Jo Rich (designer and all round creative genius!) about how their faith impacts their art, and vice versa.
Reprising this topic from before the summer, Jo Dolby explores what it looks like for the Oasis community and for each of us as individuals to move from being a safe space, to a brave space.
We welcome Jill Rowe, the Director of Ethos and Formation for Oasis UK, to discuss the next in our series of Trajectories - 'from reactive to proactive'. While we always have to respond to changing circumstances, constant fire-fighting gets in the way of us progressing towards being the community, people, and world that we dream of. Jill helps us to reflect on what it means to proactively move towards the future that we envision, and how we can play our part.
Sometimes it feels like our church and our community work can exist in different worlds, but for Jesus it was just as important to feed the hungry and help the vulnerable as it was to teach people how to live. In this conversation, our Community Work Manager Claire Henwood and our Associate Minister Amanda talk about what we do in our community projects and why, working through some of the jargon and language barriers towards a unified view of what makes us Oasis Bath.
We start a new speaking series, where we take some time to reflect on the trajectories from our new Hub Plan. What are they, why are they important, and what difference might they make? Expect phrases like ‘the priesthood of all believers’ as Amanda Higgin talks about taking agency and responsibility for the things we care about, and how the Baptist Church tradition of church membership puts power into the hands of the people at the heart of the community.
For lots of us, August is an interruption to our usual routine – whether that's because of work, school, hobbies, family, or our Oasis Summer Sundays. Amanda Higgin helps us to reflect on our return to the joyful ordinary, thinking and praying about where God is calling us to right now, and celebrating that we each have our own purpose and path in the world.
An interview with Karen O'Donnell. Karen is a lecturer and ‘trauma theologian’, and has recently released a book called ‘Survival: Radical Spiritual Practices for Trauma Survivors’. We talk to Karen about her helpful concept for trauma survivors of ‘remaking the self’ as opposed to ‘recovery’, and ask her about some of the spiritual practices she suggests in her book, many of which are unusual and radical.
At Oasis we’ve been honoured to be a small part of a new and emerging partnership project that provides access to Trauma Informed Yoga to people with experience of trauma, who might otherwise not be able to access it. Trauma informed Yoga teacher Anna Caldwell joins us on the sofa to explain what yoga is, how it links to our faith/spirituality, why it can be so impactful, and some tools and techniques from it that might help us in difficult times.
Reading, understanding and applying the bible is a practice that will always form an important part of who we are at Oasis Church Bath. Rather than zooming in at specific verses and passages like we often do, Amanda Higgin zooms out and reminds us of the big picture view of this fascinating library of stories, poems, letters and songs.
In our recently released Hub Plan, one of our hopes is to move from ‘safe spaces to brave spaces’. We also know that throughout the Christian story, God has asked people to be brave and do difficult things that have brought change and transformation. Jo Dolby will be unpacking a little more of what this means, and how we can know we’re safe as well as have the courage to step out and be brave when we need to.
Many of us who have deconstructed an inherited faith or define ourselves as progressive Christians, cringe when we hear words like 'evangelism'. This word often evokes images of angry street preachers, pushy door knockers or emotionally manipulative events or 'gospel tracts'. That said, of course we want people to experience the goodness in our faith that we experience, we want to pass it on! Firstly Amanda Higgin shares her experience of a recent Baptist Assembly event and then Jo Dolby explores how we might find a balance, and how we can reimagine what evangelism needs to look like in 2025.
We were pleased to welcome our special guest Nik Jovčić-Sasto to the sofa at Oasis Church Bath. Nik is an Eastern Orthodox Christian, theologian, LGBTQ+ activist, musician, and drag performer. They joined us on the sofa for a conversation about their life and experiences, including a range of topics from music and activism, to mysticism and Midsomer Norton!
The first Sunday of Holy Week, when Christians around the world remember the last week of Jesus’ life. At Oasis, Amanda Higgin will be exploring with us how Christian faith has grown and developed around the symbol of the cross, and what it might mean for us to find life-giving faith through the event of a public and political execution.
Human beings are infinitely valuable partly because in each of us is reflected the image of an infinite God. This Sunday at Oasis Church Bath, Andy Salmon reflects on how this motivates how we interact with and care for each other, and inspires our core values concerning justice, inclusion, and Asset-Based Community Development.
Living a Christ-centred life is easier said than done! Gaynor will be reminding us that, throughout the Bible, God often has to remind his followers that justice and love are more important than elaborate feasts and festivals. We'll be reflecting on what God might want to say to us about this today, and how we decide what is most important in the way we choose to live.
We're delighted to be joined by Amy Peake for this months Sofa Sunday. Amy founded the charity project Loving Humanity in 2015 to provide dignity and agency to women and girls in slums and refugee camps by setting up micro-factories to produce sanitary products. Come along to hear her fascinating story and find out how love motivated Amy to start building factories in war zones.
It can be easy to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of expectations, religion, and debate, who thinks what, who does what, and what we should be seen to be doing. Stephen Natt will be exploring 'What does it mean, in the end, for everything we do to be 'Christ-centred'? Who is Jesus? How do we decide on our priorities, as individuals and as communities, when we're trying to be disciples of Jesus Christ?'
We are surrounded by messages telling us that we are powerful and capable of anything, usually coming from people who are trying to sell us something. It can be hard to remind ourselves that we aren't all-powerful – but we are loved by a Creator who is. Amanda will talk about how we can find joy and freedom in accepting the limitations of human nature, and how that might help us to love God, each other, and ourselves.
As we think a bit more about our ‘Manifesto,’ what drives and motivates us, what excites us and brings us joy, we’ll be joined by representatives of the governance groups at Oasis Bath to share what it’s like to be part of the team running a church and hub which have grown in number and ambition over recent years, what they’ve learned so far as well as their hopes for the future.
We know a lot about the extraordinary years of Jesus’ ministry, but what about the 30 years of ordinariness before that? At Oasis Church Bath this Sunday, Amanda Higgin explores what we can learn through those mysterious unknown years, and what we can draw from that to apply to our own lives in the here and now.
Claire Thomas, Hub Leader at Oasis Hull, takes to the sofa to speak to us about her experience within politics, and why politics are an essential part of ordinary life. Claire was a councillor for the liberal democrats, and continues to engage on a political level in her current role.
We'll continue our Manifesto series with the second greatest commandment: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. Rob Trickey will help us to think about what this means, especially in the context of Partnership Sunday, an annual opportunity where we take some time to reflect on who we are as a church community.
With our new speaking series, 'Manifesto,' what better way to start defining what we believe in than by paying attention to the priorities that Jesus set when he was asked what the most important commandment was? We'll begin our new series with the first and greatest commandment, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength'. Amanda Higgin will consider why this commandment is the most important, and what it means to love with every part of ourselves.
As we approach Christmas, Rob Trickey helps us reimagine the doctrine of the incarnation as well as its theological and practical implications. Did God really come to earth in human form as a baby boy? If so why, and what does it mean for us?
Some people you are born with, some people you choose, and some people you get stuck with! We live in communities that we have chosen and in communities that are given to us by circumstance, and we are called to love and to live well in both. What does a Christ-centred life look like in our street, family and workplace, compared to our church, clubs, and friendships? This Sunday at Oasis Church Bath, Amanda Higgin helps us explore these important questions.
Can ordinary people make a difference, or do you have to be in roles of power and prominence to make real, lasting change? What's the role of ordinary people in activism and change-making, and what could this look like in our everyday lives? We welcome guest speaker Ian Souter, who will share his thoughts on 'ordinary activism'. Ian is a retired Methodist minister who hasn't quite discovered how to retire! Currently he is engaged with our environmental crises and how Christians can respond (with others).
A panel of guests sit on the sofa to share their experiences of not working, and how this impacts their experience of ordinary life.
Our culture celebrates success and achievement, and in a workplace environment there is an expectation that everyone will ‘climb the ladder’. But of course, places at the top are limited! How do we respond when we don’t get that promotion? Or what if we’re quite happy where we are? Rob Trickey explores how we can simply ‘be’ at work.
Does God have a set and specific plan for each of us when it comes to our work? How do we choose our jobs and what kind of jobs should we be doing as followers of Jesus? The average adult will spend 3515 days of their life at work, so it’s really important we reflect both on the jobs we do and why we do them. Jo Dolby helps us explore these questions and considers whether there is a specific plan for each of us, or whether we make our own plan.
Oasis Church Bath invited Phil Mader-Grayson to the sofa. Phil shares his own journey of faith through the army, the evangelical church, ordained ministry, and membership of the Northumbria Community. Most recently, along with his wife Rosie, Phil ran a retreat centre called Bridge House which welcomed, in his words, “people on their way into the church and people on their way out”.
Oasis Church Bath welcomes a special guest Jill Rowe, who is the Ethos and Formation Director for Oasis UK, and part of Oasis Church Waterloo. Jill is speaking, as part of our 'How to be Ordinary' series, on being at home in ourselves. Whilst we might see home as defined by the bricks and mortar buildings we live in, our body is the primary place we live in and inhabit. It is through this body that we experience the world and live our lives and so it’s important to ask how we can feel at home in our bodies, and with ourselves?
Jo Dolby kicks off a brand new speaking series by thinking about what it means to ‘Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering’ (Romans 12:1, The Bible).
September often feels like a new beginning, or the start of a new year, where we prepare for a new season or different rhythm of life. As we start a brand new speaking series we take some time to reflect on the roles, relationships and contexts we find ourselves in at the moment, recommissioning one another to be light seekers and love bringers wherever we go and whatever we do.
In this podcast we explore the story of Susanna Wesley. Best known as the mother of two exceptional children, John and Charles, Susanna Wesley was a principled and committed Christian who took her faith into her own hands. She was a mother to 8 surviving children out of 19 births, often parenting them alone and through multiple hardships, and assumed responsibility for both their traditional and spiritual education. While not a minister, she ran a popular Christian gathering in her house and wrote numerous meditations and commentaries. She made a huge impact on her family, in her community, and as a result on the world.
It may be frowned upon for religion to interfere with politics, but faith cannot avoid being involved in public life. Rob Trickey tells the stories of Rosa Parks and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who, inspired by their faith, stood against oppressive systems and suffered the consequences. Rosa Parks was imprisoned for refusing to adhere to racial segregation. Bonhoeffer, a German Reformed pastor and theologian, was executed in a concentration camp for writing against and then conspiring to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Both made the costly decision to stand their ground against evil, knowing that they would suffer as a result.
Oasis Church Bath, were excited to be joined on the sofa by Lou Bisset, Church Leader at the recently launched Oasis Church Reading. She tells us about the messy table Lou and her team have been creating in Reading, and who she might invite to her own metaphorical messy table!
It may be frowned upon for religion to interfere with politics, but faith cannot avoid being involved in public life. Rob Trickey tells the stories of Rosa Parks and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who, inspired by their faith, stood against oppressive systems and suffered the consequences. Rosa Parks was imprisoned for refusing to adhere to racial segregation. Bonhoeffer, a German Reformed pastor and theologian, was executed in a concentration camp for writing against and then conspiring to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Both made the costly decision to stand their ground against evil, knowing that they would suffer as a result.
Amanda Higgin tells the story of Vicky Beeching – a Christian pop star who dropped a bomb on the conservative evangelical church when she came out as gay. Vicky had known she was gay since the age of 13 and had suffered the internal conflict familiar to young, gay evangelicals, including seeking out conversion therapy and even exorcism. Beeching hoped that by coming out she could show not only young, gay evangelicals but in fact everybody that the best gift of God is to be our whole selves. Being defiantly, fully herself lost her a successful career, global fame, and a strong platform, but it also healed her.
Jo Dolby speaks about the life of Bartolomé de las Casas as part of our Messy Table series. De las Casas believed that as a Christian he had a right and duty to participate in Spanish colonialism in the Indies. He came to realise, however, that the natives were human beings who ought to be treated with respect, and began to oppose colonial practices both politically and theologically. De las Casas is an example of how to change our minds, how to stop being part of systemic injustice and to advocate for those we have hurt. His story also demonstrates how important it is to recognise and honour the full, image-of-God humanity of those who are different to us, and the consequences when we do not. The Link to the video used in the the recording is https://vimeo.com/oasisbath/bartolomedelascasas?share=copy
Special guest speaker and the founder of Oasis, Steve Chalke will be talking about 'the virtue of stubbornness', as shown through the life and example of Violet Hedger. Violet was the first woman in the Baptist Union to formally train for ministry. She was recognised as a minister by her local community but faced social and institutional discrimination when she tried to gain training and recognition from the national body. She was eventually recognised several decades later by the same institution that first dismissed her, then learned from her. How can we persevere in our own vocation when we feel rejected by others? How can we seek support from our personal connections, local community, and church when we are struggling against a faceless institution? What does this story tell us about how institutions change and how the church is messy?
Amanda Higgin begins a brand new speaking series. If you could host a dinner party of historical people of faith, who would you invite? As a church we are part of a long history of people who wrestled with their faith in what felt like confusing and uncertain times. Over the next few weeks we'll be presenting stories and imperfect personalities that challenge us to live more like Jesus. We hope their examples will inspire us to work out what that looks like as the latest generation in a community that has always been ‘the messy table’.
We're joined on the sofa this month by Anna Robinson as we explore ‘faith evolution as formation’. Anna is a nature lover, nomad, sojourner and spiritual seeker. She is passionate about growing, learning, awakening and making meaningful connections for a better world. She is a host on the popular faith deconstruction podcast ‘Nomad’, for the curious and questioning listener. She also writes and records the Nomad Contemplations, writes a blog called ‘Foraging for the Soul’ and hosts retreats. She has founded Livelightdwelldeep, a space for those on the edges, where she offers Faith Shift groups and contemplative retreats online and in person.
How can we make sure we're not totally reliant on church gatherings or leaders for our spiritual health and development? How can we find 'food' to nourish us, and what are the metaphorical places we can 'forage' for goodness that will sustain and help us in our spiritual lives? Jo Dolby shares her thoughts about this.
Jesus operated within a Jewish Rabbi and disciple system, where his disciples weren’t just trying to do what their Rabbi taught them, but actually become as much like him as possible. Through his teachings and their relationship with him they were ‘formed’ into his likeness and this process continues with us today. Rob Trickey explores how a deeper knowledge of this can help us understand what it truly means to be a disciple and follow Jesus.
Jo Dolby presents an honest and transparent picture of the conflicts, ethical dilemmas, and tensions a church leader holds in relation to giving. Jo deliberately aims to talk about aspects of church giving that perhaps aren’t usually talked about, such as the over-spiritualisation of giving, traditional ideas about giving that perhaps need to be reimagined and how we avoid pressuring or manipulating people to give while also inviting people to ‘buy-in’ to our vision as a church and charity.
We continue our ‘Hands In’ series, having a look at giving from 'Behind the Scenes'. We hear from our church treasurer Dave Vernalls about what it takes to fund a church and community hub and some of his reflections on giving from his general experience within finance and as our Oasis Church Bath treasurer!
Our Sofa Sunday guest is Annie Trembling. Annie is a Deacon at Bath Methodist Church and the co-ordinator of the Southdown and Whiteway Church and Community Partnership, as well as a good friend of Oasis! Annie has been involved in a wide range of church and community work for many years and is one of our key partners in delivering Roundhill Pantry in Southdown.
So often the church is known for burning people out or asking too much of us when life is already busy and demanding. Jo Dolby explores how we can strike a healthy balance in being involved, and contributing as we participate in the life of the church, as well as not forgetting to rest and look after ourselves.
Why does the bible often use metaphors for talking about what our participation in community should look like, and what can we learn from those metaphors? Continuing our ‘Hands In’ speaking series, Amanda Higgin unpacks some of those metaphors, and helps us work out what they might say about the part we can play.
As part of our Partnership Sunday our minister in training, Amanda Higgin, shares her thoughts about what 'The Body of Christ' may mean.
Jo Dolby speaks on ‘What is this church?’ What is Oasis Church Bath all about, how does it differ from other churches and why is that important? What might we need to focus on in the year ahead?
Rob Trickey asks the question what is The Church? (big C!) What’s the purpose of the church, and why does it exist? Why is it so important to Christian faith and how should we understand and define it?
If we’re born good and we don’t need saving or rescuing because of original sin, why did Jesus come? This Sunday at Oasis Church Bath, Rob Trickey asks how can we reframe our understanding of Jesus and his purpose on earth in the light of original blessing?
We’ve spent the last few months exploring how we’re ‘already good’, in contrary to the traditional view of original sin. Jo Dolby brings this all together and asks – what now? How can our lives look different and how can we put into practice all we’ve learned through this series?
We were excited to have been joined by psychotherapist, author and speaker Jo Hargreaves, as she helps us understand the neuroscience of goodness and blessing. What happens when our starting point is our belovedness rather than our brokenness? How does it impact our wellbeing and mental health when we live out of that place?
Some think the idea of original sin comes from a certain interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Ian Spence revisits this famous story, and helps us understand it through a lens of original blessing.
We were joined on the sofa by retired Bishop and friend of Oasis, Paul Bayes. Paul shares some of his own journey, sharing stories and experiences from his time as a Bishop, and reflecting on our recent speaking series topics.
If we are born good and wired towards goodness, then how can we explain evil, and the choices we sometimes make that harm ourselves, others and the world around us? Is 'original blessing' just a way to avoid facing up to our mistakes, and how do we ensure it doesn't stop us from continuing to seek wholeness and forgiveness? Jo Dolby helps us explore and unpack some of these difficult questions.
If we reject the notion of ‘original sin’ as progressive Christians, what do we do with the word sin? What does it actually mean and how can we develop a helpful and healthy understanding of it in relation to our faith and the lives we live? Jo Dolby helps us think differently about sin, and how we might reimagine it in light of being ‘already good’.
Rob Trickey introduces us to the concept of original sin. Where did it come from, and why has it been so influential in Western Christianity? Is it something we can reframe or reimagine, or should we bin the concept entirely?
Following on from last week, Jo Dolby explores the harm a traditional understanding of original sin can cause, and why it might be important for us to look at this topic. She will also briefly introduce us to a new concept known as ‘original blessing’.
Jo Dolby continues our 'What's On Your Mind?' speaking series by exploring how we might reimagine what church leadership could look like in the light of a progressive theology. With failures around safeguarding and morality by prominent Christian leaders hitting the headlines recently, what can we learn and how should this change our approach at Oasis?
Elizabeth Bavin continues our ‘What’s On Your Mind?’ series by exploring what she’s learning from trees about human flourishing. She’ll be drawing on Psalm 1 as well as other sources, and leading us in a meditative journey through the woods!
Rob Trickey continues our 'What's On Your Mind?' series by asking the question, 'do we need to follow Jesus?' Jesus called people to follow him – but not everyone. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? And what about those who choose not to follow (or have never been invited)?
We continue to reflect on the language we use to speak about God by inviting some of our worship and leadership teams to discuss the songs we sing at church, and why our choice of songs is so important. What kind of songs should we sing as a progressive church, and why does this matter?
Our Assistant Church Leader Ian Spence continues our ‘What’s On Your Mind?’ series with a title of ‘Speaking About God’. Ian explores how the language we use to describe God can impact what we believe both about God and about ourselves.
Jo Dolby shares what’s on her mind as we kick off a brand new speaking series! Jo will be talking about the concept of ‘reimagining’, drawing on biblical concepts and examples to inspire us as we think about how to reimagine our plans, beliefs and expectations when things in life perhaps don’t go as we’d hoped or expected.
We welcomed a selection of our guest speakers from the Wholehearted series back to the sofa to expand on how we can apply what we've learned through this series to our everyday lives, as well as answer any questions which have arisen as the series has progressed.
Join Jess Barber, psychotherapist and member of Oasis Church Bath, as she considers the importance of reimagining as part of the recovery process.
What does recovery look like, and where does it start? Join Jess Barber, psychotherapist and member of Oasis Church Bath, as she explores how we begin to recognise, reconsider, and move towards recovery.
Guest speaker Jo Hargreaves continues our ‘Wholehearted’ series. Jo is a psychotherapist, writer, speaker and trauma informed church leader, passionate about integrating theology and therapy. Jo will be drawing on her knowledge and experience to encourage us to live embodied, integrated lives where we embrace every part of ourselves rather than cut off or deny who we are, or where we’ve come from.
The Jewish concept of ‘shalom’ is often defined as peace, but it means so much more than that! Nathan Jones from Oasis Waterloo dives deep into this amazing Jewish concept, drawing out meaning that builds on and adds to previous weeks of our Wholehearted speaking series.
There are many different perspectives on healing within the Christian faith. As progressive Christians, how should we understand it? Should we expect miraculous healings, or does healing happen in other ways now? Does it happen at all? Rob Trickey explores some of these questions as we continue our ‘Wholehearted’ speaking series.
Traditionally, salvation has been understood in some faith settings as a kind of ticket to heaven, praying a prayer or following a certain set of behaviours so you are ‘saved’ from this world into another when you die. But what if we’ve misunderstood this word? Jo Dolby explores its original meaning, explaining how a deeper understanding and application of it helps us link salvation much more to the lives we live now.
Joining us on the sofa this month is one of our longest standing church members, Lyndon Hughes. Lyndon shares some amazing stories of faith, and his reflections on how the church has changed over the years.
As part of our annual Partnership Sunday, Rob Trickey prepares us as we reaffirm our commitment to the Oasis vision together. This is a great talk to listen to if you want to know more about the Oasis vision and values, as well as how that's reflected locally.
Following on from last week, our Church and Hub Leader Jo Dolby helps us look forward into the year ahead. What might we need to be particularly mindful of or prepared for in 2023? What are some of the specific things we’re called to be and do as a community?
As our ‘Rethinking the Bible’ series draws to a close, Jo Dolby explores the very first Christmas from a theological, historical and sociological context, dispelling some common myths about the Christmas story we know so well, as well as drawing out powerful meanings that apply to our lives today.
Joining us on the sofa this month is Revd Dr Helen Paynter. Helen is the Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College, which exists to facilitate cutting-edge research in the areas of biblical violence and the abuse of the bible in a violent world. We’ll be asking Helen how we can align the violent and angry God portrayed in the Old Testament with the loving God we know and experience today. Trigger Warning: Helen mentions sexual violence in broad, non-specific terms.
Some of the passages in the bible are really difficult to read, in fact some of them are shocking, violent and even abhorrent. What do we do with these difficult passages and how can we understand them in light of their original culture and context? Jill Rowe from Oasis Waterloo helps us understand how something called ‘progressive revelation’ can radically shift our views around the more difficult parts of the bible.
Gaynor Williams describes some of the many tools we can use alongside our reading of the bible, including commentaries, concordances, different translations and diverse perspectives. All of these can add to the richness of reading and applying the bible.
Joining us on the sofa this week is the founder of Oasis Rev Steve Chalke. Steve wrote a book called ‘The Lost Message of Paul’, which explores a particular way understanding the writings of Paul, a New Testament writer and leader of the early church.
Many Christians use the bible to make ethical decisions. Rob Trickey explores the kinds of ethical approaches we see in the bible and the pros and cons of letting the bible form the frameworks we use to make choices about how we live.
At Oasis, one of our four characteristics is an open and progressive theology. How can we see the bible through a progressive lens? For many of us who have deconstructed faith, or seen the bible used to harm or control, how can we reimagine our relationship with it? Jo Dolby explores the purpose and place of the bible in our lives.
As part of our Rethinking the Bible series, Dave Kingswood from ‘Home for Good’ joins us on the sofa to talk about how the bible has shaped his passion for vulnerable kids, particularly those who need to be fostered or adopted.
Rob Trickey helps us go back to basics with a look at what the bible actually is, who wrote it, how it was put together, and why all of that is so important in shaping our understanding of it.
The bible is an amazing, diverse and powerful collection of books, written over thousands of years by different authors from different contexts and communities. For Christians, so much of what we believe and how we live, comes back to what we think about the bible. The bible has been used to inspire, connect and guide, but if we’re honest it’s also been used to harm, control and divide. Perhaps it’s time to rethink our view of the bible, and have authentic conversations about the parts of it that seem difficult, irrelevant and even offensive. Ian Spence begins are brand new speaking series, as we explore together a theologically progressive perspective on what place the bible might have in our lives.
We’re joined by special guest Jane Stephenson from Bath Quakers, who will be telling us about the Quaker approach to peace and peacemaking. Quakers around the world are known for their activism and peacemaking work, and we have a lot to learn from them. We’re excited to be welcoming Jane as she shares some of her own story, and inspires us with examples of what Quakers are doing to work for peace in our world.
What can we learn about peace and peacemaking from Jesus’ non-violent approach? When the world seems set on ‘an eye for an eye’, how can Jesus’ revolutionary teachings help us to find a different way, and inspire us to work for peace in our own lives, and in the world around us. Jo Dolby speaks to us on our last learning Sunday together before the school summer holidays.
In a famous sermon, Jesus once said “blessed are the peacemakers,” but what does it mean to be a peacemaker? Gaynor Williams shares with us as we begin a month where we reflect on war and peace, and what they mean.
Our youth leaders Gabriella Palmer and Ian Spence interview some of the young people that belong to Oasis Church Bath, finding out what life is like for them and what they'd like adults to know.
Worship can too often be reduced down to simply being about ‘a time of singing’. And whenever anything gets reduced down we end up missing out. But if we understand worship as connection, participation, protest and declaration it takes on a whole new meaning. Jill Rowe from Oasis Church Waterloo is our guest speaker.
Rob Trickey gets us thinking about how we might understand corporate worship through the lens of a progressive theology. What should it look like in a church like Oasis, and how can we explore new and diverse forms of worship whilst not rejecting established methods that some find so much meaning and connection through?
Life as a disciple of Jesus is a call to growth. Jo Dolby and Sara Reynolds explore faith stages/shifts and models of faith development to help us understand how where we’re at in our faith has a huge impact on how we live out what we believe, and how we make ethical decisions and formulate theological opinions.
Rob Trickey explores the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as a tool for making decisions about our faith and practice in the world. Balancing scripture, reason, tradition and experience all together can be an exciting, conversational and dynamic way to live out a progressive faith.
As an Oasis church one of our four distinctive characteristics is an open, progressive theology, but what does this mean? Jo Dolby explains this term and why it reflects what it means to be an Oasis church.
In the last of our Life Together series, Elizabeth Bavin joins us on the sofa to talk about how different people meet God differently. As a spiritual director, Elizabeth is experienced in helping others to spot where God might be showing up and speaking to us. She draws on this experience to help us understand how personality and preference play a part in how we meet God together and individually.
What happens when life together becomes toxic, or damaging, and what are the signs of a toxic relationship? Why is it sometimes that relationships can be harmful to us and to others, and how can we put boundaries in place to protect ourselves? Jo Dolby explores these questions as part of our ‘Life Together’ series.
On the sofa this month we’re joined by some members of Oasis Church Bath who live with disabilities that might not be visible, or obvious.
Continuing our mini-series on disability, we welcome special guest Simeon Wakely. Simeon will be talking about his lived experience of disability, helping us see the world from his perspective, and opening up our understanding of how faith and disability interact.
In March we’re doing a mini-series on disability. To kick us off, Rich Blake-Lobb from The Life Project in Bath joins us to talk about a ‘theology of disability’. How can we understand disability from a progressive theological viewpoint, and what are some of the myths and harmful views Christians can sometimes have that may impact our ability to engage meaningfully and helpfully with the lived experience of disabled people?
We’re joined on the sofa this month by Andy Caldwell, a partner at Co-create Consultancy and a member of Oasis Church Bath. Andy is a qualified Enneagram practitioner and coach, and he’ll be talking about how the enneagram can help us develop a better understanding of ourselves and others. The Enneagram is an ancient tradition which emerged in the modern world just over a hundred years ago, and refers to nine different personality profiles (‘Ennea’ means nine and ‘gram’ means symbol in Greek).
Do you really have to be part of a church to be a follower of Jesus, and does that always have to mean physical attendance to a Sunday church service? As society has changed, with the digital revolution and the impact of covid, how can we continue to answer our call to community in the modern age? Gaynor Williams shares her thoughts about what this might look like for us in the here and now.
What if an enemy, is just someone whose story you haven’t heard? Jill Rowe from Oasis Church Waterloo joins us in exploring how self-awareness helps us develop empathy and understanding for others, which in turn, transforms community life as we begin to change our perspective on those who are different to us.
As part of our focus this month on partnership, we interview one of our oldest church members, and one of our newest! We talk to Paul Williams and Sarah Norris about what it's like being a member of Oasis Church Bath, and some of the highs and lows that are part of the journey.
This recording is the talk from our first ever Partnership Sunday. Jo Dolby, our Hub Leader, reminded us who we are, what we do, and how we're invited to be involved, all to prepare us to commit to the Oasis vision and Oasis Church Bath for the year ahead. If you're looking for more information about who we are and what we're about, this talk is a great place to start!
Following on from last week as we ‘looked back’, we now look forward as a community into the year ahead. What might we need to be particularly mindful of or prepared for in 2022? What are some of the specific things we’re called to be and do as a church?
Our Church and Hub Leader Jo Dolby remembers the year just gone, giving us all an opportunity to stop and reflect before rushing into the excitement and promises of a New Year. Jo covers what we’ve achieved as an Oasis community, and also helps us with tips and tricks for reflection in our own lives.
For the final talk in our what if series, Rob Trickey asks the question of all questions, what if love wins? As we consider what our world could look like if we put all of this into practice, is it possible that Jesus’ radical way of love could overthrow systems of oppression and enable the whole world to experience a ‘resurrection’?
A recorded version of the talk given at our LGBT+ Carol Service in 2021, held in partnership with St Stephen's Church and Christ Church.
From the beginning, as Jesus is tempted in the wilderness and John is put into prison, it’s clear that there will be opposition to Jesus and to his new, subversive way of living. Jo Dolby asks what the cost might be to us now of following Jesus, and living in a way that brings our ‘what if’ dreams into being.
Founder of Oasis Steve Chalke joins us on the sofa for a wide ranging interview covering everything from church and the bible to what a typical week looks like for him!
The amazing things Jesus said and did happened in an obscure and disreputable place, far removed from the centre of power at the time in Jerusalem. But maybe this, as well as Jesus' calling of twelve ‘nobodies’, was intentional, because this is the soil in which the Kingdom of God can flourish! Gabriella Palmer asks, what if little people could change the world?
Alice Herve from Bath Welcomes Refugees joins us to talk about how we can be welcoming to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as telling us more about the amazing work of local charity Bath Welcomes Refugees. TRIGGER WARNING: Rape and sexual violence are mentioned by Alice as she describes the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers.
What if there's a place for everyone? Jo Dolby continues our 'What If?' series by unpacking one of the most radical stories of inclusion as told in Mark's Gospel.
What if the last are first? In a society where leaders seem obsessed with status and position, what can we learn about what Jesus said about true greatness? Elizabeth Bavin continues our 'What If?' series. (Apologies for the bad sound at the beginning, we had a dodgy microphone! It gets better from about 3 minutes in.)
Jesus’ words were often challenging and sometimes confusing! In Mark 4:23-34, he appears to suggest that the rich will get richer – is he simply being realistic? Or even suggesting that this is a good thing? Rob Trickey continues our ‘What If?’ series by helping us to understand that living differently applies to our understanding of wealth and economics, as well as other aspects of life.
On our first ever Sofa Sunday we interview Jill Rowe, Ethos and Formation Director for Oasis UK.
What’s the impact of holding a worldview that demands that we are always productive, measuring our worth according to our output? Jo Dolby continues our ‘What If?’ series by presenting the idea of ‘sabbath’ as a radical and restful resistance to our western system of consumption and productivity.
Rob Trickey kicks off our brand new series 'What If', asking the question what if there's an alternative? As we emerge out of covid we want to start dreaming again. How can we, and our world be different?
Rob Trickey wraps up our Perspectives on Prayer series with a look at prayer as petition.
Gaynor Williams continues our Perspectives on Prayer series by exploring Prayer as Conversation with God.
Elizabeth Bavin continues our Perspectives on Prayer series by talking about prayer as contemplation. Elizabeth gives an overview of what contemplative prayer is, with some tips for how we might try it.
Jo Dolby begins a new series called 'Perspectives on Prayer'. Jo is honest about her own struggles and questions with prayer, and how deconstructing faith can make it hard to understand the purpose and function of prayer.
Rob Trickey continues our 'why do we do that?' series by talking about why we do baptisms.
A podcast conversation to end our Nevertheless She Persisted series - with Jo Dolby, Rebekah Gibson, Jill Rowe and Danielle Welch.
Claire Henwood continues our series 'Why Do We Do That?' where we're asking why we do the things we do as a church. This short talk explores why we run community projects, and why we believe that's something the Church should be doing.
Jo Dolby begins our series 'Why Do We Do That?' where we're asking why we do the things we do as a church. This short talk explores why we meet together at all, and particularly why we meet all together in one place, once a week.
Our Hub and Church Leader Jo Dolby takes a look back at 2020, and discusses some themes and priorities for us as a community in 2021.
Nathan Jones concludes our advent podcast series by talking about how revolution can sometimes take time. Nathan reflects on how Jesus grew and learned over a period of time and that even though revolution had been announced the impact of this took many years to be realised.
Gaynor Williams continues our podcast series by looking at how revolution involves the unknown. Gaynor reflects on the experiences of Mary and Joseph as they said 'yes' to God's revolution, challenges us to think about how we can say yes too, and what the impact of this might be on our world today.
Rob Trickey continues our advent podcast series with a look at how 'revolution comes from the margins'. Rob talks about Mary's radical Magnificat song, the recent Black Lives Matter movement and removal of the Colston statue in Bristol, as well as how speaking from the margins sometimes has a personal cost.
Jo Dolby kicks off our advent podcast series by looking at how 'revolution begins by believing the impossible'. Jo talks about how revolution involves breaking rules, and that includes the self-imposed rules that limit and restrict us. Believing the impossible involves being a rule breaker, and moving beyond our fear.
Jo Dolby finishes our lessons from lockdown series with a different perspective on the word 'apocalypse'. Has Covid-19 felt like the end of the world as we know it? Or is it the start of a better one?
Nathan Jones from Oasis Waterloo adds to our lessons from lockdown series, reflecting on parenthood, church and building something better.
We interview Steve Chalke, the founder and leader of Oasis, about what he's learning in lockdown. Steve shares his thoughts on what he's learning about himself, his community and the church, as well as his hopes for the 'new normal'.
Jill Rowe from Oasis Church Waterloo shares her lessons from lockdown. She talks about using self-awareness to listen to our lives, saying no, dealing with trauma and loss and the need to find solid ground.
Rob Trickey continues our Lessons from Lockdown series by asking some important questions.
Sonia Mainstone Cotton shares her lesson from lockdown - the importance of finding stillness and to 'say hello' to whatever we're thinking and feeling.
Father and son Ian and Reuben Spence reflect on their experience of travelling the world, then coming home to Covid-19 lockdown. They reflect on the parallels between their experience and the Easter story, and offer a message of hope in Jesus' words "peace be with you".
We all have bodies, and physical health has a huge impact on our experiences as human beings. How should we understand our physical bodies and how they relate to our spiritual selves, and what’s the deal when our bodies fail us and things aren’t as we hoped they’d be? Rob Trickey shares some thoughts on how we can understand physical health from a biblical perspective.
An important aspect of being human is self-care, but how does this differ from self-comfort? Should we always choose one over the other and how can we tell the difference? Jo Dolby helps us identify what can work for us as we aim to take care of ourselves.
As part of our series on Being Human, we were pleased to host a Sunday morning discussion of the benefits of counselling. Our panel was Jan Robertson and Helen Marton of Focus Counselling, and Jess Barber of our own church and Jo Dolby hosted.
As we continue our Being Human series, Oasis Bath Hub Leader Jo Dolby addresses Emotional Maturity.
We are joined by Jo Whitehead for the latest instalment of our Being Human series. Jo looks at self-awareness through experiences from her own life and through the lens of the life of King David in the Old Testament.
Mark kicks off our new series on Being Human with a look at the worth of a human being. How do we see ourselves? How does God see us? What is holding us back from flourishing?
Oasis Bath Hub Leader Jo Dolby takes us through a review of just how far we have come in 2019 and the exciting mountain ahead of us in 2020 and beyond!
We held an LGBT+ affirming carol service on 8th December in partnership with two other churches in Bath: St Stephen's and Christchurch, Steve Chalke joined us in a packed church to give his take on the message of Christmas.
Gaynor Williams continues our parables series this Sunday with a look at the parable of the ten virgins. How can we make sense of this slightly odd story, and how can we apply it to our lives today?
Dave Vernalls continues our parables series, exploring what the parable of the talents might have meant to its original hearers and what it might teach us today.
Jo Dolby continues our series on the parables of Jesus by exploring the Parable of the Prodigal Son. How would a Jewish audience have understood this parable and what can we learn from it to apply to our lives today?
Mark Shearman looks at the parable of the sower. How might it have been heard at the time, and what can we learn from it?
Rob Trickey takes a look at the parable of the unforgiving servant, asking how it would have been heard through first century Jewish ears, and how we can still hear it speaking to us today.
We kick off a brand new series looking at the parables of Jesus, with an introduction by Hub Leader Jo Dolby. Jo explains what a parable is and why we need to understand them, interviewing a very special guest - Rabbi Monique Mayer from the Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation.
Jill Rowe joins us from Oasis Waterloo to help us think about staying and going. Jill reflects on the story of Abram in the book of Genesis and what it took for Abram to leave all that was familiar to step into something new.
Gaynor Williams shares some timely thoughts for us as a church, looking back at where we've been and looking forward to where God might be calling us to go.
Jo Dolby tackles the difficult subject of hell. What do Christians really believe about hell and where do these views come from? Jo exposes some of the myths we’ve been led to believe and looks at what the bible actually says. What kind of hope can we have for the future and how should this impact how we live now?
Dave Vernalls who is a Chartered Accountant in ‘normal life’ shares some thoughts on giving, to wrap up our series on money. Dave helps us strike the right balance when it comes to giving as worship to God, and includes not just monetary giving but also other aspects like time and skills.
Jo Dolby continues our 'we need to talk about...' series with a look at disagreeing well. Should we 'agree to disagree'? How can we interact positively with those who hold vastly differing viewpoints to our own?
Gaynor and Rob, with some help from Lyndon and Mark, present information and inspiration to help us join up the dots with where we are as a church as we consider whether to become an Oasis Hub.
This is discussed under three headings: Biblical Historical Prophetic
This is a hugely important moment in the history of the church and we hope this is very helpful as we move forward.