Journey started at an open meeting at Kings Cross Methodist Church, London in April 2000, organised by the Methodist Inner City Churches Group and the London Ashram Group, and addressed by John Vincent. The event was one of a number organised by Ashram around the country under the title 'Radical Christ for the New Millenium'.

The subtitle of the event was 'Can the Christian movement still be radical' and one problem identified by many of those attending was that exisiting courses aiming to attract newcomers took a very narrow approach to Christianity, which excluded many existing Christians as well as giving those not already in the church a very biased view.

Existing courses were also seen as reinforcing the prejudices of those who thought Christianity was outdated and required a suspension of our critical faculties. There was a strong feeling expressed that a new approach was needed.

The London Ashram Group agreed to coordinate the start of creating this new introduction to Christianity, and members and friends Pat Hamilton, Linda and Peter Marshall, Wanda Heyman, Christine Robson, Liz Urben with help from various others including Merryn Helier who brought some notes from her own courses, held a series of meetings to thrash out some of the basic features of the Journey.

The next stage in the process was organised by the wider Ashram Community and its leader John Vincent, with a series of weekend meetings around the country - Staines, Stockport, Sheffield, Milton Keynes and Buxton - looking at the different aspects of the course. These involved many from outside the Ashram Community as well as members and associates.

The suggestions and resources which came out of this were tested and evaluated by groups at Oxford and Crewkerne before a major run through at weekend conference of the Ashram Community in May 2001, held at Cliff conference centre and attended by a number of other interested people from outside the Community as well as members and associates.

The book 'Journey - Explorations into Discipleship' was then put together by John Vincent with assistance from a number of others - see the acknowledgements in the Resource book.

A number of groups started their Journeys in different parts of the country in September 2001, working through until Spring 2002 or later. Their experiences resulted in more resource material for the Journey - part of what will be a continuing proces. You are invited to join us in your Journey.

 

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How can we try to get together a plan for a series of experiences that might open up discipleship to Jesus as an exciting, worthwhile option for people?

 

How can we break out of our church-centred jargon and ethos and domestic concerns to clarify for ourselves and others what a basic response to Jesus would look like?

 

just two of the questions we asked ourselves in groups up and down the county in preparing this course.

Journey