“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.”
St Irenaeus (2nd century)
Beliefs
Christians believe that God became fully present in the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. A Jew himself, he summarised the law as loving God and neighbour. But he extended the message of God’s redemption to all people and Christians believe that in dying on the Cross, He made himself a sacrifice to reconcile all humanity with its creator. They believe He rose from the dead and has sent the Spirit of God to renew and inspire people in the world today. Consequently, Christians have a distinctive understanding of God as a trinity – Father (Creator), Son (Redeemer), and Holy Spirit (Sustainer) – while still emphasising the unity of God. Their scriptures consist of four different accounts of the life of Jesus (gospels), an account of life among the earliest disciples, a prophecy about the future, and a number of letters to early Christian communities. Many of these letters were written by St Paul, a former opponent of Jesus’ early followers who had a powerful conversion experience and went on to expound much of Christian thought and practice. These different books comprise the New Testament which Christians add to the Hebrew scriptures of the Jewish faith.
Customs and practices
Somebody becomes a Christian through Baptism (immersion in water) which symbolises a sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is an initiation into the life of the Church which Christians believe to be the body of Christ in the world today. Christians pray, worship and read the Bible together. They also follow Jesus’ instruction of taking bread and wine, and declaring it is his body and blood offered in sacrifice for all. Jesus was poor and homeless, and was criticised for associating himself with others who were socially outcast. So Christians believe that as well as teaching others about Jesus they should work for peace and social justice. The principal Christian festivals are Christmas (celebrated on 25 December by most Christians), when the birth of Jesus is remembered, and Easter (which varies according to the lunar calendar) when Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is celebrated.
Churches Together in All Lincolnshire
Churches Together in all Lincolnshire brings together members of mainstream Christian denominations across the county. We serve the whole of historic Lincolnshire, including the local authority areas of North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and the county of Lincolnshire.
CTAL provides support to local ecumenical groups and over 1000 churches throughout historic Lincolnshire and is the sponsoring body for formal Local Ecumenical Partnerships. http://www.ctal.org.uk/
Christian Community
The Chaplain is here to support students of the University in a variety of different ways or the Chaplain can signpost you in the right direction. He is happy to chat about anything that concerns you and to help you explore the Christian faith, develop your faith or connect with student Christian communities and local churches. The Ecumenical Chaplain has a wide experience of Christian churches.
Christian Union
The main aim of the Christian Union (CU) is to inform students about the gospel whilst also explaining that Christianity is not an oppressive religion. The society also looks to help members strengthen themselves and be part of a community of Christians within the University. The CU also holds many society and social events throughout the year.
Christian Union meets weekly and is student led. If you would like to get involved, or want to know more about Christianity or about the Christian Union, please email info@lincolncu.co.uk
Catholic Community
The University of Lincoln Catholic Chaplaincy is a community for Catholic students at the University, although everyone is welcome. There is Catholic Mass on campus every month during term time. Please contact the Chaplain for dates and venue of the services.
Catholic Chaplains
Fr Eddy, of the Roman Catholic Nottingham Diocese together with Helen Townsend, Catholic Chaplain are available for pastoral support for Catholic students. Fr Eddy also offers Catholic Mass on campus every month.
Helen Townsend – RC Chaplain
E: h.townsend@lincschaplaincy.org.uk
T: 01522 528961
Lincoln Catholic Society
The Lincoln Catholic Students Society has a Facebook page for students to share information and to find out about Catholic Chaplaincy events.
Get connected – https://www.facebook.com/groups/LincolnCatholicStudents/
Instagram – lincolncathchap
Alive Students Lincoln
Alive students is the student community of Alive Church Lincoln and runs throughout the academic year from Sep-May. Alive students in Lincoln organise a range of social events that run through the year including a bonfire party, meals and movie nights. If you have any queries, prayer requests or info about events or connect groups please get in touch by phone, 07830863610.
Lincoln Chinese Christian Fellowship (LCCF)
The LCCF was established by the Chinese Christian Society to help Cantonese and Mandarin speaking students from Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Singapore. They are supported by a Baptist Church in Lincoln, supervised by Pastor Siu Wah and Nancy Ng. The weekly Bible studies and fellowships are conducted in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
The LCCF is also able to provide language support to students to help them adjust to a new environment and culture.