Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Faith Pictures?
Faith Pictures is a short course designed to help Christians talk naturally to friends, neighbours and colleagues about what they believe. The heart of the course is about helping people to identify a single picture or image that embodies something of their faith. This is because the kinds of communication which best stick in the mind are concrete and rooted in story.
The course aims to be accessible and light-hearted, without jargon or inflexible methods. It has a number of emphases not always found in faith-sharing courses. These include the avoidance of one-size-fits-all models and the importance of honesty and listening. Each session contains a short video and encourages discussion in pairs and as a whole group.

• Who is it for?
It is mainly aimed at small groups meeting in a home setting. It is for people of any Christian tradition and none. It has been designed to appeal particularly to people who would normally run a mile from courses on faith-sharing!

• How long does it last?
It is a six-session course, each session lasting between an hour-and-a-half and two hours. Most groups will run Faith Pictures as a weekly course over six weeks, but other formats may be possible (eg a weekend away).

• How much does it cost?
It is free of charge. The whole of Session 1 may be accessed and downloaded easily, by clicking on any of the links. To access and download Sessions 2 to 6, you need to register and log in.

• Are there any additional resources?
CPO have produced some resources for you to advertise your Faith Pictures group, including posters, flyers and postcards. For more information and to order these resources please visit CPO's website.

• Does it include Bible study and theology?
An essential aspect of Faith Pictures is that it is accessible. It is unapologetic about being a first step in helping a wide variety of people think about sharing their faith. It aims to appeal to people who may find in-depth Bible study and theology of mission daunting. The team behind Faith Pictures hope that many people will want to go deeper in Bible study and theology as a result of doing the course.

• What about issues where Christians disagree?
Faith Pictures is deliberately limited in scope: it is a simple tool to help people talk naturally to others about their faith. There are some issues on which Christians come to different conclusions – about details of belief and how faith is lived out in the world of today – but these are beyond the scope of the course.

• Who is behind Faith Pictures?
Faith Pictures is produced by Church Army, a mission community of people who are transforming lives and local communities. Its members are committed to sharing the Christian faith through words and action in a variety of contexts across the British Isles and Ireland. Church Army is part of the Anglican church, but works across many denominations and inter-agency projects. Faith Pictures is not tied to any denomination or tradition.  You can contact us via our contact page.
 

Credits

Writing
• Creator/Writer: Mike Starkey
• Editorial Support: Jane Truman, Sue McLoughlin, Andrew Wooding

Video/Graphics
• Mark ‘Sparky’ Tuson of Northern Spark Productions
• Carolyn Kinsman
• Neil Thomson

Website
• ChurchInsight

Special thanks
• All who took part in the video clips
• Mark Russell and Church Army
• Ivy Manchester
• George Charles bar and restaurant, West Didsbury
• Sheffield Wednesday FC