UTC will soon be announcing what we have lined up for our Theology For All Autumn 2026 series. Before that though, we thought we’d take this opportunity to reflect on our previous series that ran from September to October 2025.
The series was comprised of three tracks that ran concurrently across four Tuesday evenings:
· On the Council of Nicaea: 1700 years of faith, delivered by UTC Faculty
· Women’s Study Fellowship – God with Us: How the temple theme unlocks God’s purposes, with Heidi England
· Discipling the Next Generation, with Peter Wright and Johnny Beare of Growing Young Disciples
On the Council of Nicaea
1,700 years ago, Christian bishops from across the world were invited to gather together, by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, to attempt to answer the question central to Christian theology: ‘Who is Jesus Christ?’ The resulting form of words those bishops came up with, known as the Nicene Creed, has been recited by Christians globally down through the centuries.
Guided by Principal Michael McClenahan, Dr Martyn Cowan and Dr Graham Shearer, attendees unpacked the significance of those words in 2025 across four weeks:
· Introduction: Faith & God, with Prof Michael McClenahan
· The Father’s Son, with Dr Graham Shearer
· Salvation & Spirit, with Dr Graham Shearer
· Church & Baptism, with Dr Martyn Cowan
Dr Graham Shearer, Session 2: ‘The Father’s Son’
“We examined the Nicene Creed on its 1700th anniversary and found that the issues it addresses, the nature of faith, the triunity of God, the salvation achieved by Christ and the Spirit poured out on the people of God, are as vital and pressing in 2025 as they were in 325,” Dr Shearer reflects. “It was great to see people take time out each week to engage more deeply with this ancient text and the profound truths it teaches.”
Dr Cowan adds, “The final week focused on the closing sections of the Nicene Creed, exploring what it means to affirm belief in 'one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church', in 'one baptism for the forgiveness of sins', and in 'the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come'. It examined what these statements meant in the early church and how they are understood by different traditions today. This involved unpacking the four marks of the Church (unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity), the meaning and significance of baptism, and the distinctively Christian hope in the resurrection. In short, it was an exploration into how different traditions understand the Church’s identity, mission, and future.”
Women’s Study Fellowship – God with Us: How the temple theme unlocks God’s purposes
God is, and always has been, passionate about being with his people, but how can a holy God live alongside the unholy? This was the inciting question for the Women’s Study Fellowship sessions. Heidi England, a deaconess in Presbyterian Church in Ireland, invited her group to explore how the temple evolves throughout scripture as the place of that communion across the following sessions:
· The Sacred Garden & The Mission of God
· Paradise Lost? & Tabernacle/Temple
· Jesus as Temple & The Church as Temple
· Priestly Ministry & The Heavenly Temple
Looking back on the four weeks, Heidi writes, “In the women’s group, we considered how, throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God’s stated intention was to live among his people. From the garden sanctuary in Eden, to the stone altars erected by the patriarchs, to Israel’s tabernacle and subsequent temple, we saw how the Lord provided ways for his people to commune with him. As we moved into the New Testament, we saw that the Jerusalem temple and its practices were mere shadows pointing to Jesus and the true heavenly temple.
After his ascension, we saw how the church now functions as the temple, with believers serving as a royal priesthood as they pray for the unbelieving world and bear testimony of God’s saving grace in Christ. And now, we long for the day when Jesus returns and the true heavenly temple appears – when the Holy of Holies takes in the entire cosmos, and when God’s redeemed people will dwell in intimate fellowship with him. It is a wonderful vision of the mission of God’s people that began in Eden, coming to fruition at the end of the age.
It was very encouraging to see the ladies engaging so eagerly with new material that will help them understand the unfolding story of God’s relationship with his people.”
Discipling the Next Generation
This track was co-delivered by Peter Wright and Johnny Beare of Growing Young Disciples, and grappled with the challenges of discipling younger generations and preparing them for Christian service, both in the Church and the wider community. The weekly sessions ran as follows:
· The Next Generation - God’s heartbeat and our urgent calling
· Understanding Generations Z and Alpha
· How does Scripture shape our ministry methodology?
· The Church and the next generation - reimagining discipleship
“These sessions are all about how we can play our part in passing on our faith to the younger generations,” Peter Wright said at the time, “and how we can equip them to be effective witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thinking back on the sessions, Peter writes, “The Discipling the Next Generations track began by considering some of the foundational principles for biblical youth and children’s ministry. In particular, we explored what God’s heartbeat really is for the passing on of faith, and how we might heed the urgency of that call in our particular cultural moment. We then explored in detail some of the trends shaping Generations Z and Alpha - including some of the recent data pertaining to the so called ‘Quiet Revival.’ Finally, we took time to explore what Scripture says about het vital question of responsibility: whose job is it to pass on the faith from one generation to the next.
We took time to consider both the role of the Church and the role of parents in undertaking this momentous task. It was tremendously encouraging to dig into the Bible together, consider some of the cultural trends shaping youth culture today and draw some conclusions that should shape our ministry praxis in local congregations.”
We look forward to sharing details of the Theology For All Autumn 2026 series in the next few days.