First Steps

AT HOME

Read the Bible

The Bible is God’s love letter to us which tells us more about Him and about His love for us. It also helps us know how to live in a way that pleases God and is best for us. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is living and active and that means it’s not a dull, boring, outdated book, but something which speaks to us and changes us and brings us life as we read it. We would love to give you a copy of Luke’s gospel as you start your journey of faith. If you haven’t already been given one, please ask a member of the Catalyst Team on a Sunday for one. The Big Three Plan is a Bible reading plan developed by Catalyst Vineyard Church, and is a brilliant starting point for a new Christian. It will take you on a 30-day journey through Luke’s Gospel - each day you will read some of the Bible alongside some helpful thoughts, with a couple of questions for you to ponder. You might want to chat through some of these with your mentor.

big 3 plan

We would also recommend that you download the YouVersion Bible App which gives you access to the whole Bible, including different translations and reading plans. Translations we would recommend are NIV UK, which we use in church, and NLT which is slightly easier to read. The app also allows you to listen to the Bible.

Worship

We were made to praise God. When we sing songs to God, we are worshipping Him as the King of kings and recognising the authority He has over our lives. We can tell him how much we love Him and thank Him for all He has done for us (1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us”). By doing this, God often uses our times of worship to bless us, speak to us and bring us peace. As we draw near to Him in worship, He draws near to us (James 4:8 - “Come near to God and He will come near to you”).

Catalyst Spotify Playlist

Prayer

Prayer is simply talking to God. You can tell God anything. Just as we would develop a relationship with anyone through talking, we do this with God too. Prayer can be just between you and God, or you can pray with other people. It can be structured like the Lord’s Prayer or it can be completely unstructured and free. Jesus taught his disciples to pray using this prayer…

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'

WITH CHURCH

No Christian is complete without a church family! The Bible encourages us to do life together with other believers. We need each other to grow up in the faith, to learn, to serve, to love one another, to exercise our spiritual gifts, and to practice forgiveness. Please don’t feel that you need to dress up, or have your life together before you come - just come as you are! By coming to church regularly, you will begin to feel part of our church family.

Count Me In

Our hope is that you feel extremely welcome and at home at Catalyst. There is no formal membership at Catalyst Vineyard Church. We have many people each week who are guests at our services, and you are welcome to be one of those. However, if you decide to join the church, it’s important that you tell us by filling out a Count Me In card. This means we know you’ve joined our family, and we know to look out for you. You will also receive regular communication from Catalyst telling you what’s happening across our church and specifically in your site.

Count Me IN

Newcomers Dinner

We would love to invite you to a Newcomers Dinner. These dinners are a chance to meet our Lead Pastors and local Site Pastors in a relaxed environment and for us to get to know you better. You will hear about the history, vision and heart for our church as well as having the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about Catalyst Vineyard Church.

sign-up

WITH OTHERS

Alpha

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over 11 weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation.

Alpha is a must for any new Christian! However, if you’re waiting for a course to start, we would strongly encourage you to join a Connect Group as you wait.

Find an Alpha Course

Connect Groups

Connect groups are small groups that typically meet in people’s homes in addition to our Sunday gathering. They are at the heart of our church and the best way to get to know others, grow in faith and receive pastoral care. We are created to be part of a community, not to do life alone and so we would strongly encourage you to join a connect group. Click here to find one near you.

Get connected!