School of the Spirit 27-28
School of the Spirit usually runs from October to March. We meet most Tuesday evenings during term time, and there will also be four Saturday events.
Each session includes a mixture of worship and ministry, testimony and celebration, teaching, and activation. We also spend time each week in Courage Groups, small groups where we can get to know others well, practice together, and cheer one another on as we take steps of faith.
Below is an overview of our cultures and curriculum, as well as some FAQs.
God has been speaking to us about having a fallow year, so our next course will begin in October 2027. You can register interest below and we’ll be in touch when more information is available.
Our Cultures
Our culture is just as important as our curriculum, because it creates the conditions we believe will nurture faith and obedience to the Spirit. Our five cultural values underpin who we are and how we behave together.
Honour: We honour God, and celebrate the value that God has ascribed to all people
Safety: We carefully maintain a safe space where everyone is accepted as they are
Compassion: We seek God’s heart for other people and love them from the overflow of God’s heart for us
Courage: We are courageous and take risks in obedience to Jesus
Celebration: We give God the glory for everything He does through testimony and celebration
Our teaching will cover a wide range of topics. We hold four weekends through the year, where we get to go in depth on some foundational themes, with plenty of time to practice and grow:
Holy Spirit Weekend: Our first weekend of the course looks at who the Holy Spirit is and what he is like, some of the barriers to experiencing the Spirit, and what it means to be baptised in the Spirit and live a Spirit-filled life.
Father Heart Weekend: We will explore more deeply how to connect with God as Father, how the Holy Spirit shapes our identity, and how to experience freedom from lies about God and about ourselves.
Healing Weekend: We will explore a theology of healing, how to pray for people to be healed, how to understand the mystery of healing, and how to walk in a lifestyle of healing.
Evangelism Weekend: We will learn how to share the good news of Jesus both with friends and strangers, how to start conversations about faith and explain the gospel, and how to pray for people to respond to Jesus and receive the Spirit.
Alongside these weekend topics, we will also look at subjects like:
Receiving and practicing spiritual gifts
Hearing God for ourselves and for others
Interpreting visions and dreams
Living in freedom from sin, lies, and spiritual strongholds
Deliverance: what is it, and how do we do it?
Cultivating a lifestyle of prayer, faith, and walking in the Spirit
Catching God’s heart for the place where’s called you
And plenty more…
Our Curriculum
FAQs
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This course is designed for anyone who is a committed Christian, and wants to grow deeper in their faith, and their walk with the Holy Spirit.
The course is run by Oxford Community Church, which is part of Salt and Light Advance Churches, but we welcome applicants from any church!
We do ask that all applicants are rooted in a local church, and recommend that you have someone to act as a mentor, helping you apply what you are learning in your church context.
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The course runs from October to March, taking place most Tuesday evenings during term time, as well as four weekends (Saturdays, and occasional Friday evenings). We ask that participants commit to attending all sessions, as far as possible.
There is no homework as such (and certainly no essays or exams!) but most weeks we will set some suggested activities to help you continue growing through the week. We encourage students to plan space and time for this.
From time to time we run additional events for School of the Spirit participants and alumni, for instance extra conferences, or serving opportunities. These are optional.
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The fee for the course is £480, which covers venue and running costs, staff time, catering, speakers, and all materials you will need to take part.
We are also able to offer a 50% reduction for University students. If finances are a challenge, we recommend talking to your church leader, to see if your church would be happy to subsidise you.Fees can either be paid as a one-off payment before the course begins, or in instalments.
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We want to make sure that School of the Spirit is the right thing for you, so every applicant will have a conversation with a member of the team.
This is a chance for us to get to know you, and to answer any questions you may have. So a member of the team will be in touch shortly after you have applied to talk further.
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The last thing we want is for you to journey with us for 6 months, and then for life to go back to how it was before! So following School of the Spirit, you will be invited to join our alumni, of whom there are currently about 170.
From time to time we run alumni events, or offer discounted rates for conferences. We also provide opportunities to continue learning and growing, such as serving on ministry teams, or joining outreach events.
We also encourage alumni to gather with others in their church who have completed the course, to continue applying their learnings in a local setting.
How do I apply?
Want to join us for the next course? Then fill in the application below, and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your application. And if you have other questions you’d like to talk through before applying, please get in touch.