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Study Resources for the Christian Faith


First, we have archived some materials that have been specifically prepared or organized for use at Alberton Church. These have been shared in Alberton as part of our occasional "Something Extra" Sunday morning series or as part of an annual "Summer Challenge." They are preserved here as items with ongoing value.

His Name was Paul.

His voice was one of the most influential in shaping Christianity in the 1st Century. His writings make up one quarter of the New Testament. He developed the mission strategies that contributed to the dramatic expansion of the Christian Church in its first three decades. He began as an aggressive opponent of Christianity and ended up as one of its most powerful supporters. Learn about the life of Paul in five half-hour teaching-discussion sessions. To access the notes for this series select The Life of Paul.

In the Spring of 2017 we offered a four part study/discussion group series on the theme of "The Distinctives of Christianity." We explored the things that make Christianity different from other religions in the world. The series is now complete but the discussion notes are available for those who may be interested.   Study Notes:   Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4

The 2014 Summer Challenge Each summer the Minister issues some sort of spiritual challenge to the people of Alberton Church. Th 2014 Challenge invited you to use a daily spiritual check list for 30 days and to keep a spiritual Journal of your thoughts and responses. To view the challenge select Keeping a Spiritual Journal. Resurces for this challenge also included Notes on personal prayer (an important element of the Challenge) and a specimen Journal page which you may print out and use to record your progress.

Dr. Bob's Summer Challenge for 2015 invited people to set aside approximately 15 minutes a day for about six weeks to read selections from the letters of the Apostle Paul. To learn the details of this challenge select Summer Challenge Concept. For the reading lists that you will require if you accept the challenge select 2015 Summer Challenge.


Each summer Dr. Bob extends a challenge to the members of the Alberton Church community. The 2016 challenge relates to the Gospel of John. To view the challenge and everthing that you need to participate select 2016 Summer Challenge.

This year those who accept the challenge are requested to set aside at least 15 minutes a day for 20 days for a time of prayer and quiet reflection. Participants are provided with a prayer theme for each day and a brief scripture reading from the New Testament to guide their thoughts and meditation. All the materials are available right here in two separate files. The first file includes an introduction and some daily notes and the second file supplies the text of the recommended scripture readings in the Contemporary English Version. To access these materials simply select 2017 Summer Challenge   and/or   Summer Challenge Readings.

Summer Challenge 2018

Each Summer Dr. Bob issues a Summer Challenge which invites people to set aside about 15 minutes each day for prayer and meditation. The materials that he has created for this year's Challenge are available here for you to read or download. Simply select Summer Challenge 2018.

Our 2019 Summer Challenge. This year the Summer Challenge takes the form of a guided reading of the Gospel of John. Participants are asked to set aside approximately 20 minutes a day for about a month to complete the challenge. The emphasis is not just on reading the Gospel of John but on reflecting on it as well. To access the materials that have been prepared simply select 2019 Summer Challenge.

One of the great benefits that the Internet offers to Christians is the opportunity to access a large number of English translations of the Bible online. Your computer can be used to display or print out a particular chapter or group of verses in the translation of your choice. These sites also serve as a concordance by allowing you to locate all the verses in the Bible which include particular words or phrases that you wish to examine. There are a number of sites on the Internet that offer such resources. The one featured here includes both the New Revised Standard Version (which we use in worship in Alberton Church) and also the popular New International Version. This site also includes an extensive collection of other study guides and materials that will be of interest to anyone wishing to study the Bible. This basic resource can be found at biblestudytools.com/

The Web Bible Encyclopedia is a great resource. It is a collection of over 4,000 articles relating to the people, places and customs of the Bible. You will find it at Web Bible Encyclopedia

It is helpful to have a few good maps available for Bible Study. For the New Testament you need a basic map of Israel and we suggest Israel in New Testament Times. The nice feature of this map is that you simply click on the place names for additional notes.

When reading the New Testament it is good to have access to something that provides you with notes on each of the individual books. One such resource available on the Internet is a book by Louis Berkhof entitled Introduction to the New Testament

Another useful resource is The Geneva Study Bible which offers study notes on the whole of the Bible.

The Burning Bush window inset in the entrance to Alberton Church The Christian religion professes that God is the Creator. The Apostles' Creed confesses this truth in the declaration, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth." Our Presbyterian Church's document Living Faith also opens with the declaration, "There is one true God, whom to know is life eternal, whom to serve is joy and peace. God has created all that is. The whole universe testifies to the majesty and power of its Maker." It is therefore important for Christians to explore the implications of these fundamental declarations and also to engage in gentle and respectful conversations with those who may think differently. This is a challenging area in which we may not always fully agree with one another - even within the Christian community. However, we need to encourage and to challenge one another to understand and express these things more clearly.