The Happiness Course
Are you looking for a way to connect with your community and explore tough issues?
Everyone wants to be happy… yet what exactly is happiness? The Happiness Course from Livability is a short course that explores various issues to do with happiness. It is designed to address the meaning of happiness, forgiveness, gratitude, relationships and success. Plus it helps develop meaningful relationships whilst being a safe place to explore tough issues.
"Fun, challenging, fascinating and life changing. Those on the courses have benefited significantly both personally and in their relationships with others. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone!" Ryan Ahern, Pastor of Staplehurst Free Church in Kent.
A recent study of 5,000 adults suggests a person’s happiness is dependent on the happiness of those around them. Apparently, if you are happy you could be increasing the happiness of your neighbours by 25%.
In the last 70 years, the wealth of the UK has grown considerably but people’s happiness or wellbeing has not kept pace.
The media tell us that happiness is found primarily through accumulating things. Yet all the evidence shows that amassing loads of stuff brings little lasting satisfaction. Stress, anxiety, depression are commonplace.
But….what exactly is happiness, and what enables us to grow in it? Is happiness really what we should aim for, or does it come as a by-product of something deeper?
When we look at important ‘ingredients’ of a happy life, they include things that are deeply embedded in our faith – gratitude, forgiveness, the importance of relationships, a sense of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. Familiar concepts to Christians, but universally acknowledged as keys to happiness.
The Happiness Course explores these in 4 sessions, starting with, ‘What makes you happy?’. It examines the different kinds of happiness – pleasure, success, relationship and meaning. It takes people on a journey from a starting point of 'what makes us happy?' to deeper questions about the meaning of life.
This course provides an opportunity to minister to and build relationships with the local community. Churches might see this as a possible pre-Alpha course for those who are on the early stages of a spiritual journey.
Something to try in the community?
More details of the course and the 1 day training to give the Course are here.
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Geoff Knott, 05/12/2016