Discipleship

Learning opportunities for all people in the church.

Once you have taken the Foundations course, then you are ready for these courses on discipleship. They will expose you to:

• The basic message, structure, and themes of the entire Bible: The 52 Stories of the Bible
• Learning to study the Bible on your own: How to Study your Bible
• An account of Jesus' life and a call to deeper reflection: The Story of Jesus
• Learning how to grow up in spiritual maturity: Dynamics of Christian Spirituality

Biblical Content

In order to understand the basic scope and message of the Bible, take either the 52 Stories of the Bible (if you prefer the story approach) or the two Survey classes (if you prefer a more traditional educational approach).

The 52 Stories of the Bible (26 hours), Dr. William Mounce. The Bible is one continuous story, from the story of creation to the story of Jesus' future return at the end of time. And yet there are smaller, pivotal stories that make up the basic structure of the one big story. This is a sermon series, and all the extra material like sermon notes and overheads are included so the pastor can preach through the same series.

Understanding the Old Testament (Certificate; 10 hours), Dr. Paul House.

Survey of the New Testament (Certificate; 10 hours), Dr. Craig Blomberg

Study Skills

Choose one of the following two classes for learning how to study your Bible.

How to Study Your Bible (6 hours), Dr. George Guthrie. Have you ever sat down to study the Bible and not know how to start? Not sure what Bible study actually is? Dr. Guthrie uses the imagery of a trip to talk about starting with your biblical passage, traveling to a distant land in the past, and bringing back the historical meaning to your present, and asking what this now means to you. He has given this seminar in many chuches; it will work for you.

Essentials of Hermeneutics, Dr. Mark Strauss. This is another slightly longer class on how to study your Bible delivered in a slightly more traditional, academic way.

Biblical Theology

Essentials of Systematic Theology (Certificate; 10 hours), Dr. Bruce Ware.

The Story of Jesus, Dr. Robert Mounce. Christianity is first and foremost about Jesus, who he is and what he did. The Bible gives us four stories of his life; this is the one by his friend John. It is good to read the Bible as we learn to travel our spiritual journey.

The gospel of John is especially good to help determine your theology, what you believe specifically about Jesus.

Biblical Spirituality

Dynamics of Christian Spirituality (11 hours), Dr. Glen Scorgie. This class will help those who are at the beginning stages of the spiritual journey. It talks about the dynamics of spiritual growth, how to grow to be more like Christ.

Essentials of Worship (3 hours), Dr. Gary Parrett. What are you doing Sunday morning in church? Why do you sing, listen to a sermon, greet one another? Worship is all about the revelation of the character and will of God, and our appropriate response. That cycle is the true meaning of worship, and this class will help you understand not only Sunday morning but how you should be responding to God on a constant basis. New Testament worship is not limited by space and time. It is how we hear the voice of God, and respond, in all situations.