DISCIPLE Bible Study

Overview

DISCIPLE is an ecumenical Bible study active in thirty-four denominations. The Disciple program was developed in the 1980's as year long studies. Recently the 8-week studies - Invitation to the New Testament and Invitation to the Old Testament - offered at Christ Church were added to the program.

These eight-week in-depth, high commitment Bible studies are modeled after the basic design of DISCIPLE Bible Study, which has enriched more than 1 million lives. Short-Term DISCIPLE Bible Studies make these life-changing courses easier to be a part of for those busy people who are unable to commit to longer studies.

Weekly group meetings are designed to last 60-90 minutes with a two-part video segment to guide each session with interpretive presentations from biblical scholars; contextual presentations and roundtable discussions; and opportunities for reflection, contemplation, or inspiration on some aspect of the Scripture studied.

Invitation to the New Testament

Using Matthew's Gospel as a starting point, this study explores how the new Testament writers and the early Christian community wrestled with the coming of Jesus--his life, actions, mission, death, and resurrection--and the implications of his arrival for their lives and their communities of faith.

Moving through the Gospel of Matthew sequentially, the overarching themes from this story of Jesus provide the conversation topics for each of the eight sessions. Each theme is then traced through other related passages in the New Testament.

Who is Jesus and what is his significance for our lives? Participants are invited to join this conversation, to study afresh this story of Jesus, and to learn more about their calling to discipleship and to community.

Study Contents

  1. Jesus Calls Us Into God's Redemption Story
  2. Jesus Calls Us to a Transformed Life
  3. Jesus Calls Us to Minister to a Hostile World
  4. Jesus Calls Us to Complex Communities of Faith
  5. Jesus Calls Us to Serve One Another
  6. Jesus Calls Us to a New Relationship With Tradition
  7. Jesus Calls Us to Live in Light of His Coming Again
  8. Jesus Calls Us to Experience the Gifts of His Dying and Rising

Invitation to the Old Testament

This study approaches the study of Hebrew Scriptures by inviting participants to hear the story of God and God's calling of the people of Israel through the many "voices" of the biblical text. Narrative, poem, history, and prophetic utterance all have their own distinctive characteristics and purpose, arising out of a particular historical, social, and cultural setting. To understand fully the story of God's covenantal relationship with Israel calls for listening to these various ways the story is told throughout the Old Testament.

What does it mean to be God's chosen people? And how does the story of Israel's covenant with God inform our own identity as heirs of that covenant? Through this study, participants will be invited to listen afresh to the witness of the Old Testament to hear God's call and purpose for their own lives and respond to that call.

Study Contents

  1. The Making of the Hebrew Bible
  2. The Creation Story of Israel
  3. Out of Bondage
  4. Promise and Problem in the Land
  5. Israel Has a King
  6. Division and the Rise of Prophecy
  7. Exile and Response
  8. Restoration and Renewal