Last year with the new training season just being placed on the office calendar in Nashville, we began working on an idea. Why not give participants in training an introduction to all of the other phases of Disciple in one-day? Let participants glean information from a trainer experienced in leading all the phases of Disciple Bible study.
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Disciple Bible Study Experience
By Annva C. Burrows 

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 Israels'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.

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 converstaion 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.

INVITATION TO GENESIS

In the beginning….” These first words in Genesis may be among the most familiar words in all the Bible. Many readers of the Bible recognize Genesis as a book that describes the beginning of all things: the Creation. This is certainly true but only part of the story—the creation of the world only takes up the first two chapters of a fifty-chapter book. What are the other chapters about?

This study approaches the Book of Genesis not simply as a story of the beginning but as a story of beginnings from start to finish. Through the study, participants will be invited to listen afresh to the witness of this opening book of the Hebrew Bible and to understand more clearly God’s purpose in beginning to form a people with the likes of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and Jacob and Esau.

INVITATION TO ROMANS

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Romans in Christian tradition. Some of the great formers and re-formers of church teaching were themselves formed by their reading of Romans. As a result, Paul’s teachings in Romans come to us mediated through the history of the church’s interpretations of his letter.

The challenge of reading Romans, then, is to learn to have our own interpretive conversation with the text itself, in spite of centuries of commentary on the text. One of the aims of this study is to invite us into conversation around several key themes: (1) Paul’s emphasis on communal salvation; (2) the centrality of God’s righteousness; and (3) the relationship between Jews and Gentiles and the relationship of both to God.

INVITATION TO JOHN

This 11-week study of John's Gospel explores how John differs from the other three Gospels highlighting:
Christ's identity as presented by his many "I am..." statements and his use of imagery throughout the gospel
The theme of the invitation in the gospel to us to "come and see"
The longer narrative sections in John that feature extended speeches of Jesus 

The planning kit ($125) includes the Leader book, a participant book, and a DVD with segments for each of the 11 sessions. 

Who's on the Video?  In addition to the weekly Scripture presentation portions, all eleven video segments will include a brief piece involving a small group of layfolk discussing their take on various Gospel texts, as well as a scholar interview.  We have four excellent presenters for Invitation to John: Ben Witherington from Asbury Theological Seminary, Susan Hylen from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Jaime Clark-Soles from Perkins School of Theology, SMU and Craig Koester from Luther Seminary.  The presenters deep knowledge combined with an easy conversation style may make this the best video in the series yet.

What's Different?  Since more congregations are enjoying the convenience of DVD, this will be the first in the series to include DVD only, without the bonus VHS.