Disciple @ Main Street UMC

Come join us for a Discipleship journey. Our travels will include touring the Bible, study, prayer, discussions, fellowship, support and laughter. Seasoned travelers as well as beginners are welcome (we’ll show you the ropes)! This is an extended trip; however, you may pack lightly. You will only need your Bible and study manual (our maps). We’ll also keep a diary, so you will need pen and paper. Departure is in September and the duration is 34 weeks. Take a life changing, guided, group trip that you will never forget. The weather will affect this expedition very little. Don’t forget your comfortable shoes! Unlike most trips, at the conclusion your “special finds” will make you richer. Who would think Bible Study could be so much fun! Bon Voyage!

2024 – Disciple Bible Study Update

This is the time of year when we usually start recruiting people to take Disciple Bible Study (DBS) classes. However, over these last few years, the registration counts have been very low. After 20 years of offering DBS, it should probably be expected. Therefore, DBS and Disciple Fast Track classes will not be offered to the congregation this year. Instead, we will try to have one or two short-term bible studies on certain books of the Bible starting sometime in January 2025.

Classes begin in September.

Testimonials:

“For me, I feel better about myself and feel better about the me I am, when I am actively in study. I like being with people who may not be much like me except for a very common love. I like being challenged. I like learning more every day, changing some of my perceptions, and feeling confident enough to challenge everything and anything in my faith journey.” Robin C.

If the church doors were open, I was there. I took the required 3 semester hours of Old Testament and 3 semester hours of New Testament in college. That was a year or two ago. Or forty. Last fall, I took Disciple I. Maybe it was the forty years of life’s twists, or maybe it was the new friendships, or perhaps the renewed discipline, but the Old Testament became new, fresh, and even more pertinent to my life than ever. I am currently in the Disciple class on John and I plan to enroll in another Disciple class this fall. As Jeff tells us most Sundays, the most important thing we will ever do is worship our Living God. A Disciple class will help you do that. What could be more important than that? How can you not have time for that? … Ann M.

Participating in Disciple 1 was something I had thought of doing for several years but never made the commitment to do so. When it was time to sign up for the new Disciple classes in 2011, I thought about it again but was just not sure I really wanted to commit to so many meetings and so much reading. A friend of mine suggested that it may be just what I needed to start off my week in a positive way since my school year had started out in such a stressful and unpleasant way. I took the plunge into Disciple 1 and am glad that I did. My friend was right; it was a positive boost to the beginning of each week. I made new friends, read so much of the Bible, and learned much from all of the readings. I strongly encourage others to follow suit and try a Disciple class. Even though I have been attending church since I was a young child, taking part in the Disciple 1 class helped me to reunite with God’s plan for all us and to closely follow Christ and his word. … Abby M.

Last fall, I enrolled in Disciple 1, at least partially because it was a prerequisite for all the other Disciple classes. The Disciple Bible Study curriculum was new to me, even though Bible study certainly wasn’t. I have taught Sunday School to adults most of my adult life, so I thought I knew the Bible pretty well. I didn’t expect a life-changing experience. To be honest, there was a lot of reading in Disciple 1 – it is a survey of the entire Bible after all. And the discussions at times were “interesting” as we shared what were often very different interpretations of the stories and commands found in the accumulation of books we call the Bible. But I learned some new things about God. I learned some new things about myself. I learned some new things about other people. And I developed some deep and meaningful relationships – this just may have been the most valuable thing for me since I don’t do friends easily. So, I guess it was a life-changing experience after all. I’m currently in the Disciple short study of John and plan to take another Disciple course this fall. It is well worth the time and effort for me. I’ll bet it would be for you too. … George M.

I joined Disciple because I desired a structured Bible Study Class; and because I wanted to deepen my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. I longed for Christian fellowship following the tragic loss of both of my parents. I found in this class a group of dedicated Christians who were seeking some of the same things that I sought but also seeking Christian ministry.

At the end of our journey we had shared our sorrows, our joys and our hopes; our desire to learn more about our Savior and Lord. There was a bond developed, and a connection of support that I am certain will continue to grow over time between each of us in the class. I came away from every class uplifted and with a warm feeling of God’s Spirit and His love surrounding me.

The class was also an inspiration in Christian Service as many of our members volunteered in various areas of the church’s Christian Ministry. I was personally inspired to become part of the Bethany Cafe. I strongly recommend the classes to anyone in the church who wants to further their walk with God. Enter into it in prayer and commitment. If you come in with an open heart you will come away with many blessings and the deep desire to share it with others.

I have been greatly blessed to have been a part of Disciple! … Dianne Y.

I thought I knew a lot about the Bible, but after taking Disciple 1 and 2, I found what I knew amounted to a drop in a bucket. I am so glad I started taking the classes. Not only have I increased my knowledge of the Bible, I have met wonderful classmates and formed great friendships. I really looked forward to the classes on Wednesday nights and after they were over, I felt like something was missing. I am looking forward to the next Disciple class to start. I will tell you, not only has my knowledge increased, my waist has also, due to all the good food brought in to eat during class!

Class descriptions are below:

Disciple I: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study

A survey of both Old and New Testament books–34 weeks.

Underlying the development of DISCIPLE is the assumption that people are hungry for the word of God, for fellowship in prayer and study, and for a sense of appropriate ministry as committed Christians. DISCIPLE gives Old and New Testaments equal time, emphasizing the wholeness of the Bible as the revelation of God. DISCIPLE invites persons to bring their experiences and struggles to Scripture, uses biblical language and biblical images, and draws upon the work of scholars to aid understanding of the Bible. It also features group discussion of Scripture based on careful study and preparation.

*This class is a prerequisite for Disciple 2, 3, 4, and Jesus in the Gospels.

Disciple II: Into the Word Into the World

Includes the books of Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts–32 weeks

The second study in the DISCIPLE program proclaims the transforming power of Scripture while teaching Bible study skills that take participants deeper into the Scripture. Participants are encouraged to practice spiritual disciplines arising out of Scripture for the purpose of changing habits and transforming lives. The study also emphasizes the rhythm of coming to God and going for God, of being in the Word and in the world individually and corporately. INTO THE WORD INTO THE WORLD approaches all experiences of life as opportunities for faithful witness and service.

*Disciple 1 is a prerequisite.

Disciple Bible III: Remember Who You Are

Includes the prophets in the Old Testament and the writings of Paul in the New Testament–32 weeks

Resident in the title is the driving idea in this study—the connection between memory and identity as the people of God. The word “you” in the title is meant to be heard both in its singular (the individual) and its plural form (the community). We are a community of memory. Several themes weave their way through the study—the call to remember, the call to repentance, the need for renewed vision, and the place of community. The prophets and Paul are continually calling hearers and readers back to their God and to a sense of who they are as a people “set apart.” The prophets and community cannot be separated. The prophets spoke for God, out of the community and to the community. Paul’s experience of the risen Lord, his relationship to the community he addressed, his Jewish traditions, and the Greco-Roman culture of the day merged in his writing of the Letters. Paul used the language of his culture to carry the message that arose out of his roots in the Hebrew Scriptures and Judaism.

*Disciple 1 is a prerequisite.

Disciple Bible IV: Under the Tree of Life

Includes the books of I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, John, James, I John, II John, III John, Jude & Revelation—32 weeks

This study in the DISCIPLE series emphasizes the Psalms as Israel’s hymnbook and prayer book, leading naturally to a focus on worship. Present through the course is the sense of living toward completion: toward the climax of the message and the promise, as extravagantly pictured in Revelation. The word “under” in the title is meant to convey invitation, welcome, sheltering, security and rest. The image of the tree of life frames the biblical story—In Genesis, off limits in the midst of the garden; in Revelation, on either side of the river of the water of life, with fruit to eat and leaves for the healing nations. The color is gold, symbolizing the glory and majesty of God. References to gold and to light, which is often thought of as golden, repeat throughout the Scriptures. So the image of the tree and the color gold emphasize the “prod” and the promise in Scripture.

*Disciple 1 is a prerequisite.

Jesus in the Gospels: Disciple Second Generation Studies

In-depth study of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John-30 weeks.

JESUS IN THE GOSPELS invites believers to look at Jesus in each of the four Gospels and ask the question “who is the Jesus that you see?” This study will deepen discipleship through better understanding of the biblical texts and their message. Different from DISCIPLE Bible Study in its approach to Scripture, this class looks more closely at the Gospel texts, in the kind of daily preparation and study required of the participants, in lesson layout and design, and in the nature of the study and discussion that takes place in the weekly group meeting. JESUS IN THE GOSPELS focuses on the portraits of Jesus found in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The word used in the title signals that the study takes an approach different from the familiar “life and teaching of Jesus” approach of reading stories and accounts of what Jesus said and did in order to draw conclusions about their meaning and about who Jesus was. This study looks at the way each Gospel writer presents events and teaching and at the picture of Jesus that emerges in each of the Gospels.

*Disciple 1 is a prerequisite.

Christian Believer

The Christian Believer program focuses on classical teachings of the Christian faith – those that emerged in early Christianity as it struggled to understand its scripture and its experience of Jesus Christ. These doctrines remain central to church teaching and distinguish Christianity from other faiths. These are presented and explained in a way that participants can understand, through the use of words, symbols, and hymns. This Disciple study emphasizes the relationship of worship, belief and daily life. The beliefs of the Christian community, taught within the Christian community, equip the Christian community for living faithfully and for passing on the faith entrusted to it.

Over a 30-week period, participants will examine the writings of ancient and modern Christian commentators and view video presentations by leading Bible scholars. Disciple I and one other Disciple class are prerequisites for Christian Believer.

Short-Term Bible Studies

NOTE: Registration Begins in January 2013

Invitation to Genesis This 11-week 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 Psalms God’s people—given voice in the Psalms—struggle to make sense of who God is and who they are. In so doing they have composed a collection of moving testimonies of grace, glory, sorrow and beauty unmatched in sacred literature. For students of the Psalms today, this 10-week study offers greater understanding of how these ancient texts of praise, lament, worship, and prayer can still speak to us and for us.

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. One aim of this 8-week 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 In its wisdom, the early church chose to keep four Gospel accounts of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Three of these Gospels are very similar to each other in both what they tell about the story of Jesus and how they tell it. However, the Gospel of John stands apart. In its first chapter, Jesus issues two invitations: “Come and see,” and “Follow me.” They echo the invitations of this 11-week study: to come and see this Jesus—to hear him speak, to see his signs—and to consider anew what it means to be his followers.

For more information, visit www.BeADiscipleApp.com, or
contact Bob Langlais at bob.langlais@yahoo.com or 336-407-0905.