Disciple

One set of offerings at Ascension to further your discipleship journey is Disciple Bible Study Classes. These classes aid participants to learn more about the Bible and the Christian faith. Classes start in the fall and end in early May.

Disciple 1: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study

Disciple 1 is a 33-week course of weekly Bible study and listening to Scripture. The entry level class, Disciple 1, offers an overview of the entire Bible in a small-group setting. During the course of the year, the group will read and discuss about 70% of the Bible. Weekly meetings last about 2 hours. Study for the weekly meeting averages about 2-3 hours. Disciple is a great way to learn more about our Biblical heritage, and it aims at transformation and not just information. All levels of Bible scholarship are welcome! The small group environment also allows members to get to know each other well.

Disciple 2: Into the Word, Into the World

Disciple 2 is prepared for those who have completed Disciple 1. This 32-week study delves deeper into the Old and New Testaments with concentration on four books: Genesis, Exodus, Luke, and Acts (8 lessons on each book). Appropriate connections are made to other parts of Scripture both through reading and study assignments and through commentary in the study manual. Participants will read familiar passages, see them in fresh ways, and anticipate that God will speak through them. 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.

Disciple 3: Remember Who You Are

Disciple 3 is also prepared for those who have completed Disciple 1. It focuses on most of the major and minor Old Testament prophets in the fall, and the thirteen letters traditionally attributed to Paul in the spring. To establish the historical context in which the prophets spoke for God, daily reading assignments also draw on the books of Deuteronomy through Chronicles. Study of the prophets will follow their historical sequence rather than their biblical sequence. The dating of Paul's letters influences the sequence of their study. Disciple 3 also has supplementary reading materials designed to enhance the study.

Disciple 4: Under the Tree of Life

Disciple 4 concentrates on the writings in the Old Testament - Ruth, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, and Daniel. New Testament Scriptures include the Gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; James; Jude; and Revelation. Emphasis on the Psalms as Israel's hymnbook and prayer book leads naturally to an emphasis on worship in the study. Present though the entire study is the sense of living toward completion, toward the climax of the message and the promise, extravagantly pictured in the Revelation.

The offering of particular classes depends on interest during a given year. Please contact Suzan Fenner for more information or to express your interest in taking a particular course.