
The Bible can’t be divorced from its cultural context. If you read only one book, it should be this one.

Written by at least thirty-five authors over a span of 1,500 years, its sixty-six books share a remarkable cohesion that tells us something else is at work here. From start to finish, an unmistakable thread holds the Bible together. I can’t make up anyone’s mind for them, nor would I disrespect them by trying to do so. They seek neat, clean answers to the world’s problems, and they simply don’t find them here. I know several people who are not Christians precisely because they have read the Bible. It should come with a warning label: this book provides an unfiltered view of the human condition and contains material many readers may find disturbing. The Bible contains storylines unfit for Sunday school consumption. Where do we even begin?īeyond that, we stumble into big problems once we do start. In this Age of TikTok and Instagram, wading into a book that size is daunting. Let’s say we grant Berlinski his point about reading the Bible. Yet when he asks them even the most rudimentary questions about it, the truth becomes apparent. He calls the Old Testament “the greatest repository of human knowledge and wisdom in the history of civilization.” He also notes that few people actually open it.īerlinski said that when he polls his students, many claim to have read the Bible. Three segments.Author and mathematician David Berlinski is no Christian, yet he’s a big proponent of the Bible.
#The great bible discovery series how to
The Great Commission shows how our stories are reflections of ancient stories in the Bible and teaches participants how to share their own stories with friends, neighbors and coworkers, making disciples who make disciples. Our Spiritual Gifts provides a guided tour of assessing spiritual gifts, defining ministers as “all of us” and instilling the importance of personal involvement in ministry, both in and beyond the congregation. This video, when combined with courses I and Episcopal Worship, provides training for confirmation that may be completed in 11 one-hour sessions, three afternoon classes or a weekend retreat. A Path to Spiritual Maturity includes an in-depth discussion about the importance of Bible study and different forms of prayer, both personal and corporate. The Baptism segment may be used as a stand-alone piece. A Journey of Faith includes basic information about the Bible, the Trinity, the Kingdom of God, who Jesus is, the Creeds and Baptism. It can be shown to newcomers, visitors and life-long Episcopalians to explain the symbolism in our worship and the polity of the Church. The Path to Episcopal Worship includes an instructed Eucharist, a history of the Episcopal Church and information about the Church’s traditions and governance. Each course has two to four segments (about 15 minutes), each of which is intended to be followed by group work (about 45 minutes), led by a local facilitator, using copies of the Facilitator’s and Participants’ Guide. Materials include five courses, a facilitator’s video (how to set up the classroom), and downloadable Facilitator’s/Participants’ pages.

No particular training is needed for someone to facilitate the group except preparation for each class. Some segments may be used to enhance your current education programs, such as Baptism preparation, adult education programs, prayer, or for your Sunday Christian formation hour.Ī facilitator’s video and workbook pages with small group lessons are also included with the series.


You may structure an hour-long program, several morning-long classes or a weekend retreat to complete the confirmation class from the first 11 segments. The Discovery Series: A Christian Journey is very flexible.
#The great bible discovery series series
The series is an invitation to spiritual growth and lays the groundwork to begin or continue a spiritual journey. Video Teaching Series in English and Spanishįive courses provide comprehensive training for Baptism, confirmation, spiritual gifts assessment, discipleship and worship (with instructed Eucharist). The series places a remarkable resource into the hands of all congregations, regardless of their size or available staff. The Discovery Series is designed to help every Christian discover their own path to a life in Christ.
