_____Year-Long: 

Beginning this fall, there will be four different in-depth, adult Bible studies offered through the Church of the Dunes. These are the “Disciple” Bible studies, developed by our United Methodist publishing house. The foundational course is Disciple I, “Becoming Disciples through Bible Study.”  This is a prerequisite for taking the subsequent courses, of which there now are four, not counting “Christian Believer,” which is a doctrinal study. Here are the meeting times and leaders for this year’s line-up:

(all Disciple classes meet in Room 10-11, which is downstairs in the new wing)

For further information or for any questions, please contact Pastor Dan, or the particular leader for any one of these. Please contact the church office to sign up. Space is limited to approximately 14 in each of these, and we often fill up!  

Disciple I:  Leader: Cyndi Phillip (846-2872)

             Time: Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m.

             Place: Room 10-11

             Begins: mid-September

        Length: 34 weeks 

This is, Pastor Dan believes, the best comprehensive Bible study available today. The strength of Disciple Bible Study is that it leads us beyond knowing just the “what” of the Bible, to the “so what;” beyond just information to transformation. It is also a wonderful experience of community in a committed small group. Through this experience, you will encounter all of the significant themes and issues of the scriptures, through daily readings of approximately 30 to 45 minutes, with a weekly two-hour class. If you have felt that you just do not know the Bible the way you would like, then this is definitely a good next step in your faith development.  

Disciple II: “Into the Word, Into the World”  

      Leaders: Neal and Mary Anne Miller

      Time: Sundays, 6-8 p.m.

      Begins: September 7 (orientation)

      Length: 32 weeks 

Disciple II narrows its focus to “go deep” in the first two books of the Hebrew scriptures: Genesis and Exodus, and then the two works of the author of the gospel of Luke (Luke and Acts). These are the stories of beginnings: of the Jewish faith of the Israelites, and the Christian faith of their spiritual heirs: the Christ-followers.  
 
 

Disciple III:  “Remember Who You Are” 

      Leader: Ruth Woodward

      Time: Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

      Begins: September 3

      Length: 32 weeks 

Here is the description of this study, from the Cokesbury website:

Several themes weave their way through the study: the call to remember, the call to repentance, the need for renewed vision (eyes to see, ears to hear), and the place of community. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE concentrates on the Old Testament prophets and the letters of Paul. 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 the 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 his 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. 

Fall Sunday School Offerings (9:45 to 10:45 a.m.) for Adults: 

1)  Faithlinks:  Reflecting on Current Affairs from a Christian Perspective

      Every week we will use as a launching point for discussion a brief newsletter from

      our United Methodist publishing body and written by a variety of authors that lifts

       up a contemporary social issue in the light of Biblical and Christian teaching.

      Led by Ed Lystra, meets in the Library 

2)  Short term Disciple Bible Study: Invitation to the Old Testament

      Leader: Pastor Dan

      Time: Sunday a.m., 9:45-10:45 (Sunday school time slot)

      Begins: September 14 (orientation)

       Place: Room 14 (lower level)

      Length: 8 weeks 

For those who cannot commit to the longer Disciple studies, here is a shorter-term version (eight weeks), meeting during the Sunday school hour. It is based on the “Disciple” model, though, featuring weekly readings, a weekly video component in which we benefit from the insight of top-flight scholars on the theme for each week, and small-group discussion and personal application.  

3) "That the World May Know"

      Leaders: John and Gwen Bartels

      Place: Rooms 10 and 11 (downstairs)

      Sunday School time

      Begins Sept. 14

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Companions in Christ

If you would like to learn about the classic spiritual disciplines, and have a supportive and encouraging structure to participate in them, here is a small-group experience for you.  “Companions in Christ” uses a study guide that features the wisdom of the Christian tradition over the last 2,000 years, as well as practical guidance in individual spirit-deepening practices to use through the week. We will meet on Thursday nights, 7-9 p.m. from mid-September to May.   

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Beth Moore Bible Study: Daniel and Prophecy

Tuesdays, 7 to 9:30p.m. , beginning Sept. 23

Led by Joy Shimp

This is another class using material from the popular Bible teacher Beth Moore, and led by veteran Beth Moore student and Joy Shimp. Sign up outside Dan's Office.
 

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