Teachers/Disciplers

By Dr. Frank Crane

Editor’s Note: For 43 years, Dr. Crane served three churches as pastor. In that capacity, he preached, taught, counseled and managed church programs. Now he begins a new chapter in his career and is devoted to helping folks identify their deepest desires and find healthy strategies for meeting them.

I once heard a woman oppose her husband’s promotion and relocation because Jesus had commanded them, “Stay in the city.” (Luke 24:29). The most quoted text in Scripture is no longer John 3:16 but Matthew 7:1 “Judge not that you be not judged.” I don’t know what’s worse: not knowing the Scriptures or misusing the Scriptures we know.

I did some horseback research asking folks who seemed to know the Word fairly well, how they came to that. Secretly I was looking for “Well, pastor it’s the preaching and teaching I’ve sat under all these years.” Alas, the most common answer was, “My own personal study.” But these individuals were precious few. How to get folks to study the Scriptures for themselves, apply it properly to their lives, and help others do the same?

Enter The Covenant Story. Here’s a two year survey of the Scriptures that features a personal Bible reading schedule, a two page synopsis of each book of the Bible, lesson plans and discussion questions on chapters selected from the week’s reading. Participants get the reading schedule at the beginning of the year, the Bible book synopsis the week before they read that book, and discussion questions early the week of the class. When they arrive the lead teacher offers a brief introduction covering key points of the previous week’s readings and then the next forty minutes are devoted to group discussion answering the questions received. Our class meets in a large room holding five round tables. It’s not uncommon for each table to have six or seven people. Biggest problem? Noise! In the Covenant Story everyone’s a teacher and everyone’s a learner. At the end of the hour the lead teacher wraps it up with a few pithy summary statements.

At our church we’re on our fifth cycle of the Covenant Story Seminar. About half the congregation has taken it. We like to think of CSS as establishing a Christian Education baseline after which other courses become more useful. We want people to view the grand panorama of God’s grace, to thrill at the discovery of how an event in Genesis or Job enriches what first appears to be a throw-away comment by John or Paul. It’s when they see that God is serious about ushering in a new kingdom that they become serious about personal and cultural changes to be made. Covenant Story participants come to realize that Jesus is far more than a personal friend. He’s the King of glory calling them to conquer along with him all that stands in the way of mercy and justice.

Most importantly it seems to stick because they’ve discovered the insights for themselves. While doing so they’ve also encouraged others at the same table to do the same. Maturing Christians and brand new believers sit at the same tables with open Bibles. When the mature try to explain something to the novice, both learn. When the baby Christian finds respect from his elders, both experience love.

There is a lot more to say about The Covenant Story Seminar. Check out www.crane-coaching.com. Hit the contact button or call 804.247.3985 for an introductory packet which includes sample sessions and other material.

A Suggested Three Year Curriculum
for Adult Sunday School

CEP has developed a suggested three year curriculum for your adult Sunday school or other discipleship group instruction setting. The curriculum recommends book studies which cover Bible, Doctrine and Christian Living. The curriculum chart further breaks down the recommendations based on the level of spiritual maturity of the participants as indicated below.

Level of Spiritual Maturity
A – Evangelistic Outreach
Target	Non-believers who are intrigued by and initially responsive to the claims of Christ.
Content	Basics of the gospel via Bible study.
Objective	To lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus.
B & C – Nurturing Young Believers
Target	New and maturing Christians who are in the beginning stages of growth in Christ.
Content	Foundational study of the Bible, doctrine, and how to live the Christian life.
Objective	Elementary knowledge of the Bible, doctrine, Christian disciplines, Presbyterian/Reformed, and commitment to the church.
D & E – Mature Believers Learning to Minister
Target	Spiritually maturing and desiring deeper study.
Content	Deeper exposure to the Bible, tenets of Reformed doctrine, worldview development, instruction in discipling/ evangelism/training.
Objective	Advanced study of the Bible, Reformed theology, and the church. Also active training on how to be involved in the church’s work of discipleship.
F – Training New and Existing Leaders
Target	Mature believers showing gifts and readiness for leadership in the church.
Content	Advanced courses in theology, ministry planning and organization, skill development.
Objective	Equipping for leadership, church office, and other ministry leadership needs.

All included resources can be provided for you and your congregation by the CEP Bookstore. For further assistance in choosing a particular book-study or to place an order, contact the CEP Bookstore at 800.283.1357 or visit our website, www.cepbookstore.comHint: Use the “Search” box and type all or a portion of the book title

This is a book that Christians should read, especially those in ministry leadership positions. In a day in which we have bought into the idea that if we can do something then it is right to do it. This is being applied to areas that relate to the sanctity of life and Christians need to know how to think biblically and clearly about those issues. We have often allowed secularism to determine our conclusion about life challenging issues and not been equipped to object.

David Vandrunen, theology professor at Westminster Seminary, California has given us a resource that will enable us to see more clearly what is involved biblically, ethically and morally about things like: assisted reproduction, the human embryo, suicide, euthanasia, the distinction between killing and letting die, accepting and foregoing treatment are some of the main topics of the book.Our CEP staff studied this book and discussed its content. We agree that it would be a worthwhile book not only to read individually, but to study corporately in any small group study setting. The topics could even be used for sermon topics.

Vandrunen says the purpose of this book is to help ordinary Christians, in the midst of the lives they are called to live in Christ, might better understand how to respond to such difficult and complex issues. We agree that in the midst of the bioethics culture wars that we need to be armed and equipped to stand firm in the faith. Often we have to make difficult choices and decisions without proper understanding.If there is one thing that a Christian kingdom disciples needs to do, according the Apostle Paul is to change the way we think in order to know what God would have us do, Romans 12:1, 2. This book will certainly be helpful in that respect.One word about the book’s format-the author deals with five general approaches to the various bioethical questions. They are: secular bioethics, Christian bioethics only, secular and Christian bioethics identical, secular and Christian bioethics radically different, and secular and Christian bioethics distinct but legitimate.

The book has a good list of bibliographic resources that will enable further or more in-depth study. It is readable and worth adding to your list of books to read and study.

Thursday, May 6^th begins the 50 Days of Prayer leading up to the General Assembly, which has become an annual event in the PCA. Mike Ross, pastor at Christ Covenant in Charlotte, authors the devotional/prayer booklet every year. This year he will be speaking at Covenant PCA in Fayetteville on Wednesday evening, May 5^th, to kick off this time of prayer for our churches.

Covenant would like to invite all the area churches to attend this special event. You are invited to dinner hosted by the church at 6pm and the Kick-off to 50 Days of Prayer service will begin at 7pm.

Click here to download this year’s 50 Days of Prayer (Acrobat Reader required).

Over the 37 years of CEP’s existence we have published hundreds of pieces of material and thousands of articles. We are committed to making the best and most helpful resources available to you. Let me explain.

With the advent of electronic publishing, CEP is now offering many of its publications in a downloadable format. Tim Witmer, from Westminster Seminary (PA) has produced a manual for mentoring those in presbytery internships (Presbytery’s Guide to Mentoring Interns). This can be downloaded by any presbytery. It can even be altered to fit specific needs. A manual is also available in print form for the intern (A Manual for Pastoral Interns).

Many of our Leader’s Guides once offered for sale are now available FREE as a download.

CEP has published many Bible studies over the years. Many of these are being revised and updated, using the ESV translation.

New Bible studies are being produced each year, and while we welcome manuscripts, we ask you to review the list of what we expect and are looking for in how we are attempting to develop them. For example: beginning with Christ’s redemptive story and not us! (For more information on this click here).

Commentaries: We are gearing up to offer commentaries that will be helpful companions to the Bible studies we publish. Watch for these in the near future.

We have also been working with our Great Commission Publications arm to produce a focused plan for long-term discipleship. When you go to school you start in the lowest grade and progress with learning. This plan for discipleship starts with the non-Christian and new Christian providing materials for them to study and begin their growth in Christian living. This plan, or curriculum, works through each level of spiritual growth and even takes it so far as to the developing of new leadership in the church. However, if you have not read Making Kingdom Disciples by Charles Dunahoo (#6933) you need to start there for a complete understanding of what discipleship is all about (to view the curriculum, click here).

All of the above resources are designed for personal and group study. They are written from a biblically reformed kingdom perspective including a Christian world and life view.

As we have and continue to publish these materials, our aim is not simply to increase one’s knowledge and understanding but also one’s living and experiencing the truths of the Word.