The mission of this church is to make and mature disciples for Jesus Christ.
At the heart of this mission is the call to make disciples, and the establishment of a transformational core discipleship model is a key element of fulfilling that call. Two components make up the core model: a churchwide personal Bible reading plan and a micro group shared learning experience.
Churchwide Bible Reading Plan
This is a plan available to the entire congregation in which all people read the same passages on the same day and then have the opportunity to discuss them with friends.
Purpose
Reading scripture is core to who we are as a church and to what it means to be a disciple. CBR serves as a simple framework for guiding members through the Bible on an ongoing basis, while unifying the church around the same Bible reading calendar.
Description
The Bible reading plan we use is called Community Bible Reading (CBR). It is an ongoing Bible reading plan that will take readers through the New Testament every year and the Old Testament every three years. Participants read one chapter each day from the Old and New Testaments, except on Saturday when they only read a Psalm and on Sunday when no reading is scheduled.
Participants
The goal is for every member of the church to participate in CBR on an ongoing basis.
Process
The church offers CBR journals and also distributes the reading plan through multiple outlets, including the website and e-newsletter. Select small groups and classes are offered that organize their discussion around the CBR readings each week. The congregation is encouraged to share their reflections and life applications of what they read through these groups and conversations with friends.
Your Next Step
Download the reading plan, or download the free CBR app on Google Play or the App Store. There is also a wonderful journal that accompanies this program (click the link below.)
Discipleship Essentials
This is a book study done in groups of 3-4 people.
Purpose
First Presbyterian Church strives to be a church that makes and matures disciples, and the best way to make and mature more disciples is by deepening the faith and understanding of existing church members. This study matures and strengthens those who complete it, and it prepares them to go out and make more disciples who will eventually participate, as well. This study is key to the goal of developing disciples who then make more disciples.
Description
Discipleship Essentials is an immersive, 25-session study that guides participants through key elements of what it means to be a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. The study covers theological issues as well as practical applications of living as a disciple within a church and within the world. Each section includes scripture reading, reflection questions, and other selected readings on the topics, which include justification, prayer, fruit of the spirit, spiritual warfare, and more.
Participants
The long-term goal is for all church members to have completed the study and then lead others through the same study afterward.
Process
The curriculum can be intensive, so weekly or biweekly meetings to review a chapter at a time are ideal. Small micro groups of between three-four members permit participants to work through the material effectively and allow for deeper discussion.
Your Next Step
Call the church office at (863) 686-7187 if you are interested in beginning the book study, and we’ll get you started!
Subscribe to "My Daily Briefing"
Imagine finding a tool that allows you to read through the whole Bible in one year and helps you understand the entire story in chronological order! My Daily Briefing, written by Gwen Diaz, is a devotional study that does just that. Each lesson is written in today’s English and includes the historical and cultural context of every biblical event.
These daily devotions can be read in less than five minutes. However, the linked Scripture references that are included make in-depth Bible study easy and accessible. Applications at the end of each lesson encourage readers to engage personally. A comment we often receive from subscribers is, “After reading MDB, I’ve come to realize that the Bible just makes sense.”
It’s FREE!
YouVersion Bible Program
YouVersion is a popular digital Bible program that has dozens of reading plans to choose from that will bring the daily readings to you device or computer. Of course, these plans can be read using you print Bible as well.