How to get started with Discipleship Explored
Questions from DE course organisers and table leaders about running a Discipleship Explored course.
Q. What is Discipleship Explored (DE)?
A. Discipleship Explored is a journey into the book of Philippians. As they discover Paul's extraordinary letter, participants explore for themselves the meaning of Paul's words: "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Q. Who is DE intended for?
A. DE is for anyone who wants to make the most of their Christian lives. In particular, DE is perfect for participants who have been through Christianity Explored and have recently decided to follow Christ.
Q. How long is DE?
A. The course lasts eight weeks, with each weekly session lasting about 2 hours.
Q. What happens during a typical session?
A. Those familiar with Christianity Explored will feel right at home. Each session has a Group Discussion, a short study in Philippians, a short talk, and a further Group Discussion.
Q. What topics are covered?
A. The topics covered are as follows each week:
- Confident In Christ (Philippians 1:1-11)
- Living In Christ (Philippians 1:12-26)
- Standing Together In Christ (Philippians 1:27 - 2:11)
- Transformed By Christ (Philippians 2:12-30)
- Righteous In Christ (Philippians 3:1-9)
- Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:10 - 4:1)
- Rejoicing In Christ (Philippians 4:2-9)
- Content In Christ (Philippians 4:10-23)
Q. What's special about DE?
A. Philippians is a letter written to young Christians, encouraging them to stand firm and live for Christ. It is compelling, challenging and inspiring - particularly to those beginning the Christian life, because they are on exactly the same journey as the Philippians! Course leaders benefit from six training sessions that precede the course, giving them a confidence that is founded on a deeper understanding of Philippians. Also built into the course is a Bible reading plan to help every participant explore each theme further - and also develop the habit of reading the Bible daily.
Q. What books do I need to run the course?
A. You'll need a Study Guide for each participant, and a Study Guide - Leader's Edition for each leader. That's it. (See the Resources section to see what the books look like, inside and out.) A low-cost NIV Bible is also available, designed to tie-in with Discipleship Explored.
Q. Are audio cassettes of the talks available, to help me prepare?
A. The audio MP3 talks mentioned in the DE leader manual have been discontinued now that the DE DVD is available. All eight talk outlines are also printed in the manual.
Q. Are DVDs of the talks available?
A. Yes. A superbly-produced DVD Series was released on 17 October 2008, written and presented by Barry Cooper. You can use it in place of a "live" talk during your DE course.
Q. Are there any other editions of DE?
A. Yes, we've released an 'English Made Easy' version of DE, intended for those with English as a second language, and a Universal edition suitable for anyone who appreciates simple language.
Q. How long are each of the episodes on the DVD?
A. Timings are as follows:
Episode 1: 9:25
Episode 2: 10:17
Episode 3: 11:36
Episode 4: 11:02
Episode 5: 11:28
Episode 6: 10:03
Episode 7: 10:52
Episode 8: 12:46 (including credits)
Q. Where can I order DE?
A. Discipleship Explored is available from your local Christian bookshop, or online from The Good Book Company (phone 0845 225 0880).
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