Covenant Bible Study: Kit

A fresh look at a timeless promise. THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF COVENANT speaks to an enduring commitment between God and God's fruitful people. It's a promise—to live in a loving relationship with and for each other. So the purpose of COVENANT BIBLE STUDY is to engage participants in conversations about this unique and special relationship—as well as our relationships with each other and the world around us—as we study the Bible together. COVENANT is based on the understanding that it is through community—through shared reflection and engagement—that we can best discover the Bible's transformative power. It is rooted in the simple idea that we live well when we love well. The goal of COVENANT BIBLE STUDY is to deepen our understanding of scripture while also helping us respond together in answering God's call to a faithful life in Jesus. So it embraces a learning experience that builds trust in others and confidence in scripture for each participant—leveraging not just scriptural examples but also personal memories of God's faithful love. It helps participants, through sharing and conversation, apply the Bible to their personal story. Which not only helps cultivate a lifelong trust in God, it helps each participant discover the Bible as a friend for life. In-depth study. An accessible message. COVENANT IS A 24-WEEK, IN-DEPTH GROUP BIBLE STUDY in which people read and discuss the Bible together; learning how to love God—and others—better. It differs from other Bible studies in that it emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern throughout the entire Bible. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses with us as God's people. The program covers both Testaments—discussing books from each in a way that shows the interconnectedness of scripture as a whole. But deep, committed study needn't be complex. It should be flexible. Relevant. And engaging. That's why COVENANT BIBLE STUDY is broken into three eight-week modules—each dealing with a different aspect of what covenant means: CREATING LIVING TRUSTING This Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over the next several months. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God's people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God's love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others. Each episode connects to an aspect of this covenant relationship, which is summarized in the heading of each participant guide. The Covenant Bible Study Kit contains everything a leader needs. •Leader Guide: The Leader Guide contains comprehensive and detailed direction for each meeting experience. While each group's chemistry will vary, the Leader Guide always contains the same elements. •Participant Guides: The three Covenant participant guides show you what to read and offer space to interact personally with the daily Bible readings, the prayers, and the weekly covenant meditations. The guides are available from Cokesbury as a print set (or individually); or as enhanced eBooks in the Covenant Bible Study app (iOS and Android) for tablets and personal computers from CovenantBibleStudy.com. •Meditations: Many participants find great personal benefit and contentment in an intimate connection with God through "praying scripture." In addition to the once-weekly meditation in the participant guides (on Day 6), a set of sixty-six additional covenant meditations is included in this book. •DVD Video (Set of 3): The cohosts for these twenty-four video episodes are Reverend Shane Stanford, senior pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and Reverend Christine Chakoian, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois. They will meet with a different biblical scholar in each video episode. Each video in the coming weeks features a conversation between the hosts and a biblical scholar around the Covenant table. Their conversation is a model for the kind of learning dynamic that is central to this study. More Questions? Visit http://covenantbiblestudy.com/ for more information. Every participant will want a copy of the CEB Study Bible.