Welcome! We are delighted to have you join other teachers and leaders in learning as Jesus’ disciples. It is a wonderful and awesome responsibility to encourage the faith growth of others. We hope you learn much along the journey.

Opening Doors to Discipleship is a series of three courses in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition to help teachers and leaders equip themselves to be faithful teachers and leaders. Once you register with this site, you will have access to all three courses.

The three courses are:

Course A: Teaching Skills
Course B: Bible Background
Course C: Presbyterian/Reformed Faith (to be released Fall, 2008)

Each course has 12 sessions which should, ideally, be done with a Learning Group from your own congregation.

The courses address questions like these:

• How can I tell a story and use activities in such a gripping way that my students long to be disciples of Christ?

• How can I communicate the broad sweep of biblical stories so that learners yearn to enter them?

• How can I speak with passion and enthusiasm about the particular “flavor” of Christianity which we identify as Presbyterian/Reformed?

Being disciples
Jesus said to a group of followers, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31b-32).

For those of us who try our best to be disciples—followers—of Jesus, is that not what we long for?

We want to know what is true and how to live truthfully.

We want freedom from worry, stress, guilt, hatred, guns on the street, war.

We want this for ourselves. We want it for the people we teach, for family members and friends we love. We want this freedom for the world.

Site sponsorship
Opening Doors to Discipleship: Teacher Training Online is sponsored by five denominations in North America:

• The Cumberland Presbyterian Church
• The Moravian Church in America
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• The Presbyterian Church in Canada
• The Reformed Church in America

There is no cost for members of these five denominations to use this program.

Congregational support for you, the learner

Here are things that are helpful to know as you begin:

• Learning group: If at all possible (yes! we know that some of you live in isolated situations), do these courses with others. Set up a local Learning Group. This team should consist of your minister/pastor, other teachers, interested congregational members, parents or friends.

• A mentor: If at all possible, recruit a mentor for yourself. The mentor may be a trusted friend or congregational member who is not taking the course. Or the mentor may be an elder or other church leader. The mentor is someone who “walks the journey of discipleship” with you. He/she is someone with whom you, as learner, can bounce around ideas and thoughts. Your mentor may also pray regularly with and for you.

• The role of clergy: It is strongly suggested that the clergy, as teaching elders in the reformed tradition, be part of the Learning Group. In a 2006 survey conducted by The Presbyterian Church in Canada, it was discovered that one of the six factors that produce growing church schools is the active involvement of the minister/pastor.

Enrolling in these courses
To enroll in these courses, click on the Register link in the top right of this page. Fill out the registration form and click on the submit button. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail that you are registered to enter the site.

Site features and navigation
For an overview of how to navigate this site and use its features, read the “Instructions” page.

Technical support
Since this site operates with minimal supervision, you should, as a first step, check with the person who is supervising your Learning Group in your local congregation if you have a question or concern. If that person cannot help, check with a knowledgeable person in your congregation or community. If this still does not solve the problem, and if you believe it is a technical problem, contact the website administrator, listed on the “Contact us” page.

Keeping a journal
Throughout the courses you are asked to keep a journal for reflections or responses to the exercises you are invited to do. The journal should, ideally, be an 8.5” x 11”, 3-ring binder. If you wish to print off some of the pages for future reference (and we hope you will), they can be kept in your journal.

Speed of learning
There is no set pace for using the 12 sessions in each course. If, for instance, you and your Learning Group decide that you would like to spend an entire month focusing on one session, then do so.

Sequence to learning
There is no set sequence to learning. If you and your Learning Group decide to focus on Session 5 first, then do so. However, the writers of this course have a bias toward doing Session 1 before the other sessions. This session is like a road map for your journey.

The Forum
You may visit the Forum and post ideas and projects there for others to read. Or you may simply visit the Forum to read what others are asking or doing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Visit the FAQ page for answers to all types of queries.