The Ann Arbor Community Bible Study servant's team, from left, Jane Hughes, children's director; Patricia Esteva, senior leader & prayer chair; Faye Taylor, assistant children's director; Donna Langford, teaching director; Jan McMorris, assistant teaching director and senior leader; Val Morsfield, senior leader; Nancy Sivulka, coordinator.

Photo courtesy of Mary Pittman

Back in 1985, Katie Renken didn’t know that her simple walk with a friend would lead her on a 25-year faith journey. But when this friend invited her to help launch a community Bible study in Ann Arbor, she was hooked.

This year, the Community Bible Study of Ann Arbor, part of a international organization, celebrates 25 years of an in-depth weekly Bible study that serves almost 200 people from different denominations, churches and towns throughout the county.

The Community Bible Study (CBS) began in 1975 in the Washington, D.C. area and has grown to an international ministry. According to the organization’s website, CBS is intended to be “every person's Bible study, available to all. Each man, woman, youth and child will be so cared for and loved that all will feel comfortable in their class regardless of background, education, church involvement, ethnicity, or economic status. Our desire is to build unity in the midst of diversity in our community.” CBS is meant to complement, not compete with, individual church programs and foster a spirit of Christian unity between both Protestant and Catholic denominations.

Back in the 1980s, the Ann Arbor team met for many months, praying and searching for talented leaders, coordinators and participants. In order to begin a full 30-week course, CBS requires 60 participants and a lead service team including at least one teaching director, associate director, coordinator, and children’s coordinator. Renken joined the original servants team along with several others who still participate in the Ann Arbor CBS today. All leaders received intensive training and follow-up through the CBS affiliation.

Given its history, the Ann Arbor launch was successful indeed, with 196 people and 93 children meeting at Knox Presbyterian Church on Wagner Road to study the Book of Genesis over the next 30 weeks.

The in-depth study approached the Bible in four ways: 15-20 minutes per day of individual Bible reading and study; small group discussions in up to 12 small core groups, where students shared questions, feedback and related the study to their personal lives; large group lectures by the teaching director and follow-up study with a written commentary.

The core groups, Renken explained, help people really connect to the message. The core and servant leaders meet a second day each week, and each core leader connects weekly with every student in their group of eight to 12 people.

In the core groups, Renken said, “People are interested in deeper relationships not only with God, but with each other.”

Sometimes those conversations can be difficult.

“Blessings come in packages we may not want to open,” Renken said, but are overcome by focusing on “how Jesus Christ redeems the world.”

Through the process, people build “amazing, deep, meaningful friendships," she said.

Several members I spoke to during a recent visit to a CBS gathering confirmed this sentiment.

Mary Pittman, a CBS student for about 18 years in California and Ann Arbor, said that the weekly discipline helps her “get into the word” on a more regular basis, and she loves connecting weekly with her core group.

Nancy Murphy is encouraged by CBS’ interdenominational spirit.

“It gives me hope for Washtenaw County,” she said. “It is so encouraging to meet so many people from different churches, Protestant or Catholic, who love God and want to learn more.”

Donna Langford, the current teaching director, who moved from Connecticut three years ago and has been involved in CBS for 30 years, explained that the four-way Bible study process “really makes scripture come alive” for people.

The experience “has changed me,” she said, a message she related to the whole crowd a few minutes later in the large group lecture.

“Every week,” Langford said, “come expectant. God has something for you.”

Community Bible Study meets 9:15-11:15 a.m. every Tuesday at Knox Presbyterian Church at 2065 S. Wagner Road.  For information and registration contact Nancy Sivulka at 734-665-5294 or NSivulka@comcast.net.

Pam Stout coordinates Faith and Home and Garden coverage for AnnArbor.com.  She can be reached at pamstout@annarbor.com.