All Christians eventually ask the same questions: How can I get closer to God? How can I live more and more like Jesus? How can I grow in my faith? Where do I start? BIBLE 201 is designed to answer these and many other questions.

During BIBLE 201, you will learn four habits that will energize or renew your spiritual life. First, through BIBLE 201, you will learn practical steps to making time with God a powerful part of every day through Bible reading and study. You will also receive helpful tips on overcoming the largest obstacles you will face as you get started.

Second, every growing Christian needs to talk with God. This is called prayer. For some, talking to God is intimidating, but it does not have to be. In BIBLE 201, you will discover that God desires conversation with you and He is much more interested in you authentically talking with him than He is in critiquing your prayers. So, to get you started, you will learn a pattern for prayer taken right out of the life of Jesus.

A third area that is covered is financial giving. Admittedly, this is a sensitive subject because few things give a more piercing look into our spiritual lives than how we choose to handle our financial resources. This section will help you take a healthy look at priorities and what really matters in life.

Finally, you will clearly see the value of Christian relationships. At Starting Point, there are many opportunities to gather with other Christians. First, there is the larger group worship experience at the weekend services. Second, there are smaller groups, where you can connect with other believers in a deeper, more personal way.

As part of BIBLE 201 you will learn how people at Starting Point have grown by becoming part of a spiritual family called a Small Group.

When you became a Christian, God gave you salvation and the hope of eternity in heaven. He also gave you purpose and significance in your life now. He has given each of us the opportunity to serve others and make a real difference in someone's life. When you serve others in Jesus' name, that is called ministry.

God did not design ministry for just a few with seminary degrees. At Starting Point, we believe that every member of our church is a minister. This is what BIBLE 301 is all about. During this class, you will learn how God can use your Spiritual Gifts, your Heart (passions), your Abilities, Personality and Experiences to minister to others in need. This is discovering your SHAPE for ministry.

First, God gave you a special ability when you started following Him. We call this a Spiritual gift. God gave this gift to build up your church family and reach out to the world with Christ's love.

God also gave you unique passions and heart for particular activities, subjects and circumstances. God uses the things we feel deeply about to show us where we can serve. This is how people learn to serve with joy and not get burned out.

Third, in BIBLE 301, you will be given time to assess your Abilities which have been with you even before you became a Christian and you will see how these will help you in your ministry.

God also gives us a Personality to share our SHAPE through. Everyone's personality is not the same, which makes the expression of our SHAPE that much more special.

Finally, you will be able to reflect on the multitude of experiences in your life which have been used by God to mold you for ministry. The experiences of life help us know how to heal hurts of people in our church and in our community. All this combined, will let you discover your SHAPE for ministry.

God created you with a purpose. That personal, yet church-wide purpose, means connecting flawed human beings with our perfect and eternal God.

Your own story of how God has worked in your life is one of the most effective tools you have for connecting people to God. In BIBLE 401, you will learn to communicate that story to your neighborhood, workplace and around the world.

By using your own gifts, personality and story, you will touch people only you can touch. Your life experiences can be a bridge to a friend or family member who is seeking Christ.

God's global plan includes reaching people from every nation with the good news of Jesus. In BIBLE 401, you will get a picture of what God is doing throughout the world to bring His people to Himself. You will also find out how you can be part of His global plan.

Finally, we will share with you some opportunities for you to get started in sharing your faith immediately. At the end of BIBLE 401, you can pray about joining Starting Point Baptist Church on the greatest adventure of your life.