enjoy school of ministry

This week, we'll cover:

What to expect this semester
Goals and expectations 
Take a pre-test
Intro to hermeneutics: how to read and study the Bible

HOMEWORK

PURCHASE (if you haven't already)
These are the 4 books you'll read over the course of ESM. If you have Spotify premium, the audiobook versions are included in your subscription if you're the account manager:

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien
The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature by Peter Scazzero

LISTEN (3.5 hours):
3 BibleProject Podcasts (also available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify). Come ready to talk about these next week.
How Do You Read the Bible? - Paradigm E1
The Bible as Divine Literary Art
What's In Your Bible?

WRITE:
This first assignment is designed to help you get started engaging with Scripture and practice summarizing what you read.

Task:
Choose any one book of the Bible. Read through it beginning to end (even if you have before). Summarize it in your own words, capturing the main story, key message, and themes. This assignment is for your own growth and benefit, so it’s okay if it’s rough or messy (there's no grade :). It should be your original work, not copied from AI or other sources. Be sure to list the sources you used at the end of the document.

How to submit:
Written: 1 page, Times New Roman, double spaced. Emailed to summer@enjoychurchgj.com.
Or Verbal: Give a 5-minute summary to your cohort during Week 4 session.
Deadline: Your week 4 cohort meeting (either Feb 17 or 19)

Completion of this assignment is mandatory to continue in the program. This is your first step toward building the habits and skills that will help you thrive in ESM!

This week, we'll cover:

The Story of the Bible (Big Picture)
Continue to explore hermeneutics & best practices for reading and interpreting Scripture

HOMEWORK
WATCH (25 min):
The Story of the Bible 
Old Testament Summary: A Complete Animated Overview 
New Testament Summary: A Complete Animated Overview 

LISTEN (1 hour):
What Is the Story of the Bible? 

READ/STUDY (3 hours):
1) The Bible timeline Dylan created during his internship at Enjoy in 2021. 
2) Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth

BY THE END OF THIS WEEK:
You should be able to tell the whole story of Scripture in 5-10 minutes.

Story of the Bible video for extra learning (enjoy the beautiful graphic design): 
Story of the Entire Bible, I Guess

This week, we'll cover:

Books of the Bible
How the Bible as we know it came to be
Bible translations

One of our goals for this year is to know all the books of the Bible, along with a one-sentence summary for each. Here’s a document you can start exploring as we work toward memorizing them all by the end of 2026!

Every Book of the Bible in One Sentence  

HOMEWORK

LISTEN (3 hours):
Who Wrote the Bible? 
The Bible Had Editors? 
How the New Testament Came to Be 

READ:
Chapters 4 and 5 of How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth

MEMORIZE (or at least work towards it!):
All 66 books of the Bible in order
Books of the Bible Song

ASSIGNMENT:
Create your own mnemonic device to help you remember the books of the Bible in order. Turn it in by sending a video to the WhatsApp group chat by Feb 22nd.

This week:

Intro to key theological concepts and doctrines
Continue to explore hermeneutics & best practices for reading and interpreting Scripture
Assignment #1 (book of the Bible summary): due by your cohort meeting (Feb 17 or 19)
Assignment #2 (books of the Bible mnemonic device): due by Feb 22nd (video sent to WhatsApp)

HOMEWORK

READ (optional):
Chapters 6, 7, and 8 of How To Read the Bible for All It's Worth

READ THROUGH/STUDY:
1) "Key Doctrines" sheet 
2) Enjoy's in-depth statement of faith.

We covered a lot of big concepts in weeks 1-4. Week 5 is an opportunity to get clarity or go deeper on any of the topics we've discussed so far.

If something has confused you in the reading, challenged something you’ve always assumed, come up in a podcast that you didn’t fully grasp, or felt important but underdeveloped, this is your chance to go deeper before moving on.

HOMEWORK

ASSIGNMENT: 
Prepare a 5-minute teaching on any topic we’ve covered in Weeks 1-4. If you'd like to bring in some kind of hand-out for everyone you're welcome to - but no slides (for time's sake).

Teaching scenario:
Imagine you’re teaching to a small group of thoughtful Christians who are early in their faith. They love Jesus, but much of the Bible and theology is still new to them.

Your goals are to:
1. Explain the idea clearly
2. Help them understand why it matters for real life
3. Help them avoid potential confusion by clarifying common objections or misunderstandings

You can find the rubric that will be used for feedback/assessing here. You will give your teaching at your cohort meeting on either week 6 or 7.

So that we can make sure we have enough time to get through everyone, you will be cut off at 5 minutes and 15 seconds, whether you're finished or not! Practice your teaching aloud beforehand to make sure it falls right around 5 minutes (no more & no less!).

This week, we'll:

Begin our teachings on a topic from weeks 1-4

READ (optional):
Chapters 9, 10, and 11 of How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth

This week, we'll:

Finish giving our teachings on topics from weeks 1-4

READ (optional):
Chapters 12 and 13 of How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth and finish the book!

SPRING BREAK: No homework or meetings. Use this time to rest, catch up, or get ahead on upcoming assignments. 

This is week, we'll:
Introduce the topic of spiritual formation
Look at how our habits are shaping us, for better or for worse
Introduce the final project for the semester (due week 14 or 15)

HOMEWORK

READ:
Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of The Life You've Always Wanted

WATCH:
Unintentional Spiritual Formation
Intentional Spiritual Formation 
Two Myths of Spiritual Formation 

COMPLETE:
A habit audit: found at https://enjoychurchgj.com/habits 
Journal through each of the questions at the bottom of that page.

This week, we'll:
Continue exploring spiritual formation practices that will shape our character to be more ChristlikeHOMEWORK

READ
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of The Life You've Always Wanted

PRACTICE
Pick one of the spiritual disciplines covered in the reading this week (celebration, slowing, or prayer) that you would like to grow in. Intentionally incorporate that practice into your life each day this week in a new way (click here for ideas).

This week, we'll:
Continue exploring spiritual formation
Look at how the development of our character directly impacts our leadership and why strong character is essential for anyone seeking to be a Kingdom leader.

HOMEWORK

READ
Chapters 7 and 8 of The Life You've Always Wanted

LISTEN
"Why Do So Many Leaders Finish Poorly?" From the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast
Spotify 
Apple Podcasts

HOMEWORK
Complete a character audit. This does not need to be turned in. This is an opportunity for honest self-reflection and intentional growth in the areas God is shaping in your life.

1. Complete the Character Audit worksheet, rating yourself on observable habits and behaviors.
2. After completing the audit, reflect on your results:
Identify 3 areas where you are strong.
Identify 3 areas where you feel called to grow.
Choose one concrete action step you will take this week to grow your character.

This week, we'll:
Continue exploring spiritual formation
Grow in our self awareness

HOMEWORK

READ
Chapters 9, 10, and 11 of The Life You've Always Wanted

ACTIVITY
Take the Big Five personality test: https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test

Before completing it, pray Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

After you get your results, watch this video/read these articles to help you make sense of them:
The Five-Factor Model of Personality Traits aka "The Big Five" 
What Are the Big 5 Personality Traits? 
The Big 5

Then, journal through:
1. What pattern in your results stood out to you most?
2. How do you see this pattern affecting your relationships or decisions?
3. What might God be inviting you to practice in response?

A quick reminder as you take this assessment:
This Big Five personality test is a tool for awareness, not a label for identity. It describes common patterns and tendencies, not who you ultimately are or who you are becoming in Christ. Nothing here excuses behavior or limits growth. Use this as a mirror to notice how you typically think, feel, and respond (especially under stress) so those patterns can be brought into the light with God for reflection, healing, and transformation.

This week, we'll:
Continue exploring spiritual formation
Build a Rule of Life or revisiting our existing one

HOMEWORK

READ
Chapters 12 and 13 of The Life You've Always Wanted

WATCH OR LISTEN (on Spotify or Apple Podcasts)
Rule of Life: Part 1 (ft. Tyler Staton) | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E11 
Rule of Life: Part 2 (ft. Gavin Bennett) | Unforced Rhythms of Grace E12 

ASSIGNMENT
Create (or Revisit) Your Rule of Life
A Rule of Life is a plan for how you live day-to-day in a way that helps you grow closer to God and build good habits. This week, you are invited to:
1. Create a new Rule of Life if you don’t have one,
2. Revisit and update your existing Rule, or
3. Reflect on how your current Rule is working and what could improve.
Think about including:
Spiritual habits: prayer, reading the Bible, Sabbath, journaling, fasting
Relational habits: community, accountability, mentoring, or serving others
Boundaries: limits on work, social media, or other areas that help you stay focused

Steps:
1. Complete this Spiritual Health Reflection from Practicing the Way.
2. Take what you learn from that reflection and write down your Rule in 1-2 pages. Use this guide along the way if it's helpful to you.
3. Review and talk through your Rule with another follow of Jesus in your community: someone from your house church, a friend, another ESM student, a mentor, your spouse, or a family member. Ask them for encouragement, questions, feedback, or insights about how your Rule could help you grow.

This week, we'll:
Present our final projects

This week, we'll:
Present our final projects

TBD! We're staying flexible here, knowing that the Lord will reveal throughout the semester what homework will be most helpful.