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The Story of BEMA — Where and How It All Began

This article is a part of a series we are running in 2024. You can read Marty’s introduction here.


Marty started working at Impact Campus Ministries (ICM) because of a fire in his belly that was lit in Israel. As he learned about the rabbinical methods of discipleship, he struggled to find a way to implement them in the church. Marty wanted to work with young adults who could make their own decisions, but also have a level of freedom to say yes to opportunities that often elude those of us with families and careers. College students were the perfect demographic.


As somebody with a teaching gift, Marty naturally created a Bible study that was focused on trying to learn about better and more historically informed readings of the Scripture. He had a conviction that young adults wanted more Bible, not less. But in order to engage it, we would need to openly and directly address some of the abuses and misuses of Scripture they knew too well.


Class started in the fall of 2011 with two students on the University of Idaho campus; that quickly became 6–8 students. Two months later, there was one student who began studying with Marty at Washington State University. We had almost 20 students after the holiday break. Those groups of students became a tight-knit community of “disciples.” These students were learning and wrestling together, building friendships that were built on common experiences.


Those groups experienced a two-year curriculum that went through the whole Bible and into church history. Many of them traveled with Marty to Israel and Turkey for scholarship-supported study tours. A few of them joined him in a more intentional, daily discipleship relationship, working alongside him at ICM.


Over the next five years, students would graduate and move on. New groups, filled with new students, would start at the beginning. The groups would grow and evolve, but the college students had a place to be curious and still find spiritual mentorship.


This is where BEMA had its beautiful beginnings.

Job Opening in Fort Myers, Florida

Impact is looking for a full-time Associate Campus Minister to join our team in Fort Myers, ministering at Florida Gulf Coast University. We’re looking for someone who is committed to being a team player and willing to raise financial support. This person loves to pursue intimacy with Jesus (à la Episode 24 of the podcast!) and teach college students to do the same.


Find more details and an application with the button below. If you’d like to join us impacting the world by impacting the university, we look forward to hearing from you.

Learn More

What’s Happening Around the Globe?

Nathan’s Story

This is Nathan.


Nathan became a minister straight out of college and quickly “burned out like a cheap box of firecrackers” after realizing that his heart to help people collided with the often politically-laced demands of ministry work. He spent the next decade being so jaded and disillusioned that he dove into a secular life, void of religious pursuits.


Nathan’s wife introduced him to BEMA, which resonated deeply with his college studies of the Ancient Near East and piqued his interest. Some time later, Nathan found himself speaking with a church about starting a discussion group.


Nathan is still apprehensive at times. He swore off leading people with the Bible after seeing how it was wielded like a weapon as a “professional Christian.” However, this prompting was clearly not his own; he chose not to shut it off and to see where it leads.


Nathan is grateful for a new perspective that has completely changed his outlook on the universe and his place within it.

DATES OF INTEREST

Marty, Brent, or Brian may be coming to your neck of the woods. If more information is available, we will include some of that below. Full details on the BEMA website.


FEBRUARY 14–23: Marty on a writing retreat

FEBRUARY 18: Group facilitator meeting at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET


MARCH 1–3: Marty speaking at a men’s retreat outside Omaha, NE

MARCH 4–6: BEMA team gathering in Kirksville, MO

MARCH 13: Live Q&A at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET (details)


APRIL 12–14: “BEMA on the Bayou” weekend event (details TBD)

APRIL 21: Live Q&A at 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET (details)


Updates and additional details will be posted as they arrive at bemadiscipleship.com/news.

LATEST VIDEOS

We are sharing links to the latest videos Marty is producing for those of you who don’t subscribe to his YouTube channel. (But please subscribe!)








We also have a new BEMA YouTube channel with a handful of resources so far. We will continue to use this new channel in the future as we develop more of our ideas.

CONNECT AND SUPPORT

Email the BEMA Team
Donate to the Work of BEMA
Published by BEMA Discipleship, in partnership with Impact Campus Ministries.