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The Story of BEMA — So Just What Is This?

This article is a part of a series we are running in 2024. You can read Marty’s introduction here, as well as Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4, and Part 5 (if you missed them).


Where are we today? What is BEMA Discipleship? What is Impact Campus Ministries? Why does any of this matter?


This matters because our heart for ministry, and my job throughout, has never changed. Impact Campus Ministries is a campus ministry based on spiritual formation that believes if we can impact college students, they are going to impact the world. If we can turn Jesus loose in their hearts and in their lives, the fruit Jesus will bear will be something to witness.


BEMA was born out of this conviction in my heart. This was how I, as a teacher who loves the Bible, wanted to impact students. BEMA was a ministry of ICM that represented my personal beliefs about young people and the Bible.


All of that is still true.


One of our executives recently gave a perfect metaphor. Like Mars Candy Co. makes M&M’s, so ICM facilitates BEMA. Most are familiar with M&M’s and far fewer know about Mars—and yet that relationship is critical.


Our heart with BEMA still lies squarely with the thousands of college students who listen and find BEMA to be a helpful resource. But what about the tens of thousands of other listeners? Do they not matter? Do they not also have a place in our ministry?


Quite the contrary—they could be everything we’ve been looking for.


— — —


Next month’s article will bring the conclusion of this series and set us up for some announcements and vision-casting.

Marty led the first “low-contact” trip to Israel in 2022, pictured here on the southern steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Job Openings in Florida and Utah

Associate Campus Minister

Florida Gulf Coast University


No startup fundraising required.

Learn More: FGCU

Associate Campus Minister

Salt Lake City


Fundraising training and support provided.

Learn More: SLC

What’s Happening Around the Globe?

David’s Story

This is David.


He wrote in over a year ago to tell us, “God sent me your podcast when I had just become convinced that there was nothing in the Old Testament for me as a Gentile believer.” After 30 years of being a Christian, David was frustrated by the angry and wrathful God he was seeing in the pages of Scripture and the things he had been taught. He couldn’t abandon his faith, but he was completely prepared to abandon Tanakh.


In a meeting that he was having with his pastor, the pastor mentioned BEMA, which turned out to be the most meaningful thing that came out of that conversation. After six months of listening, David made it through the first two sessions and into the context of the Gospels. For him, it was like hearing the Gospel again for the first time.


Most importantly, the entire Bible was now coming together as a cohesive whole—all of it talking about the same God. His wife joined him in BEMA and they started a discussion group at their church. Today, David continues to dig deeper into resources that he never would have considered before (he’s recently read How God Became King by N. T. Wright) and says the real challenge now is trying to live out the things that he’s learning every day.

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.


JULY 5–15: Marty teaching at Glorieta Family Camp in New Mexico

JULY 18: Live Q&A at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET (details)

JULY 21: Marty preaching at University Christian Church in Cincinnati

JULY 26–31: Marty in Charlottesville, VA (all public events listed below)

  JULY 28: Marty preaching at City Church

  JULY 28: Meet-and-greet with Marty, 5 pm at City Church (first-come, first-serve seating)


AUGUST 12: Live Q&A at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET (details)

AUGUST 18: Marty preaching at University Christian Church in Cincinnati

AUGUST 23–27: Marty in Springfield, MO (some details TBD)

  AUGUST 25: Marty preaching at North Point Church


SEPTEMBER 1–12: BEMA Israel Turkey 2024!

SEPTEMBER 19: Live Q&A at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET (details)

SEPTEMBER 27–30: Marty and Brian in Kansas City (no public events)


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

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Published by BEMA Discipleship, in partnership with Impact Campus Ministries.