Journey Through Scripture Unfolds God's Word

Trainers from the St. Paul Center (Matt Leonard, Rob Corzine, Ximena DeBroeck, Julie Robbins and Raquel Lopez) and CtR JTS presenters after the Presenter Training in 2014.

Pat Decker, longtime CtR volunteer and presenter of the Journey Through Scripture (JTS) program, stopped short in the hallway next to the chapel. She saw a gentleman standing frozen, listening intently to a JTS Bible study in Spanish.

She walked up to him and said, ?Can I help you sir??

Startled, the man looked at her with amazement and said, ?It?s in my language. They are reading Scripture in my language.?

?Well, yes,? Decker said. ?We have a Journey Through Scripture study in Spanish.? The man?s face lit up with joy and asked questions about how he could get involved. Deeply touch, Decker knew the program she had seen the creation of was making a big impact at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church (CtR).

JTS is a parish-based Bible study program developed by Scott Hahn and the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio. It is designed to help ordinary Catholics to grow in their knowledge of the Scriptures while deepening their understanding of the riches of our faith.

Decker worked with Hahn when the program began in 2002.

?I was the office manager at the St. Paul Center,? Decker said. ?We started with the ?Genesis to Jesus? program. I was able to witness Bible scholars sitting around the dining room table discussing what we were going to study. It was an exciting time for me to be a part of that.?

Bringing JTS to CtR in 2007, Decker started the program with a few friends and her daughter in her home. It?s now grown to a bilingual program that is three times a week at CtR. JTS incorporates live presentation along with multimedia and written materials to create a unique study experience. The goal of JTS is to help people read the Bible from the heart of the Church. Not just a Bible study, its biblical catechesis.

?The women who came were very active in ministry, so they began talking to others about how much they liked it,? Decker said. ?I also couldn?t have done it without the support of Margaret Carnicle.?

Ana Luisa Arellano talks at the podium before Spanish speakers begin the Presenter Training in 2014.

Carnicle, the Director of Family Life, gave Decker the staff support necessary to take the program to the next level at CtR. As the buzz was created and interest grew, parishioners began asking how they could present the JTS program. The studies are presented by people trained through the St. Paul Center ? people just like you.

?People who had come to the study realized they could do this too,? Decker said. ?Because the material is so complete, all you need is the desire to bring the study to others, a love for the faith and willingness to present.?

Under the direction of Deacon Jack Alexander, Director of Adult Faith Formation and RCIA, the presenter team has grown substantially. Presenters are Anne Wallace, Ana Luisa Arellano, who was an advocate for beginning the Spanish program, Vilma Garza, Steve White, David Carrasco, Ofelia Carrasco, Tiffany Owens, Jim Brecker, Deacon Jack and Pat Decker. Currently, there are six different studies in the program: Genesis to Jesus, The Bible and the Mass, The Bible and the Sacraments, The Bible and the Virgin Mary, The Bible and the Church Fathers, and The Bible and Prayer.

Classes are offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays in Spanish, and English classes are held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. on Thursdays. See the registration form for specific class dates and fees. A new session begins in September. If you are interested in learning more about God?s word with us, visit the JTS page on the website.