DISCIPLE Bible Study

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Experience a transformation!

DISCIPLE Bible Study has been transforming the lives of millions of people around the world since its initial introduction in 1987, and the digital version is just its latest generation.

View a sample week of the new version

Published by the United Methodist Publishing House, the original study, DISCIPLE: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study, is an exhaustive scriptural overview, covering about 70 percent of the Bible in a 36-week course. Its authors, United Methodist Bishop Richard Wilke and his wife, Julia, a gifted Christian educator, went on to write three more studies, known familiarly as DISCIPLE II, III, and IV, each taking a closer look at key books of the Old and New Testaments.

Worldwide reach

Over the years, the DISCIPLE series has reached over 3 million people and crossed all boundaries: embraced by every mainstream denomination, introduced into prisons, and welcomed into 20 countries with translations in Spanish, Russian, German, Mandarin, and more.

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DISCIPLE is distinctive for many reasons:

  • It allows the Bible to speak for itself. Commentary offers history and context, rather than theological interpretation.
  • It requires daily reading and weekly group meetings, allowing participants to create both a habit of Bible reading and a small, dynamic community of faith.
  • It features a leader, not a lecturer. This “learner among learners” receives brief training to direct the flow of discussion.
  • It's comprehensive, covering the majority of the Bible. By the end of the study, learners will have read and been guided through 60% of the Bible.
  • It includes weekly videos by prominent biblical scholars, who provide additional authority and content.
  • It’s transformative, as well as informative. The intimate encounter with Scripture, the reflection questions, and the small-group discussions are all intended to invite the Holy Spirit into the study experience.

“DISCIPLE speaks to the power of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit in the study group.” 

— Bishop Richard Wilke, study author

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Adapted for busy lives

In 2016, an abridged version of DISCIPLE I was introduced by the publishing house: Disciple Fast Track.

Created by the Wilkes’ daughter, Susan Wilke Fuquay, herself a Christian educator and curriculum developer, this 24-week adaptation was developed in response to the reality of busy lives. Though less reading is required and the weekly meeting time is shortened, participants still enjoy all the hallmarks of the original DISCIPLE. Fast Track versions of DISCIPLE II and DISCIPLE III have since been released.

The next generation

The newest app-based version of DISCIPLE brings the popular Fast Track study into the digital age.

Additionally, it’s been revised, updated, and expanded while still holding to the standards of the original version. Developed by the Richard and Julie Wilke Institute for Discipleship, the product is again a response to our changing lives, especially our growing reliance on digital technology and device-based tools.

Read more about
Disciple Fast Track I on the app
Read more about
Disciple Fast Track II on the app