One of the Center for Christian Studies’ main reasons for being is to help stem the tide of decreasing biblical and theological literacy among Christian believers. The materials we have been producing—including our video learning modules and the Journal of Christian Studies—have already been meeting the needs of churches and Christian leaders who recognize the need for reliable resources. We also offer a number of books, many of which have been helpful to churches for decades, and another, Renewal through Restoration, that is new and is getting positive attention from readers.
But our dreams at CCS have been bigger: From the beginning, it has been our aim to provide study materials and curriculum for those who teach adult Bible classes, especially in congregational settings. We want to provide books that, like all our content, meet the highest scholarly standards but are also accessible and understandable to non-specialists. The need for such materials is great, and there simply are not many options out there. In short, we want to offer curriculum and study guides that will cover every book of the Bible, as well as important theological topics. This is a tall order.
I am very happy to report that CCS is partnering with Kevin Burr and Luke Dockery, two ministers and teachers who share our passion for making good resources available to churches and whose path has joined ours. Kevin is the Discipleship Minister at Kings Crossing Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, Texas, and an adjunct professor at Harding School of Theology. Luke Dockery is the Youth in Family Minister at Cloverdale Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, and instructor at Harding University.
Regnum Media, founded by Kevin and Luke, will serve as the book imprint of the Center for Christian Studies, and they will oversee its operations for CCS. In discussing the work of Regnum, Luke Dockery said,
In our years of congregational ministry, both Kevin and I have become keenly aware of the need for quality Bible class resources that are trustworthy, scholarly, and engaging, and it was with this need in mind that Regnum Media was formed.
Regnum is the Latin word for ‘reign’ or ‘rule,’ and from the beginning it has been our goal to work for the good of the Kingdom, using our humble efforts to help the reign of God come more fully on earth as it is in heaven. We believe that quality biblical teaching that leads to discipleship in the local church is a key ingredient of that, and we are thrilled with the opportunity to partner with the good work that CCS is already doing in this regard.
Regnum Media, explains Kevin Burr,
will comprise a variety of print and digital resources aimed especially for teachers in Bible class and small group settings. One of my responsibilities as a minister is to coordinate adult Sunday school classes and teachers, and I am constantly looking for good, trustworthy material I can confidently recommend. Although equipping teachers is a necessity, it is just as necessary to provide well-written materials that make the best of relevant scholarship accessible to every church member—and that is why Luke and I are so excited to partner with CCS to do just that.
In response to this partnership, Todd Hall says,
This is a very exciting development for CCS in moving toward accomplishing the mission set out for it—providing quality resources that help churches equip their members for teaching and for practicing their faith. I’m particularly excited as a teacher. Quality material for Bible classes is pretty hard to find, and Kevin and Luke are uniquely equipped for guiding the development of these resources in such a way as to make them truly useful for churches.
Like Todd, I am excited to work in this way with Kevin and Luke. They both are skilled teachers and experienced ministers, and what they bring to the table will strengthen CCS’ book publishing agenda, helping us provide better resources more efficiently.
Four books are now in production and scheduled for release in 2023. From Luke Dockery comes The Search for Significance: A Study of Ecclesiastes, where he shows how ancient Israel’s search for what was truly meaningful matters for us today. Allen Black, Professor Emeritus of New Testament from Harding School of Theology, brings us Following Jesus: A Study of Mark, and highlights Jesus’s radical and transformational call to discipleship. Lance Hawley, Professor of Old Testament at Harding School of Theology, offers Walking With Wisdom: A Study of Proverbs, as he leads readers through the ways in which Israel applied their knowledge of God in the world. Lastly comes Sharing His Suffering: A Study of Philippians, where Kevin Burr shows how Paul’s model for Christian love, humility, and unity stem from Jesus’s self-sacrificial suffering.
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