In 1971, when Patty Fisher arrived at Oklahoma State University as a college freshman, her focus had changed dramatically from the previous year. She and her high school girl friends had dreamed of “taking off (to college) and being free.” But Patty’s new longing was to be “fed” (spiritually).
During her growing up years, the church she attended focused mainly on “being loving.” There was no mention of the possibility or necessity of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
One day, after cheering at her high school football game, Patty joined other students at an assembly featuring a special guest speaker. “If you think that going to church is your ticket to God and to heaven, you’re wrong,” the man proclaimed. “You need a relationship with God.”
As the speaker elaborated, Patty’s heart kept thumping faster and faster. When the invitation was given for those who wanted to receive Christ to come to the front of the assembly, Patty moved out of her seat, self-conscious that she stood out so noticeably in her cheerleading uniform, yet feeling exhilarated that she was embarking on a great adventure.
Patty received Christ as her Savior that night, and she avidly began reading the Reach Out Bible, highlighting meaningful passages. And she devoured the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association magazines reading them from cover to cover. When she left for college, she poured out her heart to God, asking Him to be with her and to show her what to do.
God answered that prayer almost immediately when two young ladies (staff members with Campus Crusade for Christ) knocked on her dorm room door and invited her to join a Bible Study group. Like a sponge, Patty soaked up the teaching and training she received for four years through Campus Crusade for Christ, especially benefitting from the Ten Basic Steps toward Christian Maturity Bible study series.
After reaching the “Action Group” level in the discipleship process, Patty led discipleship groups for younger students until she graduated in 1975.
Now fast forward to last week when Patty called our Cru Resources office, asking if that series of ten Bible study booklets which had been so helpful to her in college were still available today.
Having recently retired from her career as a pre-school teacher, Patty is eager, once again, to disciple others using the life-changing Bible studies which grounded her in her walk with Christ.
“I’ve done countless other popular Bible studies,” she explained, “but this Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity is solid. It gets you started at the beginning and gives you the basics first.”
We were delighted to assure Patty that the Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity (TBS) series is still very much in use. In fact, just the previous week we had fulfilled another order for the Rev. Dr. Wilson Lattimore of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Athens, GA. He has become a friend to our office, as he has ordered these materials over fifteen years.
“We have adopted Bill Bright’s 10 Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity as our core curriculum for adults and strongly encourage all members to complete each of the ten steps.” (from the chestnutgrovechurch.org website)
He has expressed to us, “The focus of our church is to help people to surrender to Jesus and to grow in committed relationship with Him. The idea is to have all members ‘graduate’ from the Ten Basic Steps discipleship materials (well over a year’s worth of studies) then move on to other materials.”
“Some church members have studied the entire curriculum twice. Over and over, church members declare that, though they have attended church all of their lives, it has been the TBS materials which have led them into maturity in their Christian walk.”
Along with us, we pray that you are greatly encouraged to hear these true stories of real people using the Cru ministry resources we help provide!
