Founders: The ministry of Community Bible Study began in the fall of 1975 at the Fourth Presbyterian

Founders: The ministry of Community Bible Study began in the fall of 1975 at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md., where more than 500 women, from many different churches, registered to study the Gospel of John. Lee and Floyd Campbell founded the study.

Growth: One year later, another day class began in Alexandria, Va., and the first co-ed evening class started in Tysons Corner, Va. In 1977, classes began in California, Colorado and Tennessee; and in 1978, in Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. CBS has now spread across the United States.

Mission statement: “To make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in our communities through caring, in-depth Bible study, available to all.”

Approach: The study strives to ensure each participant feels comfortable in the class; the goal is to build unity in the midst of diversity in the community. The study concentrates on mainstream of historic Christianity, not on denominational distinctives.

Websites: www.community-biblestudy.org and www.cbsclass.org/Classes/youngstown.

In the Valley: Two sessions are offered in the Valley with a new study beginning Sept. 6 and concluding in May 2013. A morning session is 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. at Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 2432 S. Raccoon Road, Austintown. A children’s ministry runs at the same time for nursery age through home-school teens. An evening study is from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Thursdays at First Covenant Church, corner of Glenwood and Shields in Boardman. There is no children’s program or babysitting in the evening. For information, call 330-758-4276 or 330-781-1199. There are registration fees.