Growing Deeper to Grow Wider 

by Robert Mitchell 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” —Matthew 28:19–20 

Captain Ted Tressler’s life motto is to be and to make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. 

“To do that, I have to be seeking through Bible study and worship and prayer and all these tools, to be a disciple myself,” Captain Ted says. “I’ve also got to engage in the process of making fully devoted disciples. That’s the whole picture of what it means to be the body of Christ in my estimation.” 

In their attempt to make disciples, Captain Ted and his wife, Captain Sharon Tressler, hold three different Bible studies at the Rome Citadel Corps in upstate New York, where they are the pastors. 

On Thursdays, the corps is buzzing with activity with Bible studies for men and women of all ages at 1 p.m. and again that evening at 5:30. There’s also a once-a-month women’s Bible study that coincides with Home League and draws almost 20 women. The group recently studied women of the Bible and Kay Warren’s book Choose Joy. 

The corps has offered the Thursday evening Bible study since 2024 and added the early afternoon session in 2026 to accommodate people who don’t drive at night or have a scheduling conflict. The early afternoon session tends to draw more seniors, and the evening crowd is younger, though some people attend both. 

The Thursday Bible studies just finished exploring the Book of John, and a new topic will begin soon. The pastors also go beyond the biblical text to include instruction on Bible study techniques, methods, tools, and various resources. 

“We want to better equip our folks to not be dependent on others to feed them, but to be better prepared to feed themselves with the Word of God,” Captain Ted says. 

Maturing the saints 

Fewer than 10 people attend each class, but that allows for an atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking questions and sharing their thoughts and concerns without intimidation. Captain Ted wants to create an atmosphere of trust where people feel love and support. 

Some of the attendees are more studious than others. Captain Ted says his goal is not to have everyone “sit at the teacher’s feet,” but to grow in spiritual discipline so they can mentor newer believers along the way. 

“We’ve described it in the past as a long line of believers holding hands,” he says. “Helping others to grow in that way helps them become leaders. I’m intentional about not just teaching; I’m developing leaders. 

“As people come in and the body grows, we can help them grow. It’s an all-encompassing kind of approach.” 

Captain Ted fully supports Territorial Commander Commissioner Ralph Bukiewicz’s call for Bible studies in every corps. 

“Bible studies are supremely important not just for gaining information and scriptural knowledge, which is important, but the ultimate purpose is to allow ourselves to align our lives with the truth of Scripture,” Captain Ted says. “Our goal isn’t just to cover material, but to make it as relevant to people’s lives as possible.” 

In her teenage years, Captain Sharon says, she didn’t fully understand the importance of daily Bible reading and prayer. 

“We want people to grow deeper and to really understand the Word of God and not just understand it but take it to heart,” she says. “We don’t want them to just read the words, but to live the words.” 

Getting grounded in the Bible 

Steve Griffin, a retired Salvation Army officer living in Rome, often goes to both Bible studies on Thursday. He describes the studies as in-depth and says the pastors talk about the practical application of the text and break down the salient points of each passage being studied. 

Griffin is a big believer in how the Bible studies help newer soldiers get grounded in the Bible. 

“We bring people into the corps, and we nurture and train them and make them soldiers, and then we just kind of forget about them sometimes,” he says. “We say, ‘OK, they’re a soldier now’ and we move onto something else. Just making them soldiers doesn’t mean they understand all the scriptures and that they’re fully Christians. 

“They’ve still got a lot of growth left in them. Bible study is part of that growth.” 

Griffin suggests to his classmates that they read the Old Testament first because it helps them better understand the New Testament. 

“It’s a continuing process,” he says. “As long as you’re living and breathing, there’s something new you can learn from the scriptures. You never really learn the whole thing. You never really get the full meaning and understanding. Scripture changes according to your situation. It may mean something one day, and another day you have something going on and it means something entirely different to you.” 

Captain Sharon strikes a similar theme, saying, “There is not one time that we’ve read Scripture that I personally don’t see something that maybe I didn’t see before, or I see it a different way. We’re always urging people to be constantly reading.” 

Leaving no doubts 

Each week, the Tresslers pull out portions of the text to discuss and get feedback from the group. 

“We like to get everything out in the open for discussion, so nobody goes away wondering, ‘What did that mean?’” Captain Sharon says. “The aspect of the Bible study we focus on is we all have something to say about Scripture, and it’s important to share what you understand so that maybe you can help someone else to understand.”  

The group gets through about a chapter a week, but not always if the discussion goes into overtime. Captain Sharon says Christians will often skim the Bible, but a Bible study allows the participants to dig for the golden nuggets of Scripture. 

The pastors also emphasize the importance of fellowship and coming to church to be around others who will encourage you to be in the Bible and hold you accountable.  

“We have to be in fellowship,” she says. “We have to be in the Word.” 

While attendance has varied at the Thursday Bible studies, she’s happy with the way things are going so far in 2026. The corps has been hampered by a loss of heat in the building and a brutal winter in upstate New York, but they soldier on despite the setbacks. 

“God is growing this corps and our people,” she says. “We’ve made that emphasis. We need to grow deeper before we can grow wider. We can’t bring in more people if we’re not spiritually active.” 

Visit the Rome Citadel Corps website.