Each of us has been given the radical choice of accepting or rejecting God’s redemption in Jesus Christ. To accept means to become a disciple. This acceptance is not to be taken lightly or simply. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ comes with it challenges and sacrifices.
Historically Methodism has always known how to “make disciples of Jesus Christ,” not “in theory,” but “in practice.” It was in the weekly class meeting that persons were held mutually accountable for “being a disciple of Jesus…”. Accountability was measured by acts of witness, worship, devotion, justice or mercy and compassion. Today those acts remain as the hallmarks of Christian life.
According to David Lowes Watson, author of Forming Christian Disciples: The Role of Covenant Discipleship and Class Leaders in the Congregation, these acts can be described as follows:
To witness to Jesus Christ means not only proclaiming him as prophet and redeemer, but also calling on all people
to acknowledge him as sovereign of the coming reign of God. It means not only obeying the teachings of Jesus,
but also making clear whose teaching they are.
Acts of compassion are those simple, basic things we do out of kindness to our neighbor; and our neighbor
is anyone who is in need, anywhere in the world.
Acts of justice remind us that God thundered the law from Sinai and pronounced righteousness through the prophets.
We must not only minister to people in need, but ask why they are in need in the first place. And if they are being
treated unjustly, then we must confront the persons or systems that cause the injustice.
Acts of worship are the means of grace that we exercise corporately: the ministries of word and sacrament.
Not only do they affirm the indispensable place of the church in Christian discipleship. They also enable us
to build each other up in the Body of Christ.
Acts of devotion are those private spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading the scriptures, and inward examination,
that bring us face to face with God most directly, when no one else is present.
Today this “disciple making” is being rediscovered around the world in small groups called “covenant discipleship.” Their purpose of these covenant groups is to help form disciples of Jesus as signs of “God’s new covenant with humankind into an intimate communion with their creator (Watson, 24).” A covenant discipleship group consists of five to seven people who want to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through mutual accountability and support. They meet once a week for one hour to pray and "watch over one another in love." The group writes its own covenant based on the General Rule of Discipleship. Their covenant guides their discipleship and serves as the agenda for the weekly meeting.
If you are interested in joining a covenant group, please call the church office 405-842-1486 or click the "Contact Us" link.
