The New Old Way to Make Disciples

[et_pb_section bb_built="1" _builder_version="3.0.47" custom_padding="0px|0px|2px|0px"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" _i="0" _address="0.0"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_image src="https://drwadearnold.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/fern-foliage-green-66319-e1527210768581.jpg" align="center" _builder_version="3.0.77" /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding="5px|0px|15px|0px" _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" _i="1" _address="0.1"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.77"]

The Urgency

In his book, The Class Meeting, Kevin M. Watson argues that if we are going to recover the vitality of the Wesleyan movement, we must return to our Wesleyan roots. He observes that with the rise of the Sunday School movement and the rejection of the early Methodist Class Meeting and Band Meetings, Methodism in America has been in decline since the mid-nineteenth century. He contends that if the United Methodist Church is to survive and thrive in the future, then recovery of these two practices is essential.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" _i="2" _address="0.2"][et_pb_column type="1_3"][et_pb_code _builder_version="3.0.77" text_orientation="center"]<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=drwadearnold-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=162824058X&asins=162824058X&linkId=1f087a490006efd80ff1bb61abf3fdce&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </iframe>[/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="2_3"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.77"]

What is a Class Meeting?

Watson defines a Class Meeting as “a small group that is primarily focused on transformation and not information, where people learn how to interpret their entire lives through the lens of the gospel, build a vocabulary for giving voice to the experience of God, and grow in faith in Christ.” He distinguishes Class Meetings from affinity groups (which he sees as the least effective type of group for accomplishing the church’s mission of making disciples) and information-driven groups, like Sunday school classes, which focus primarily on content-delivery of the Bible or some other topic, rather than the application of the Bible to the life of the believer in service of personal transformation.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" _i="3" _address="0.3" custom_padding="0px|0px|27px|0px"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.77"]The primary purpose of the Class Meeting is for people to discuss the current state of the relationship with God. It is very easy for someone to master a biblical subject—a book of the Bible or theological topic—without that subject actually touching the life of the learner. Class meetings focus directly on the spiritual lives of the participants, not a curriculum. This shift in focus is absolutely necessary if the church is going to accomplish its disciple-making mission. 

Why Class Meetings?

Wesley taught that God’s purpose in salvation is “to renew our hearts in the image of God, to repair that total loss of righteousness and true holiness which we sustained by the sin of our first parents.” God’s purpose is not just to save us, but to restore the image of God in each of us so that we can live as He intended humans to live when He first created us.Here is the critical question posed by Watson: One year from now, would you rather know more about the kind of life that Christians are to lead or to have actually made progress in living that kind of life? If you prefer the former, then the information-driven, typical Sunday school classes will suffice. However, if your goal is to actually live as God created you to live then focusing on the transformative power of Christ with a group of like-minded believers is critically importance. 

How are Class Meetings Conducted?

Class Meetings have 8 (plus or minus 2 members; Watson recommends a slightly larger group of no more than 12). Groups are composed of both men and women. While there are many considerations to take into account, the essence of the meeting is three questions:

1. How is your life in God?
2. How have you felt God’s presence in the past week?
3. Where are you seeking guidance from the Lord?

The goal of the group is to help individuals see how God is active in their lives and to respond faithfully to God’s presence, so the questions may vary, so long as the purpose of the group remains foremost in each participant’s mind. The nature of the group is that it assumes that participants are engaging in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading and study, worship, etc, because these practices are the soil from which spiritual fruit grows.That’s it. It’s that simple. 

Where do we go from here?

At Ocoee Oaks, we have several LIFE groups in place. Most of these LIFE groups, though not all, focus on Bible study. Bible study is important. I devote a significant portion of my life to the study of the Scriptures. However, mastery of biblical information does not guarantee spiritual transformation. Therefore, I want to encourage all of our LIFE Group Facilitators, and small group leaders at other churches, to incorporate these questions into your study time. Preferably, start each session with these questions. Spiritual formation, spiritual growth of disciples is the mission, so let’s give it the priority it deserves.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]