...helps Covenant Discipleship group members to practice a balanced and varied discipleship. The General Rule is a contemporary restatement of The General Rules John Wesley developed for the Methodist societies in 1742. It is simple and elegant: “To witness to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” A Covenant Discipleship group writes their own covenant together. The covenant is shaped by the General Rule of Discipleship. It serves as the agenda for the weekly one-hour meeting.

It takes a Christ-centered community of love and forgiveness to make disciples.

Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment:

“… love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Disciples obey this new commandment when they meet regularly in small groups. They pray for one another, the church, and the world. They also give an account of how they have walked with Jesus in the world since they last met. The group works together to help one another become more dependable and mature disciples of Jesus Christ, as well as leaders who disciple others and help the church live out its mission for the transformation of the world.

Small groups that focus on mutual accountability and support for discipleship are the “method” of Methodism. These groups have their roots firmly planted in the Wesleyan tradition. The roots go even deeper when you consider that John Wesley described Methodism as his attempt to re-tradition “primitive” Christianity. He said, “The soul and the body make a [person], and the spirit and discipline make a Christian.”

Covenant Discipleship groups help Christians to grow in loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves. They are a proven and effective way of forming leaders in discipleship who help the congregation to live out its mission with Christ in the world.

Covenant Discipleship groups form Christ-centered people who help to lead Christ-centered congregations that participate in Christ’s ongoing work of preparing the world for the coming reign of God, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2).