GBOD | Small Group Ministries

Acts of Justice A Note from the ONE: Make Poverty History Campaign
	We can help people who are victims fight corruption and make their own governments accountable and invest in a better future for everyone.
Acts of Worship and Devotion
	Recommended resources: This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion and This Day: A Wesleyan Way of Prayer.
Quarterly Reflections Salvation and Discipleship: Not the Same Thing
	The push to gain members in the church of today is causing serious semantic slippage in how we view the Christian life. Words and phrases that should plumb the depths of the gospel have become little more than slogans for church growth, and they bear little resemblance to the message that cost the Son of God his life.
A Word From John Wesley
	In a Christian believer love sits upon the throne, which is erected in the inmost soul; namely, love of God and man, which fills the whole heart, and reigns without a rival.
Where Is God?
	I am writing this article two days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. I've watched the television coverage of the destruction, the flooding, and the human suffering caused by this monster storm. I've also seen the outpouring of compassion from thousands of volunteers from all around the U.S. and the world. My heart is filled with grief and hope. In times like these, people of faith are compelled to ask, "Where is God?"
Opening Ourselves to Grace: The Basics of Christian Discipleship (pdf document)
	by Steven W. Manskar Christian faith is more than agreeing with a set of doctrines or creeds. It is more than outward appearances, signs, and symbols. It's more than saying "I'm a Christian." Christian faith is ultimately about what is happening on the inside. It is a matter of the heart. It is a heart changed by an encounter with the living God who comes to us in Jesus Christ. The changed heart makes a difference in the way we live our lives in the world.
Quarterly Reflections: Beyond the Bicentennial
	Covenant Discipleship Groups have never been an end in themselves, but always a means of grace for walking with Christ in the world.
Me? A Theologian?
	All Christian believers are called to be theologians because if we love God and wish to serve God, we must think about who God is and what God does. (Posted May 20, 2005.)
Practice The Basics
	"An athlete who engages in the discipline of baseball becomes a baseball player. A person who commits his or her life to the discipline of following Jesus Christ in the world becomes a Christian disciple."
Leaders and Coaching
	Coaching is practice between a coach and one or more leaders who establish an agreement about what they want to accomplish. (Posted 3-4-05)
Teachers and Coaching
	The coach and teacher are essentially peers, not "master and student." (Posted 3-4-05)
Promoting Covenant Discipleship
	The General Rule of Discipleship tells us "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." But how does one do this naturally?
Keep the End in Mind: A New Teacher's Primer on Planning
	Plan with the end in mind. Before plunging in, consider thinking through what you want to accomplish.
A Critical Thinker's Guide to Reliable Information
	There is no such thing as unbiased information. The moment someone shares information, it is being used for a particular purpose. Take a moment to ask, "What does the provider of this information expect me to do with it?"
The Pastor as Educator
	Pastors, I encourage you to consider your role as "parson" and to build up the system of discipleship in your congregation by taking seriously the gifts and abilities you bring to the ministry of Christian education and formation.
Help! I'm the New Christian Educator!

Equal Access Guide (pdf) for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies, and Worship (from the Committee On Disabilities, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA)

Fifty Characteristics of Disciple-Making Congregations
	"What are the characteristics or activities of a local United Methodist congregation that is actively and successfully engaged in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?"
Small Groups & Accountability: The Wesleyan Way of Christian Formation

Good News for the Poor? The United Methodist Church and Ministry With the Poor (pdf)
	This article critiques the current United Methodist Church through a biblical and Wesleyan lens. It offers suggestions for a radical return to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Written by Steven W. Manskar, Director of Accountable Discipleship at The General Board of Discipleship. (The report is in a pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader [a free download] to open it.)
Layering Bible Study: A Workshop or Program
	This layered approach to Bible study may be used as a training or program idea with teachers and other leaders involved in Christian education and formation.
Food for the Soul: A Series of Lenten Meditations by Prison Congregations of America
	We are pleased to share with you a series of Lenten meditations written by members of prison congregations across the country.
Making the Most of the Time: Finding and Maintaining Balance
	Time is a gift, filled with potential. Balancing our work and relationships, our activities and our rest, is an act of Christian stewardship.
Leading by Not Doing: A Reflection on Wesley's Instruction to "Do No Harm"
	Good leadership is commonly defined by the things we do � by our skills and abilities and accomplishments. Rarely do we reflect on what not to do as leaders. Although it is important to engage in good activities, it may be even more important to refrain from bad actions.
Six Sisters Seeking the Savior
	Covenant Discipleship Groups exist solely for the purpose of watching over each member's spiritual growth and development. By establishing a covenant that makes members accountable to one another for their daily Christian walk, Covenant Discipleship Group members commit themselves to close scrutiny and responsibility for one another.
Listening to Teach, Speaking to Learn
	A critically important work for leaders in local congregations is to learn to listen. There is healing in listening. There is connection and community in listening. And there is learning in listening.
What Is the Call?
	Steve Manskar addresses the "common and unfortunate misconception" that only clergy are called by God to do the work of ministry.
Christian Conference Is a Means of Grace

Why Christian Formation and Empowerment for Discipleship Happens Best in Small Groups

Valuing Relationships in Small Groups

Small Groups Take Their Place as Part of a Whole Ministry

Invitation and Discipleship
	Current studies indicate that personal invitation continues to be the way most people become part of a Christian education class or other small group.
How Are We Accountable?
	The effectiveness of all small groups depends on how clearly they understand their purpose, then hold themselves accountable for that purpose.
What If?
	What if we began to think of small groups outside the traditional images and definitions?
A Rule of Life for Small Groups
	In the life of every small group there needs to be a process of accountability. This helps keep the members focused on their mission and on tending to their personal relationship with God.
The Importance of Facilitation in Small Groups
	Whether the purpose of the group is to complete a task, develop a project or plan, study together, pray together, or a combination of all four, the entire experience of being a group will be enhanced by facilitation. In each group, someone should be trained and assigned to facilitate.
Why Small Groups?
	The nature of Christian faith is social. At its heart is a personal relationship with God incarnate in Jesus Christ.
Love Feast for Covenant Discipleship Groups
	The United Methodist Book of Worship contains historical information, suggestions for the use of the Love Feast, appropriate hymns and Scriptures, as well as the Love Feast service itself (pages 581-584).