Romans 12 Project
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
-- Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV) |
As part of our continuing support of the church's mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, we are identifying churches that embody the Wesleyan model of being and forming disciples. We want to learn from these congregations and share that knowledge with the rest of the church in relevant, practical ways.
The nomination deadline was February 1st, 2007. We received approximately 935 nominations from across the connection and thank all who participated in the process.
Nominated churches are being asked to participate in
an intensive congregational survey and other means of study. The knowledge gained from studying these congregations will be shared with the entire church through a variety of methods. Some churches may be selected for more in depth interviews and study.
The Wesleyan model teaches that salvation is both justification and sanctification. Our faith requires us to hold together in one vessel the love of God and love of neighbor. We are looking for congregations that live out of intentional disciple forming systems that are grounded in scripture, informed by our Wesleyan heritage, contextual in expression, and fruit producing.
While there is no perfect congregation, there are disciple-forming congregations that are agents of transformation through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. We believe these congregations are found in all sizes, locations, and cultures; keep this diversity in mind as you consider churches to recommend.
Some of the marks of a vital disciple-forming system are:
- Clarity around the mission and vision of the congregation.
- Practice of spiritual disciplines both corporately and individually.
- Nurture of growth in discipleship through mutual support and accountability.
- Cultivation of intentional and mutual relationships with the most vulnerable the poor, children, the imprisoned, the powerless.
- Consistent concern for inviting people into relationship with Jesus Christ, combined with wise practices for initiating them into the Body of Christ.
- Connectional relationships that facilitate participation in God¹s mission of global transformation.
- Shared clergy and lay leadership.
If you have more questions about this project please read Frequently Asked Questions
While we know that context is crucial and what works in one congregation will not necessarily work in another congregation, we are convinced that within the United Methodist family there is much to be learned from one another.
Project Milestones To Date
| January 2007 |
Solicit nominations |
| March 2007 |
Nominated congregations are contacted and invited to participate in an intensive congregational survey and placed in a general study pool. |
| May 1, 2007 |
Intensive Congregational Self-Study Survey for nominated congregations deadline. |
For more information contact: clatona@gbod.org
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