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)

In 2007 church leaders throughout The United Methodist Church in the U.S. were invited to identify churches that demonstrated the vision of discipleship described in the twelfth chapter of Romans.

These churches were marked by the following characteristics:

• 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 God’s mission of global transformation.
  
  
• Shared clergy and lay leadership.

Over 900 churches were nominated, and more than 200 churches participated in an extensive survey. Site visits were done at eleven congregations to gather more information. Through this process the General Board of Discipleship is gathering a rich trove of stories, ideas, trends, and practices that we believe will inform the work of the entire church in significant and meaningful ways as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

While there is still much to be mined from the Romans 12 congregations, we offer the following preliminary observations based on what we have learned.

Romans 12 congregations:

• Look for needs outside of the church, and then they work at ways to meet those needs.
  
  
• Experience prayer as foundational to all aspects of congregational life.
  
  
• Learn from set-backs and experience God’s presence in the midst of “failures.”
  
  
• Have a profound trust and respect of pastoral leadership. They have pastors who understand themselves as spiritual leaders, and have a clear understanding of the type and level of leadership needed in specific situations.
  
  
• Live out of a sense of abundance, with an expectancy of God’s presence and guidance.
  
  
• Have a strong congregational identity and repeatedly articulate the mission and vision of the congregation through a variety of methods.
  
  
• Are very intentional in forming and sustaining relationships.
  
  
• Are often a center of energy in the community.
  
  
• Identify leaders through formal and informal gifts assessment processes and are constantly on the look-out for new leaders to nurture.
  
  
• Have leaders, both clergy and laity, who engage in learning and nurturing experiences together as a team. Many have leadership covenants to which they hold one another accountable.

Additional results from the Romans 12 project are being released through a free weekly e-mail newsletter. Use the subscription box at the left to subscribe. Previous issues of the newsletter can be found by clicking the “Newsletter” tab at the top of this page.

For more information contact Deb Smith at dsmith@gbod.org.