The General Rule of Discipleship represents a holistic and Christ-centered discipleship. It is like a tent held up by four poles. The tension on the poles needs to be equally distributed if the tent is to stand up straight and stable. If the tension is concentrated in any one direction, the tent is likely to lean and fall down. The General Rule provides the proper balance of tension between the works of piety and works of mercy needed to support a strong and healthy discipleship.

The Covenant

The General Rule of Discipleship is the starting point for the covenant written by Covenant Discipleship Groups. The covenant is written by the group for the group and must be agreed to by consensus.

A covenant contains a preamble that makes "clear that the clauses of the covenant are not a set of rigid regulations, but a shaping of Christian discipleship in response to God's grace." (Covenant Discipleship, page 114) The clauses encompass the balanced nature of the General Rule. It is recommended there be no more than ten clauses (to ensure each member can address each clause within an hour meeting). The clauses should be evenly divided between acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion. The covenant is concluded by a short statement reaffirming its nature and purpose.