The Wesleyan Institute will be a time of Christian conferencing with leaders who are interested in helping Christians grow from church membership to discipleship. We will explore together the role spiritual disciplines, known in the Wesleyan tradition as means of grace, play in forming persons as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship is first and foremost a relationship with Jesus Christ. When Christians open themselves to grace they move from church membership to living in the world as faithful disciples.

Jesus summarized his teachings in two commandments: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Mark 12:30-31)

Christ has given to his disciples the means for following him. John Wesley called these spiritual disciplines, “means of grace”, because they are “signs, words, or actions ordained of God, and appointed for this end: to be the ordinary channels whereby Christ might convey to men and women preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.”
(Sermon 16: The Means of Grace)

The means of grace are those holy habits through which God helps Christians and the church to take discipleship to a new level. They are how grace forms church members into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

In plenary sessions, small group table conversation, prayer and worship we will explore the meaning and practical application of the means of grace in the life and mission of the church.