Have you ever decided to go on a diet or start an exercise program? If you're like thousands of Americans, you've made that decision many times. Often, we don't carry that decision through to completion because we grow weary of the routine. We weary of eating the same low-cal foods over and over or of performing the same workout exercises repeatedly. Or we don't see the results we were looking for as quickly as we had hoped and our initial enthusiasm wanes into discouragement. We throw up our hands, say "what's the use?," and settle back into the same old undisciplined routines.

The dictionary defines routine as a regular course of procedure. Routine is a necessary ingredient in accomplishing most goals. When we decide to get in shape or to seek an audience with God on a consistent basis, our biggest problem is not the routine — it is staying motivated until the goal is achieved. Being reminded of our desired results is a strong motivating force for fighting off weariness and discouragement and for realizing the fulfillment of what we set out to do.

Farmers in our area understand the value of sticking to a routine to achieve results. If they want a harvest in the fall, they must sow seed in the spring. Dairy farmers understand that cows have to be milked daily, in spite of the weather or fatigue.

Can you see the connection between these diet and farming metaphors and establishing and following an accountability routine in a Covenant Discipleship group? The result of being active in a Covenant Discipleship group is discovering that God is able to shape and strengthen us for Christian witness and service in our community. We increase in our ability and in our utility for God's work on earth!

I am grateful for the leadership that so many have provided over the past 25 years in accountable discipleship. My thanks go to the General Board of Discipleship's past staff, David Lowes Watson and Phyllis Tyler, and present staff, Marigene Chamberlain, JoAnn Eslinger, and Steven Manskar. I'm indebted to people with a vision for their local church: Polly Teagle, Dan Benedict, Brian Bauknight, Eugene Matthews, Jim Beal, and Judge Merrill Hartman, who could see beyond the bounds of their own parish. I'm grateful for the writings of Lisa Grant, Kim Hauenstein-Mallet, and Kenda Creasy Dean, who adapted the model for youth and young adults. The list goes on . . .

As we enter the 21st century, people engaged in the work of accountable discipleship are gaining momentum to help the church universal fulfill its calling to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. As the Council for Accountable Discipleship, the staff of the General Board of Discipleship, and countless Covenant Discipleship leaders in local settings continue to advocate for "watching over one another in love," we are likely to see a church whose best days of ministry are yet to come. May it be so.

Bill Pyatt is Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Vernon, IL, and Chairman of the Council for Accountable Discipleship.