Medway Methodist Circuit
One Church-One People
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Covenant Groups
Groups and Covenant Discipleship
“To witness to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teaching through acts of compassion, justice, worship and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
Small groups come in many different forms; house groups, bible study groups, ladies groups and even a men’s breakfast group at Rainham Methodist Church! The benefits of small group ministry are plain to see not just in the strengthening and growth of your faith but also in the friendships formed with fellow Christians. Many of the members of our churches across the Circuit do have a group of their own and are missing out on the real support and encouragement that these groups provide.
Many of you will have heard of the Covenant Discipleship Group that meets at GMC each week. We have been meeting for well over a year and it has been an incredible journey for us. Each of us has grown in our faith and the group has provided us with support and true friendship.
It is our belief that many people across the Circuit could benefit from this ministry.
The concept of Covenant Discipleship dates back to the days of John and Charles Wesley. The idea is to bring no more than seven people together for one hour each week, or even every two weeks, to talk about their faith and in particular to discuss the group’s Covenant. The Covenant is a written agreement between the group members and God and is based upon the four pillars of compassion, justice, worship and devotion. The group write their own covenant and each time they meet they talk about how they have been able to fulfil it over the week. The discussion is restricted to one hour in order to keep the group focused.
The outcome of this discipleship is a real and strong growth as a Christian, through;
· Devotion – daily bible Small reading and prayer
· Compassion – a greater awareness of those around us who are in need and a willingness to help
· Justice – increasing our knowledge of the world and finding ways to act both globally and locally
· Worship – preparing properly for services and having a much greater focus on the way we worship God each week.
It may be that you follow a life that is driven by your discipleship with Christ but there are many that find it difficult for example to worship properly or to pray and read their bible. Covenant Discipleship provides a safe and confidential place to talk about and explore your faith with true friends and the support to lead more fulfilled Christian life.
If anyone is interested in forming a Covenant Discipleship Group, or wish to be involved in any other small group ministry, then please contact Simon on (01634) 400994 or Karen (01634) 578402
Or to learn more you can go to the Methodist website by clicking here
Office Address:
Medway Methodist Circuit Office
100 Third Avenue
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 2LU