Please Note: This blog is
the first of a two part series that is intended to follow the viewing of the
introductory video “Embracing the Wesleyan Way” that may be found on YouTube at
CEF NGUMC, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44OmNgpixg. Please
find links for resources included in the footnotes for this article.
Most people no longer choose a church because of their
connection to a denomination.
I remember when I was in seminary that I had a professor who
said that fifty or sixty years ago people commonly looked for a church that
matched their tradition or upbringing.
In other words, if you were raised in the United Methodist Church and
you moved to a new town, you looked for that town’s United Methodist
Church. The same was true across
denominations. Religious “heritage”
played an important role in church affiliation.
Such is not commonly the case
today.[1] When Gallup asked Americans to tell in their
own words why they go to church, only 11% of Protestants and 15% of Catholics
indicated that the way that they were brought up or their family’s tradition
was their reason.[2] Today, people select their church for reasons
other than denominational heritage or affiliation.
A lack of ties to a denominational heritage presents an
interesting dilemma in churches today, especially for Christian educators. It may be argued that where congregants in
previous generations shared a corporate understanding of their faith tradition
(i.e., they held a common sense of what they believed as members of a
particular denomination), congregants today often lack an understanding of what
their denomination believes.[3] Therefore, what you find in many churches are
classrooms, study groups, and small groups (also, administrative committees,
mission teams, and care groups) that are filled with participants and leaders
that have no real sense of their faith community’s way of talking about God.
As leaders in the United Methodist Church, we are faced with
the challenge of navigating in an environment where people, often including
volunteer leaders, have no real understanding of United Methodist beliefs.[4] You may ask, “If theology is not that
important to people when attending a church, why is it important at all? After all, we are not trying to make
disciples of John Wesley are we?” The
answer to the first question is that theology is important because theology is
formative. As stated in the video “Embracing
the Wesleyan Way,”[5] theology matters because
our theology creates our image of God.
In turn, our image of God forms the way that we relate to God, others,
ourselves, and the world around us. As Christians
engaged in faith formation we must ask ourselves, “What understanding of God
are we putting forth in our classrooms, small groups, and programs?” and “How
are people being formed by the image of God that we are projecting through our
leadership, curriculum choices, and environments for learning?” With regard to the second question, our goal
as Christian educators is to foster the development of disciples of Jesus
Christ. Within the United Methodist
Church, as we do this, we honor the teachings and perspective that come out of
our Wesleyan tradition. All churches
have a particular way that they think about and talk about God, whether or not
they choose to name it and claim it. Our way is the Wesleyan way. We believe that the Wesleyan way of thinking
about and talking about God is a powerful message of God’s love and grace that
is consistent with the witness of scripture as interpreted by reason,
experience, tradition, and furthermore, by scripture itself.[6]
Within the United Methodist Church it is important that the
image of God we project is consistent with our Wesleyan emphasis on God’s love
and grace. It is for this reason that I
will point
out three important actions that need to be considered as you seek to create
and maintain environments for faith formation within the United Methodist
Church. These actions are:
- First, how to train and equip leaders so that they have an understanding of a Wesleyan theology of grace.
- Second, how to select or adapt curriculum resources so that they include a Wesleyan theology of grace.
- Third, how to facilitate learning spaces so that they reflect a Wesleyan theology of grace.
(The
first point will be addressed here. The second
and third points will be addressed in upcoming articles.)
First, leaders within the United Methodist Church who are
charged with the responsibility of faith formation should be trained and
equipped so that they have an understanding of a Wesleyan theology of
grace. The role of leaders in
environments for faith formation is HUGE!
Leaders, usually serving as volunteer teachers or facilitators, are the
persons who set the tone for learning. They are the persons who address or
direct questions, facilitate discussion, manage conflict, interpret and
implement curriculum, and establish community.
Yet, many leaders of Sunday School classes, small groups, and Bible
studies lack an understanding of Wesleyan theology. This should by no means “disqualify” them
from leadership. After all, leaders may
be selected for a variety of important reasons. Also, realistically speaking,
many churches have a difficult time finding enough volunteer leaders. Therefore, importance should be placed on the
proper training of leaders. All leaders,
whether working with children, youth, or adults, and whether staff or
volunteer, need to be equipped with an adequate understanding of Wesleyan
theology. (In some cases, staff persons
or lay leaders who are “in charge” of ministry areas may lack an understanding
of Wesleyan theology. In such cases,
these persons should be invited and encouraged to learn, not made to feel
embarrassed because of their lack of prior knowledge.)
Training opportunities for leaders may be offered in a
variety of ways. Here are a few
suggestions:·
·
Hold a one-time training event led by a qualified
staff person, such as a pastor, or a qualified lay leader. Focus the training on giving participants an overview of United Methodist
Beliefs/Wesleyan Theology.[7]
·
Hold a “Methodist Beliefs” short-term study for
volunteer teachers/leaders. Make sure that
the leader of this class is a qualified staff person, such as a pastor, or a
qualified lay leader. This is a good
opportunity to build connection and community among leaders. A class that meets over several weeks also
allows for more in-depth understanding of the material.[8]
·
For those in the North Georgia Conference of the
UMC, design a one-time training event by inviting Connectional Café faculty to
present their workshops at no cost to the local church. At the North Georgia Conference website you
will find several workshops on Wesleyan/Methodist beliefs, curriculum overview
and selection, and leader/facilitator skills.[9] Such an event is a great opportunity to take
advantage of the resources that are offered to churches through Connectional
Ministries. This would also be a great
opportunity to invite other churches in your area to take part in the
event. Several churches may decide to
share in the planning and organizational responsibility for the event.
·
Have leaders/teachers read a book that focuses
on Methodist beliefs. Arrange a time to
meet to discuss the book.[10] Make sure that the discussion leader is
qualified to answer questions on Methodist/Wesleyan theology.
o
Suggested Books:
§
Going on
to Salvation, by Maxie Dunnam
§
The Marks
of Methodism, by Russ Richey
§
United
Methodist Beliefs, by William Willimon
§
On the
Threshold of Grace: Methodist Fundamentals, by Donald Haynes
§
Being
Methodist in the Bible Belt, by Belton Joyner
§
Responsible
Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology, by Randy Maddox (Note: this is advanced reading on a more
academic level; more appropriate for people who want to know more)
·
Please
Note: It is important in all cases
to communicate to ALL
leaders, whether in a specific ministry area or church-wide, that you will be
hosting a training event for leaders.
This should include long time leaders and new leaders, young and old,
and life time United Methodists and those new to the Methodist tradition.
o
Some people may balk at the idea, thinking that
they do not need such training. Stay
positive! Emphasize to long time leaders
that their experience is valuable to
other leaders. Emphasize to life-long
Methodists that their perspective
will enhance the dialogue.
o
Start by explaining why a Wesleyan theological
understanding is important. Don’t just
assume that people understand why such training is necessary.
As Christian educators in the United Methodist church seek
to embrace the Wesleyan way, equipping leaders with an understanding of
Wesleyan theology is an important first step.
Through such training, leaders in classrooms and small groups are more
prepared to recognize and articulate a theology of grace. We do this, not because we are devoted to John
Wesley (although we are immensely grateful for the teachings of John Wesley and
the people called Methodists), but rather because we are followers of Jesus
Christ whose way of love and redemption is the Way of transformation for all of
creation!
Possible Questions for Further Discussion:
1) In your own words, is leading with a Wesleyan
theological understanding important in a United Methodist Church? Why or why not?
2) What challenges have you faced when it comes
to training leaders? What suggestions or
advice do you have?
Article 1 of 3
Kim
Reindl is a professional Christian Educator who chairs the Discipleship
Ministry Team for the North Georgia Conference of the UMC and has served as the
Program Chair for North Georgia CEF. Kim creates curriculum resources and
is available to lead retreats, workshops, and seminars through Pomegranate
Christian Education & Formation, www.pomegranatece.com.
You can contact her at kim@mail.pomegranatece.com.
[1]
According to Charles Foster, a study conducted by Princeton University’s Center
for the Study of American Religion compared two Gallup polls, one from 1955 and
one some 30 years later. In the earlier
poll only one person in 25 left the faith tradition of their childhood. In the later poll the number had increased to
one out of every three persons. Charles
R. Foster. Educating Congregations: The
Future of Christian Education. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), 23.
[2]
Frank Newport, “Why Do Americans Attend Church,” Gallup, April 6, 2007, http://www.gallup.com/poll/27124/Just-Why-Americans-Attend-Church.aspx#2.
[3]
For more on the loss of “corporate memory” see Charles R. Foster, Educating Congregations, pp. 17-24. It may also be argued that this same lack of
understanding is evidenced in a lack of Biblical literacy. Interestingly, a lack of Biblical literacy is
what led to the creation of Disciple
Bible Study. Nancy Kruh, The Disciple Story: The Transforming Power
of Scripture, (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 2003), ix-xii.
[4]
To read more on the struggle of the United Methodist Church to engage in
organizational communication see the article, “Maria Dixon Hall: Just because you can preach doesn’t mean
you’re a communicator,” Faith and Leadership, August 27, 2013, http://www.faithandleadership.com/qa/maria-dixon-hall-just-because-you-can-preach-doesnt-mean-youre-communicator?page=full
.
[5]
Kim Reindl, “Embracing the Wesleyan Way,” CEF NGUMC, YouTube, April 1, 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44OmNgpixg .
[6]
For more on the Wesleyan way of engaging scripture, refer to Richard B. Wilke, The Tie that Binds: Connecting with God, the
Church, and the World, (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2008), 17-19.
[7]
For a FREE resource go to www.pomegranatece.com and complete the order form for the Training
Resource: “Some Distinctive Marks of United Methodists.”
[8]
For curriculum suggestions search cokesbury.com for materials with the
Curriculum Resource Committee symbol that says 'UMC Endorsed' and/or go to the GBOD website http://www.gbod.org/live-the-um-way/practicing-the-um-way/resource/recommended-resources-for-practicing-the-united-methodist-way
. You may also choose to adapt one of the suggested books into a short-term
study.
[9]
Go to http://www.ngumc.info/cafe.
Search for related workshops.
[10]
For a FREE resource go to www.pomegranatece.com and complete the order form for the Training
Resource: Methodist Beliefs Book Group
Discussion Guide.
