DISCIPLESHIP
Methodism, is, at heart, a discipleship movement. At the start, it was groups of Christian believers who, searching for a deeper life in Christ, were organized by their leader John Wesley, into small groups called Classes, each Class having oversight by a pastoral leader called the Class Leader. In the Class (and the larger Society of which it became part) every growing Christian was encouraged to guard his or her spirituality and to constantly do self-searching “Is it well with my soul?” The modern expression “ Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet.” captures the Methodist attitude to discipleship. Methodists are well aware that we are pilgrims on a journey pursuing a desire to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love our neighbour our as we love ourselves.
It is for this reason that, on transfer to a new Circuit, I resist the urge to answer the question, “ Rev. Meade, have you settled down yet.” “As you approach the end of your first quarter in the Netherlands, have you settled down yet?” My Methodist answer is, “No. I don’t intent to. I am settling in well, with good support from the membership. However, the idea of “settling down” to me, suggests stagnation, not the movement which must be part of the life of a believer and the community of which she is part.”
I want us to be ever mindful of our need to grow in grace, using all the means of grace at our disposal to become more a people prepared to witness to the power and presence of God among us. The desire is for us to be more and more equipped to fulfil the task of being and of making disciples and presence of God among us.
So we continue to be guided in our Discipleship programme by the DOTA manuals that the Circuit was using with your previous pastor, Rev. Dr Keith B Lewis. I cannot present our sessions wholesale online, and I encourage you to attend sessions either at Amsterdam in the second and fourth Thursday of each month or at Rotterdam in the second Tuesday and third Thursday of each month. What you will find in this slot are snippets of our exploration during Discipleship sessions. I hope that these can be helpful to those who are really unable to attend.
And, as I have found it, one thought based on scripture leads us into broad areas for application of our character as Christian disciples. So it is my prayer that your visit to this site will prompt your further exploration and expression of your role as a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord’s name be praised,