Newark United Methodist Church’s
journey into Covenant Discipleship began some eight years ago. At that time several of us attended a district
Covenant Discipleship (CD) workshopin Wilmington, DE. This workshop got me excited about the possibilities
for CD. Two groups began meeting in 2000. The members’ experiences were good, but the groups eventually dissolved. In hindsight, there had not been nearly enough preparation/education, publicity, and support to give CD the beginning it needed. We needed a different approach.
In the summer of 2006 I felt a personal calling to 1) become a more authentic disciple and 2) commit myself to bring CD into the life of Newark United Methodist Church. I knew I would need organizational help and proper support. I spoke with our senior pastor, Rev. David Palmer. He was very supportive and told me that
another member of our congregation had expressed similar feelings and suggested that I contact him.
In the fall of 2006 we laid the groundwork for the formation of a pilot group. We conducted an introductory meeting for prospective pilot group members. The response was better than we had anticipated. We formed two pilot groups. One of the groups included Rev. Palmer. The groups began meeting in January of 2007.
To prepare the congregation to respond to opening the groups, we wrote articles on discipleship for our monthly newsletter. In the spring, I formed a kickoff event planning committee. We contacted the General Board of Discipleship and invited Rev. Steven Manskar to participate in our September 22–23, 2007 kickoff weekend.
The planning team met throughout the summer. One of the most important ideas we implemented was for pilot group members to speak about their experiences with CD during worship services in the eight weeks leading up to the kickoff weekend.
Our kickoff weekend included a Saturday evening pot-luck
dinner followed by presentations by Rev. Manskar and me with testimonies. Rev. Manskar preached at our three worship services that Sunday morning. Sign-up tables were located throughout the church building.
The newly formed groups began meeting in October. Our initial four groups include 17 people (6 men and 11 women), including six of the eight pilot group members. We plan a few times throughout the year for new sign-ups to encourage participation in the groups. We hope that these new Covenant Discipleship groups will help us radiate God’s love to a world in need as we take seriously our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. We’re off to a great start. Thanks be to God!
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