Wesley’s Method Part V: Forming Small Groups for Discipleship

John Wesley first started to really form Methodist Societies in the city of Bristol. The structure and concept were that everybody belonged to an Anglican parish where they would attend for Sunday morning Eucharist or Morning Prayer. After that, all the Method-inclined people in town would join together as the Methodist Society for prayer and a sermon. Then later, perhaps during the week, smaller groups called classes and bands would gather for discipleship either in the Methodist Society gathering place or in someone’s home.

This style of simultaneous broad and small gatherings has been and is still utilized by many churches and religious organizations to this day. One good example today is the Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, famously pastored by Joel Osteen. Lakewood boasts about 52,000 people in attendance every Sunday as they fill a former stadium. In order to create some sense of community and to be able to pastor to everyone, the church operates on the basis of smaller units. The church offers many Bible studies and other groups that break down by age, gender, topic, and marital status, etc. Everybody belongs to a smaller group. When they need pastoral guidance, it’s not Joel Osteen that is doing it usually, it’s the pastors of these smaller groups. These groups sit together in rotating locations on Sunday morning for worship, and their pastor assists in giving them communion on Communion Sundays.

In the Catholic Church, this “Methodist system” is seen in the FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) organization, where a group of missionaries will lead a Catholic campus ministry while offering smaller, targeted Bible study classes. Every year or so, all the groups gather for one large conference with keynote speakers, workshops, and large-scale worship services. In a sense, that is very similar to the General Conference that takes place every four years in the United Methodist Church.

These Methodist classes and bands did various functions. They were not simply Bible study groups. At every gathering they also prayed, which the Ordinariate could use as praying the Daily Office. The groups also made time to work together in what were called acts of compassion, like feeding the hungry. One of the reasons why these groups were designed only for those of similar age, gender, and disposition was that public confession was sometimes an aspect of their discipleship. This was not a sacramental confession nor was it to be some public condemnation. Rather, it was meant to introduce accountability by having a safe place to admit our faults and be encouraged in becoming better, similar to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Building upon the previous aspects of the Method, the same small groups should pray together and study the Scripture together. The small group is also the place to share fasting goals. Outsiders might be more inclined to come to small group meetings than to show up for a worship service because of the size and the belief that they might attract attention from fewer people at an informal small group meeting. It might be easier to get friends to come along to a dinner with Bible study, discussion, and prayer, than to Mass on a Sunday morning. As a result, small groups are also evangelistic in their outreach even though they are focused on discipleship.

Like with Bible studies, Ordinariate parishes should consider reaching out to other Catholic parishes for people interested in forming small groups. As the groups grow, they can then start to divide into smaller groups and eventually spread to those parishes as well.

Paul Caleb Roland is an Ordinariate Catholic who writes from Oklahoma.

Related articles by this author:
What Methodist Patrimony Brings to the Ordinariate Mission

Wesley’s Method Part I: Frequent Reception of Communion and the Love Feast

Wesley’s Method Part II: Frequent Prayer and the Daily Office

Wesley’s Method Part III: Form a Bible Study, Go Make Disciples

Wesley’s Method Part IV: Fasting Wednesdays, Fridays & Other Times for Sanctification

Wesley’s Method Part V: Forming Small Groups for Discipleship

Wesley’s Method Part VI: Following Christ by Works of Mercy

Wesley’s Method Part VII: Singing and a Hymnal in Every Home

Wesley’s Method Part VIII: How Field Preaching Equips the Laity to Proclaim Jesus Christ

Wesley’s Method Part IX: Holy Conferencing, Revivals, and their Ordinariate Potential

Wesley’s Method Part X: How Lay Servant Ministry Can Grow the Catholic Church

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