The Methodist Way
The core disciple-making practices of The United Methodist Church.

Five Essential Practices: Similar to the Purpose Driven Church model of a healthy church's disciple-making process, the essential practices of a faithful UMC congregation are a response to God's great love for us revealed in God's Son, Jesus Christ.

When asked what was most important about this life Jesus answered:
"The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is the One and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  No other commandment is greater than these."
(The Great Commandent - Mark 12:29-31, NLT)

When he left this earth Jesus gave His Church our mission:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(The Great Commission - Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)

Living the Great Commandment and fulfilling the Great Commission result in a great church filled with passionate, purpose-filled disciples.  These five practices describe a Christian Formation Process for individuals, families, and churches.  It begins in a personal encounter with our Living Lord resulting in a radical reorientation of our life.  We move from a self-focused, self-serving lifestyle to a God-focused, other-serving mission.  Until you encounter God, Christianity is a "nice idea" but not a compelling reason to reorient everything about your life.
 

Matt Redman sings: "When the music fades and all is stripped away; and I simply come longing just to bring, something that's of worth, that will bless your heart.  I'll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required.  You search much deeper within - through the the way things appear - You're looking into my heart.  I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you... Jesus."  Worship is not a style of music or the inclusion or exclusion of certain instruments.  It's not just music and can't be created through bulletins or a canned liturgy.  Worship is a living out of Matthew 18:20, "Where two or more gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."  A concert or a speech - even based on the Bible - is not worship.  It is a matter of the human heart and only happens when hearts connect to one another and to God's Heart in Jesus Christ.  A lifeless liturgy or a mind-numbing repetition is not worship which is always powerful and passionate no matter how long or short, loud or quiet, "sacred" or "secular" - some of the best theology heard today is from the hymnal, not the pulpit, and from Country-Western music not Christian ditties. 

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, said: "If you make all you can and save all you can but do not give all you can, you may be a living person, but you will be a dead Christian."  The lack of generosity with our time, talent, and treasure produces a miserly spirit towards others and God fueling false pride, greed, and materialism.  The Bible teaches clearly that wealth (physical, financial, intellectual and all other forms of abundance) are gifts from God.  But, any good gift can be used for evil when it becomes an idol (a little god) to us.  We all have idols.  Finish this phrase: "If this happened" or "doesn't happen," or "If I lost this" or "Don't get this," then I wouldn't want to live anymore.  That - whatever it is, is your idol.  Holding lightly to all this world offers allows us to hold tightly to God.   

Hospitality is a mark of Christian discipleship and describes the Christian community where we follow Jesus' example who, though he was God, came to serve - not to be served (Matthew 20:28).  Radical hospitality is not a begrudging tolerance of others' differences, but a genuine love for others - especially those outside of the Christian community - that compels us to create worship and ministry that they understand and connects them to Christ.  Radical hospitality is a clear call to put our preferences behind the purpose of Christ: that none should be lost (2 Peter 3:9).
  

The Great Commission is clear: "make disciples... teach them to obey all that I have commanded."  Most denominational churches have not made discipleship a requirement of church membership.  Of course, we can add nothing to our own salvation, Jesus has done it all.  "Jesus + Nothing = Everything."  But the Scriptures leave no room for a grace that produces no change in a believer (John 14:23-24, James 2, Romans 12).  If you're not learning what God expects and letting God's revealed Will change your thoughts, emotions, and actions - you are not following Christ.  The membership requirements of any United Methodist are: Prayer (Bible study & daily devotions), Presence (worship & small group), Gifts (time-talent-treasure), Service (ministry), and Witness (mission). 
 

The Message Bible translates Matthew 5:13: "Let me tell you why you are here," says Jesus.  "You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.  If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?  You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."  Ouch!  Jesus presses the point that His followers must act on His compassion to bring the least, lost, and lowly into the safety of God's Kingdom - failing to do so results in our own damnation (Matthew 25:31-46).  As a minimum, we ask each member to serve Christ in our community and world at least 1 hour every week.  What separates salty service from random acts of kindness is giving credit and glory to God: "Jesus sent me to serve you - thank Him, not me, I do."