I was reading a book about the Methodist movement recently, and one of the things that excited me about it was the sense that it was a movement. It went way beyond any one leader or leaders. Something was happening and it involved everyone. It wasn’t the pastors making everything happen; it was the people living into the call of discipleship.  I am writing this as a personal reflection about what does it mean for me as a pastor and my role to “equip the saints”.  How do I empower, facilitate, encourage, and support the type of things I was just reading about? Here are a few quotes that struck me:

…most of the ministry that mattered was entrusted to laity. Indeed, most of the preachers were lay preachers…. Early Methodism involved everyone, believers and seekers, in small groups called classes; the classes were lay led…. Methodist laity… visited prisoners and the family of prisoners. They visited people in the hospitals and, during epidemics, Methodists were known to be the only people who cared enough and dared enough to visit the hospitals…. They often prayed with people and they invited people to their class meeting to explore the possibility of a new life.  Lay people invented many ministries to serve people in their community. (page 12)

It was in those small groups called class meetings where every spark of the Holy Spirit seemed to be fanned into flames and people were boldly stepping forward in discipleship. It was in these small groups that there was an entrepreneurial spirit of joining together to do God’s kingdom work of loving God and neighbor to the fullest. In looking at the history of the movement, my own life of discipleship, and what I have seen in many lives (even since I have been here at Millbrook UMC) I might be willing to agree with another quote from the book:

“This is why Bruce Larson used to say, “It is just as important to be involved in a small group as it is to believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins!”

Lord Jesus, pour out your Spirit of wisdom and discernment so that I might know my role in being a pastor in your holy church. One that empowers and encourages your people to live fully into a life of discipleship that looks like a life you modeled to us as you walked this earth with your band of disciples. Send us forward in your kingdom movement. Amen.