When John Wesley started the Methodist movement, he stressed the importance of band groups. These were small groups, usually no more than six or so people, separated first by gender and then by marital status. The purpose was for people to be in close fellowship with one another and hold each other accountable. The members of these groups were the ones who were truly devoted to the Methodist movement and were therefore very concerned with holiness. The members would spur one another on, encouraging them in areas that needed work and celebrating the successes.
The small group still remains in most United Methodist churches, but the band groups themselves have been lost. In my opinion, this is a shame. These groups really enabled the Methodists to grow as Christians. It seems that many of our churches today exist quite like the Church of England in the 18th century: Christianity only happens on Sunday mornings in the church pews. These band groups were a way of preventing that. If there were a movement to reinstate these groups now, the church might experience growth like it hasn’t in years. If church members had a safe place to talk about their struggles, successes, failures, and growth, they would really grow in their faith. It has often been said that the best form of evangelism is by exhibiting the lifestyle of a true Christian. By participating in these band groups, people would be getting closer to the holy life commanded by Jesus and the early apostles. Lives could be changed.
No comments:
Post a Comment