John Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or "General Rules"), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or "Character of a Methodist"). Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God's people to make One Faithful Promise:...

The goal of the ministry of finance is to fund ministries that nurture persons in their faith. The finance system in the congregation will raise, manage, and disperse the funds of the congregation that help realize the mission and vision of the church. This Guideline is designed to help equip you in leading this ministry group in your congregation. This is one of the twenty-six Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2017-2020 that cover church...

You are the leaders of your church's involvement in social issues. As such, you will help your church members respond to social issues through education, making connection, and advocating for and responding to the needs of people around you and in the rest of God's world. This Guideline is designed to help equip you in leading this ministry group in your congregation. This is one of the twenty-six Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2017-2020...

Hope and help for pastors and congregations who are asking, What now? And What's next? Some pastors and congregations have managed remarkable innovation, creation of new ministries, courageous pruning of old programs, and rediscovery of core Wesleyan convictions in recent years. Others have experienced a long, slow-motion, downward cycle of loss. We might be tempted to 'sit down' wherever we are, looking back at all that's happened, shaking...

A way of life: embracing grace, seeking holiness, building connections. United Methodist people long to love God and serve their neighbors. Unrelenting Grace by Bishop Ken Carter shows us how to come together and embrace grace, seek holiness, and build meaningful connections promoting strength and healing. Unrelenting Grace evokes insights and courage to overcome feelings of isolation, loneliness, and alienation. The book is an inspiring and practical...

A Real Christian: The Life of John Wesley fills a void in available books in Wesleyan studies by providing a brief, solid biography that focuses on Wesley himself. While exploring Wesley's ancestry, birth, death, and every major biographical and theological event between, Collins also explores the theme of John Wesley's spiritual growth and maturation. Wesley came to the conclusion that real Christians are those whose inward (and outward) lives...

This book/study guides readers through the five means of grace that John Wesley called "instituted," meaning these are spiritual practices in which Jesus himself participated and which he encouraged his followers to do. One of the beautiful aspects of Wesley's theology is that spiritual practices are seamlessly integrated with practices of loving our neighbors well. This is why Wesley said there is no holiness but social holiness. A life of genuine...

Your task as an advocate for inclusiveness — and as coordinator of your ministry group — is to help every ministry, committee, and aspect of your church to be intentional about the full and equal participation of women and racial and ethnic persons in the life of the church. As you advocate for an inclusive church, you are helping the church to reflect the fullness of the ministry of Christ. This Guideline is designed to help equip you in leading...

Behind the scenes with the Council of Bishops Two authors who have served as a United Methodist bishop (William B. Oden) and as General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History (Robert J. Williams) collaborate on a history of the Council. They set the context for the development of what became the Council of Bishops in 1939 and recount the evolution of that body in recognition of its 75th anniversary. Includes photographs, a complete...

You have answered the call to serve as a minister to children. Calls come in a variety of ways, yet here you are. Whether your ministry touches three children in a small congregation, three hundred children in a large congregation, or the children who live in the community where you serve, you have been invited to gather dedicated adults and scripturally sound resources to make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This booklet...