SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Module One: Call and Covenant for Ministry
Purpose: To provide a basic overview of the call to ministry, theology, and ordering of ministry in The United Methodist Church; to explain the role of Certified Lay Minister; to support the formation of a Mutual Ministry Team for learning and leading in the congregation; and to develop a ministry covenant to guide mission.
Learning Goals. At the end of this module, the participant will be able to:
- discuss ministry in The United Methodist tradition and its various expressions,
- demonstrate the diverse forms and distinctions of ministry and how they relate,
- describe and discuss spiritual gifts and their use in shared ministry with the church and community,
- write a mutual ministry covenant and
- present it to the congregation or ministry setting for acceptance.
MY JESUS CREED
I asked Jesus “What do you want from me?”
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Four fingers)
And you are to love your neighbor as yourself. (Spreading hands)
And you are to love one another as I have loved you; by this shall all people know that you are my disciples.” (Hugging hands)
By loving like Jesus we become disciples, become known as disciples, and become disciple makers that fulfill the Great Commission. (Hands extending)
Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 12 … Definition of Church: Body of Christ (Differentiation).
Discussion Questions
- How many can be perfect? (v. 4-6: “Varieties” – the ideal vs. reality)
- Who are spiritually gifted? Why? What form does the gift take? (v. 7)
- Who decides how someone is gifted? (v. 12)
- How do individuals become connected to the body? (v. 13)
- Who feels unimportant? What does Paul say to them? (v. 14-19)
- Who feels important? What does Paul say to them? (v. 20-26)
- What should we do with this list of gifts in v. 8-10?
- What gifts are undiscovered and unutilized in the typical church? Why? Why is this important?
S. What does it Say?
O. How should we Obey?
W. Who needs to hear this?Ephesians 4:11-16 … Definition of Leadership.
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints
for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ …
- καταρτισμὸν – with a view toward the perfecting (equipping, mending) …
- οἰκοδομὴν – build up (connect) and edify (empower)
What are the methods employed by the team leader to accomplish this task in Ephesians 4:13-16?
This resource for teaching Module 1 of the Certified Lay Minister program of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference is developed by David Kueker and is based on Module I: Call and Covenant for Ministry, copyright 2016 by Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN.
CLM 1.5, Reviewed: 2-19-22.