Long-Range Planning

Taking Our Church to the 21st Century

This section will have documents for our discussions on the future of Wesley UMC.

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

The adult Sunday morning class, the Wednesday evening class, and the Thursday morning class are reading and discussing the Robert Schnase's book "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations".

The Sunday class meets in the Lounge of the Education Building at 9 to 10 AM. The Wednesday evening class meets in the Lounge of the Education Building from 6 to 8:30 PM. The Thursday morning class meets in the Lounge of the Education Building from 10 to 11:30 AM.

The Five Practices are:

  1. Radical Hospitality
  2. Passionate Worship
  3. Intentional Faith Development
  4. Risk-taking Mission and Service
  5. Extravagent Generosity

"These words capture the core process by which God uses congregations to make disciples - congregations offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so that people experience a sense of belonging; God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ; God's Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community; with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God's call to help others through mission and service; and God inspires people to give generously of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known. (p.7)

These fundamental practices are so critical to a congregation's mission that failure to perform them in an exemplary way results in congregational deterioration and decline. By repeating and improving these practices, churches fulfill their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. (p.7)"

 

Wesley United Methodist Church -- Bakersfield, CA