Week 1: WESLEYAN PRACTICE OF FAITH
At Project Transformation (PT) our Christian faith, informed by our Wesleyan heritage, is central to who we are and the work we do. Some of John Wesley’s unique theological tendencies show up at PT in our outreach ministry and in our community life together. Here are some of our beliefs formed by our Wesleyan heritage…
- We believe in living in accordance with Wesley’s three general rules of 1) Do no harm, 2) Do all the good you can, and 3) Stay in love with God
- We believe personal piety and social holiness are equally important in faith formation
- We believe in a Wesleyan understanding of prevenient grace which calls us to see God at work in all people
Catch the vision of Project Transformation and practice your faith in a Wesleyan way…
LEARN: John Wesley (1703-1791) was born in England into a devout Anglican family. He became an Anglican priest, formally educated at Oxford University. He, along with his brother Charles and other classmates, organized a small community-group focused on rigorous personal piety through spiritual disciplines of prayer, bible study, fasting, and working for justice in the community as they visited prisoners and ministered with the poor. Some of their classmates mockingly dubbed the group the “The Holy Club.” Nonetheless, these small groups, or “societies,” became the bedrock of the Methodist practice where faith grew through self-reflection, relationship with neighbor, and service to community. Read one of Wesley’s many sermons here!
ACT: Like Jesus and John Wesley, get passionate about ministry with those who are on the margins in our society. Get involved in a local church outreach ministry or volunteer with a local non-profit organization.
REFLECT: The “Holy Club” used a rigorous series of questions to hold themselves and others in their small group accountable to the Christian life. Use Wesley’s 21 Holy Club Questions as a journaling and prayer tool during your weekly quiet time.
