OU Wesley Leadership Program
Our Leadership program is the embodiment of our vision at the Wesley. We offer a very
intentional model of leadership and discipleship that allows students to engage at their
own level of commitment in a variety of ways. The following gives a brief overview of the
various ways students can connect and be in leadership at the OU Wesley.
Catechumen
Since the early church, those entering into the Christian community were taught the basics
of the faith and church. These individuals were referred to as catechumen, which translates
from Greek as “those who are being taught.” We are continuing and reshaping that
tradition with students who have shown an interest in transforming into leaders within the
Wesley. Here they come together, working as a group through a purposefully-designed
Kingdom Course and having a full-time staff member invest in their lives. In this Kingdom
Course, they learn about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ as they live in to our
overall mission of “being and making disciples of Jesus on the OU campus.” In addition to
the spiritual component of this course, they will also learn about all the programs at the
Wesley, as well as how the Wesley connects with the United Methodist Church. During the
semester, students gain connections, as well as discover and explore ways to serve at the
Wesley and begin the journey of finding out their gifts and calling. After spending a
semester in our catechumen course, these students will then transition into either our
service team or our apprenticeship.
Service Team
Our students have a range of spiritual gifts and callings, and we want to give every
opportunity to allow our students to develop, transform, and serve the OU Wesley with
these gifts. We also recognize the great importance that laity and non-vocational servant
leaders are for the church. The service team is a place for students who do not feel called to
a more direct style of leadership within the Wesley and the universal church, but still want
to invest their time in the Wesley and its members. On the service team, students are
guided and nurtured in their calling and their lives. This gives them a space to explore and
benefit our community as well as connect to the Wesley in a stronger and deeper way. In
this list below are some of the many ways students can serve. Of course, we always
welcome new ideas and programs as students are led by the Spirit to discover their own
gifts, and we look forward to walking and working with them.
Ways To Serve
- Worship help
o Offering
o Communion prep
o Sign-in
o Greeters
o Setup
- Communication
o Slides
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o Mail-outs
o Boards
Large group event planning
Leading a Kingdom Course
Videos/photography for website, newsletters, etc.
Landscaping
o Watering
o Pulling weeds
o Trash
General maintenance
Custodial work
Signs
Praise band
Something new that a student wants to start
A student on the service team will work with a full-time staff member to create their own
job description using one or more of the tasks above, in addition to the other commitments
they make, as laid forth in their covenant. Each service team member will meet at least
three times a semester with their supervising staff member and four times per
semester with a staff member for discipleship.
Apprenticeship
Our apprenticeship program is for student leaders that specifically feel called to being a
leader within our 2.42 family groups, and to invest a larger time commitment to developing
their personal spiritual lives. These students have expressed an interest and have been
identified by the staff as someone who is eager to transform themselves, and might be an
intern in the future. Each apprentice will serve by planning the monthly fellowship
activities and mission projects for a family group as their primary means of service. They
also meet every other week throughout the semester for a staff-led Kingdom Course that
will focus on tackling and connecting to theological themes, daily life, and spiritual
disciplines. They will meet at least three times a semester with their fellow
apprentice and interns with the supervising staff member of their group, four times
per semester with a staff member for discipleship, and once a semester with the
apprentice group leader.
Intern Program
The internship program allows students (both those nearing graduation and those who
have recently graduated) to have a space to explore, as well as supportive community to
use and transform their gifts for building up the Kingdom of God while participating on a
ministerial staff.
Full-Time
The internship program is a one- or two-year commitment for recent graduates. The
purpose of the internship is to give young people a chance to explore a possible call to
ministry, but is also a tangible way to gain experience in ministry to the OU campus. They
will lead a family group and meet regularly to disciple and connect with the students in
their family. Additionally, they will foster additional connections and help oversee
contacting and outreach to new students. They will also serve in one program area that is
in line with their spiritual gifts and passions. Another responsibility is to help raise a
portion of their funding. Their spiritual development is overseen by a full-time staff
member, with whom they will meet at least bi-weekly. They will also attend a weekly
Kingdom Course led by a full-time staff member with the entire ministry staff.
Student Intern
Student interns are similar to our full-time interns in many ways. They will help lead a
family group and meet regularly one-on-one with the students in their group to help invest
in members, catechumen, and apprentices. They will also meet regularly for one-on-one
discipleship with a full-time staff member and participate in the weekly Kingdom Course
for the entire ministry staff. Both full time and student interns will meet at least three
times a semester with their fellow intern and apprentices to meet with the
supervising staff member of their group.
Kingdom Courses
Modeled after Luke 2:52, Kingdom Courses help our students as they grow in stature here
at OU. We want to equip them with the tools and knowledge to continue to grow and
transform in wisdom, and in favor with both God and man. These courses strive to follow
the ancient adage “Faith seeking understanding.” Kingdom Courses range from spiritual
discipline practices to theological knowledge to service opportunities.
Kingdom Courses
- Campus outreach
- Childcare services
- International outreach
- English language classes
- Other small groups
o Yoga & meditation
o Running club
o Morning Bible study
o Gender-based Bible studies
o Theological education courses
o Other (to be determined between staff and students)
Family Groups
Family groups are small, intentional communities within the Wesley. These families meet
weekly for fellowship and Bible studies that are based upon the sermon series. The hope
for these families is to become a safe environment for students to walk through life
together, connecting to and investing in each other tackling concerns both spiritual and
relational, and to be a family away from home. Our family groups serve by hosting monthly
local mission opportunities and fellowship activities in order to bring in new people into
the community. They focus as well on continuing to grow and transform together as a
family group. Each group will plan one mission project per semester that is open to ALL
Wesley stduents. They will also attend at least one other mission hosted by another family
group. Additionally, they will plan and host one large Wesley wide fellowship event and
three smaller family group only fellowship events.
Intern Covenant
Being a part of leadership in the Body of Christ is a sacred privilege and something that should not be taken
lightly. The Bible has clear criteria for leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11). At the Wesley, we want our
leaders to be committed to following these Biblical standards. This covenant is in no way meant to be an
exhaustive list, rather our goal would be that every student strives to live a life above reproach.
As an intern at the Wesley, I hereby enter into this covenant with God and the members and staff of OU
Wesley understanding that this covenant is a tool of accountability and in no way a tool of punishment. This
covenant is here in order to have expectations and guidelines for our leadership community and to have
healthy, God-centered relationships with each other and the world surrounding us.
I commit to actively engage in my own faith by
 Intentionally pursuing a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading and study, regular
discipleship, worship, service, and other spiritual disciplines
 Participating in acts of justice whereby I am serving the least of those among us (Matt 25:40)
 Meeting others where they are by practicing hospitality in whatever form it presents itself
 Seeing each person I come into contact with as a child of God, and showing him or her the love that God
intended
 Striving to uphold the highest standards of Christian character and ethics, including but not limited to:
o Sexually: I will commit to living a life of sexual purity in my relationships with others, in my
thoughts, and in my use of the internet and social media (1 Cor. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 4:3-5)
o Substances: I will commit to not using illegal drugs or an excess of prescription drugs. I will
commit to being responsible in my use of alcohol, not providing alcohol for minors, and not using
alcohol illegally (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Proverbs 20:1)
o Socially: I will strive to not gossip about my fellow brothers and sisters and will help bring a stop
to it when I hear it happening around me. Additionally, I will use caution in what I post on all
forms of social media.
I commit to be an active member of our community who
 Supports the vision as laid forth by the director and staff
 Fulfills the commitments of service I have made to them
 Does not gossip and continually tries to encourage others
 Strives to pray and share the burdens of others whenever possible
 Resolves conflicts among others in a Christian manner (Matt. 18:15-17)
 Cares for the well-being of each member of my family group
 Understands that I have a great responsibility to my course work and earning a degree. I will be personally
responsible for attending class, faithful in my studies, and will represent God and Wesley well in the
classroom
 Attends & actively participates in the regularly scheduled intern meetings
 Meets twice a month with a full-time staff member for discipleship
 Meets at least three times per semester with the leaders of my group and supervising staff member
 Actively participates in worship, retreats, and all other large Wesley events as specified at the beginning of
the semester
 Cares for the well-being of each member of my family group
 Meets with the students of the same gender in my group for one-on-one discipleship at least monthly
_________________________________________
Signature
___________________
Date
Apprentice Team Covenant
Being a part of leadership in the Body of Christ is a sacred privilege and something that should not be taken
lightly. The Bible has clear criteria for leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11). At the Wesley, we want our
leaders to be committed to following these Biblical standards. This covenant is in no way meant to be an
exhaustive list, rather our goal would be that every student strives to live a life above reproach.
As a member of the apprentice team at the Wesley, I hereby enter into this covenant with God and the
members and staff of OU Wesley understanding that this covenant is a tool of accountability and in no way a
tool of punishment. This covenant is here in order to have expectations and guidelines for our leadership
community and to have healthy, God-centered relationships with each other and the world surrounding us.
I commit to actively engage in my own faith by
 Intentionally pursuing a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading and study, regular
discipleship, worship, service, and other spiritual disciplines
 Participating in acts of justice whereby I am serving the least of those among us (Matt 25:40)
 Meeting others where they are by practicing hospitality in whatever form it presents itself
 Seeing each person I come into contact with as a child of God, and showing him or her the love that God
intended
 Striving to uphold the highest standards of Christian character and ethics, including but not limited to:
o Sexually: I will commit to living a life of sexual purity in my relationships with others, in my
thoughts, and in my use of the internet and social media (1 Cor. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 4:3-5)
o Substances: I will commit to not using illegal drugs or an excess of prescription drugs. I will
commit to being responsible in my use of alcohol, not providing alcohol for minors, and not using
alcohol illegally (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Proverbs 20:1)
o Socially: I will strive to not gossip about my fellow brothers and sisters and will help bring a stop
to it when I hear it happening around me. Additionally, I will use caution in what I post on all
forms of social media.
I commit to be an active member of our community who
 Supports the vision as laid forth by the director and staff
 Fulfills the commitments of service I have made to them
 Does not gossip and continually tries to encourage others
 Strives to pray and share the burdens of others whenever possible
 Resolves conflicts among others in a Christian manner (Matt. 18:15-17)
 Cares for the well-being of each member of my family group
 Understands that I have a great responsibility to my course work and earning a degree. I will be personally
responsible for attending class, faithful in my studies, and will represent God and Wesley well in the
classroom
 Actively participates in worship, retreats, and all other large Wesley events (missing no more than two
worship services per semester, and communicating with staff when I will miss)
 Attends & actively participates in the bi-weekly apprentice meetings
 Meets at least three times per semester with the leaders of my group and supervising staff member
 Thoughtfully plans missions and fellowship opportunities for my family group & The Wesley
 Meets at least monthly with my family group intern for discipleship
_________________________________________
Signature
___________________
Date
Service Team Covenant
Being a part of leadership in the Body of Christ is a sacred privilege and something that should not be taken
lightly. The Bible has clear criteria for leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11). At the Wesley, we want our
leaders to be committed to following these Biblical standards. This covenant is in no way meant to be an
exhaustive list, rather our goal would be that every student strives to live a life above reproach.
As a member of the service team at the Wesley, I hereby enter into this covenant with God and the members
and staff of OU Wesley understanding that this covenant is a tool of accountability and in no way a tool of
punishment. This covenant is here in order to have expectations and guidelines for our leadership community
and to have healthy, God-centered relationships with each other and the world surrounding us.
I commit to actively engage in my own faith by
 Intentionally pursuing a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading and study, regular
discipleship, worship, service, and other spiritual disciplines
 Participating in acts of justice whereby I am serving the least of those among us (Matt 25:40)
 Meeting others where they are by practicing hospitality in whatever form it presents itself
 Seeing each person I come into contact with as a child of God, and showing him or her the love that God
intended
 Striving to uphold the highest standards of Christian character and ethics, including but not limited to:
o Sexually: I will commit to living a life of sexual purity in my relationships with others, in my
thoughts, and in my use of the internet and social media (1 Cor. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 4:3-5)
o Substances: I will commit to not using illegal drugs or an excess of prescription drugs. I will
commit to being responsible in my use of alcohol, not providing alcohol for minors, and not using
alcohol illegally (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Proverbs 20:1)
o Socially: I will strive to not gossip about my fellow brothers and sisters and will help bring a stop
to it when I hear it happening around me. Additionally, I will use caution in what I post on all
forms of social media.
I commit to be an active member of our community who
 Supports the vision as laid forth by the director and staff
 Fulfills the commitments of service I have made to them
 Does not gossip and continually tries to encourage others
 Strives to pray and share the burdens of others whenever possible
 Resolves conflicts among others in a Christian manner (Matt. 18:15-17)
 Cares for the well-being of each member of my family group
 Understands that I have a great responsibility to my course work and earning a degree. I will be personally
responsible for attending class, faithful in my studies, and will represent God and Wesley well in the
classroom
 Actively participates in worship, retreats, and all other large Wesley events (missing no more than three
worship services per semester, and communicating with staff when I will miss)
 Meets at least monthly with my family group intern for discipleship
 Meets monthly with my supervising full-time staff member
_________________________________________
Signature
___________________
Date
Catechumen Covenant
Being a part of leadership in the Body of Christ is a sacred privilege and something that should not be taken
lightly. The Bible has clear criteria for leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11). At the Wesley, we want our
leaders to be committed to following these Biblical standards. This covenant is in no way meant to be an
exhaustive list, rather our goal would be that every student strives to live a life above reproach.
As a catechumen at the Wesley, I hereby enter into this covenant with God and the members and staff of OU
Wesley understanding that this covenant is a tool of accountability and in no way a tool of punishment. This
covenant is here in order to have expectations and guidelines for our leadership community and to have
healthy, God-centered relationships with each other and the world surrounding us.
I commit to actively engage in my own faith by
 Intentionally pursuing a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading and study, regular
discipleship, worship, service, and other spiritual disciplines
 Participating in acts of justice whereby I am serving the least of those among us (Matt 25:40)
 Meeting others where they are by practicing hospitality in whatever form it presents itself
 Seeing each person I come into contact with as a child of God, and showing him or her the love that God
intended
 Striving to uphold the highest standards of Christian character and ethics, including but not limited to:
o Sexually: I will commit to living a life of sexual purity in my relationships with others, in my
thoughts, and in my use of the internet and social media (1 Cor. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 4:3-5)
o Substances: I will commit to not using illegal drugs or an excess of prescription drugs. I will
commit to being responsible in my use of alcohol, not providing alcohol for minors, and not using
alcohol illegally (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Proverbs 20:1)
o Socially: I will strive to not gossip about my fellow brothers and sisters and will help bring a stop
to it when I hear it happening around me. Additionally, I will use caution in what I post on all
forms of social media.
I commit to be an active member of our community who
 Supports the vision as laid forth by the director and staff
 Fulfills the commitments of service I have made to them
 Does not gossip and continually tries to encourage others
 Strives to pray and share the burdens of others whenever possible
 Resolves conflicts among others in a Christian manner (Matt. 18:15-17)
 Cares for the well-being of each member of my family group
 Understands that I have a great responsibility to my course work and earning a degree. I will be personally
responsible for attending class, faithful in my studies, and will represent God and Wesley well in the
classroom
 Attends the six scheduled catechumen meetings for the semester
 Actively participates in worship, retreats, and all other large Wesley events (missing no more than three
worship services per semester, and communicating with staff when I will miss)
 Meets at least monthly with my family group intern for discipleship
_________________________________________
Signature
___________________
Date