The Wesley Way
in the Contemporary Church
N I C L A I T Y C O N V O C AT I O N 2 0 1 5
Orientation
 John Wesley, 1703 – 1791
Anglican priest
 Scholar
 Failed Missionary

 ‘Methodism’
Term of mockery, abuse
 Not a denomination, but an approach to faith
 Phenomenal growth in 18th Century world

Five Fundamental Questions
Question 1: Who is God?
 The ‘Arminian’ worldview
 The centrality of Grace
 ‘Thy Nature and Thy Name is Love’
Question 2: How do we grow?
 The Oxford ‘Holy Club’

A useful experiment
 Class meetings and affinity groups

The power house of early Methodism
 Meeting people’s actual needs

Spiritual and physical
Question 3: What is our Mission?
 What’s our motive in outreach?
 Restoration and Reconciliation

Wesley’s ‘therapeutic’ view of salvation
 Epistle of James, I John 4, II Corinthians 5
 What goes for the soul, goes for society too

Mending what’s broken, binding up wounds
Two Test Cases: The Economy & Slavery
John Wesley on our Mission
“We see (and who does not?) the numberless follies and miseries of our
fellow creatures. We see, on every side, either men of no religion at all,
or men of a lifeless, formal religion. We are grieved at the sight; and
should greatly rejoice, if by any means we might convince some that
there is better religion to be attained – a religion worthy of God that
gave it. And this we conceive to be none other than love; the love of
God and all mankind; the loving God with all our heart, and soul, and
strength, as having first loved us, as the fountain of all the good we
have received, and of all we ever hope to enjoy; and the loving every
soul which God hath made, every man on earth, as our own soul.
This love we believe to be the medicine of life, the never-failing remedy
for all the evils of a disordered world, for all the miseries and vices of
men.”
from his ‘Earnest Appeal’, 1744
Question 4: Who is my Neighbor?
 The ‘Prevenience’ of Grace: it comes first
 The Scope of Grace: it is universal
 The Power of Grace: everything is possible

and we don’t know another’s heart
 The Primacy of Grace

Remember Jesus with the outsiders, foreigners, those of
other religions, etc.
 The need for a ‘Catholic’ Spirit

Love is the goal of a Christian life
Wesley on Election
“This doctrine not only tends to destroy Christian holiness,
happiness and good works, but hath also a direct and
manifest tendency to overthrow the whole Christian
revelation.”
Sermon, ‘Free Grace’, 1739
Question 5: What then of the Church?
 Mission before Structures
 Mission before Polity and Church Law
 Mission before Boundaries and Borders
 Mission before Party, Sect, Group or Denomination
 Mission before Sensibilities, Pride and Dignity!
Field Preaching
Methodism and the Mob
What Does It Mean to Be A Disciple?
 Witness to and for Jesus Christ in the world
 Through words and action live out the story of salvation,
healing, wholeness and compassion
 Faith is integrated into daily life, not limited to the
confines of the church.
Two Great Commandments
Mark 12:28-31
28 One
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
of the scribes came near and heard them disputing
with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he
asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus
answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the
Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with
all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment
greater than these.”
The General Rule of Discipleship
To witness to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his
teaching through acts of compassion, justice, worship and
devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Means of Grace
 “By means of grace I understand outward signs, words,
or actions ordained by God, and appointed for this end—
to be the ordinary channels whereby God might convey
to men [and women] preventing, justifying, or sanctifying
grace.” from The Means of Grace by John Wesley
 …where God promises to meet us
 …signs, words, and actions through which the Holy
Spirit forms and heals our character
 …basic practices that help us grow in loving God AND
neighbor
Discipleship Basics
The General Rule maintains balance between all the
teachings of Jesus:
 Works of Piety – Loving God with all your heart, soul &
mind
Acts of Worship and Acts of Devotion
 Works of Mercy – Loving your neighbor as yourself

Acts of Compassion and Acts of Justice
 Private/Personal
- Acts of Devotion and Acts of
Compassion
 Public/Social – Acts of Worship and Acts of Justice
General Categories for the Means of Grace
Works of Piety
 Prayer
 Meditation
 Worship
 The Lord’s Supper
 Reading and Studying
Scripture
 Christian Conference
 Fasting
Works of Mercy
 Feeding the hungry
 Clothing the naked
 Caring for the sick
 Visiting the jails and
prisons
 Sheltering the homeless
 Welcoming the stranger
 Peacemaking
 Acting for the common
good
Means of Grace
Acts of
Compassion
Acts of Justice
The simple things we
do out of kindness to
our neighbor. Our
neighbor is anyone
who is in need
anywhere in the world.
We must not only minister
to people in need, but also
ask why they are in need,
then take action to address
the issues that are the
cause of our neighbor’s
suffering.
Acts of Devotion
Acts of Worship
The private spiritual
disciplines of prayer,
Bible reading, &
inward examination
that bring us face to
face with God.
These are the means of
grace that we exercise
together: the ministries of
word and sacrament. They
enable us to build each
other up in the body of
Christ.
Discipleship Basics
The General Rule maintains balance between all the
teachings of Jesus:
 Works of Piety – Loving God with all your heart, soul &
mind
Acts of Worship and Acts of Devotion
 Works of Mercy – Loving your neighbor as yourself

Acts of Compassion and Acts of Justice
 Private/Personal
- Acts of Devotion and Acts of
Compassion
 Public/Social – Acts of Worship and Acts of Justice
Individual Assessment
Read through the examples and evaluate your own style.
Are you balanced among the 4 quadrants or do you tend to
focus on one or two of the quadrants?
Church Assessment
Use the Assessment Tool to determine your church’s focus.
Community Renewal
Small Groups Systems
Keep in touch!
 Jonathan Dean
 [email protected]
 Ellen Feliciano
 [email protected]