Accountability groups
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, encouraged disciples of Jesus to be accountable for how they lived their lives by reflecting on their faith together with others.
Being part of A Methodist Way of Life (MWOL) Accountability group (or incorporating a time of accountability into another group, such as a Bible study) is a rich way of jointly attending to where we are on our various journeys with God.
The Methodist Way of Life Pocket Guide is a tool for such groups. It includes questions relating to how we respond to discipleship in worship and mission and can be used in gatherings as well as in more personal, quiet times.
“My MWOL group was discussing questions relating to Serve, Flourish and Challenge. As we talked, I realised I had stopped being proactive about caring for God’s creation: I had been throwing items that could be recycled into the landfill bin. I agreed to check-in with my group that I was recycling what I could. Over the next month, I was very aware of the godly conversation we had had. It really encouraged me to make the effort to wash recyclable waste and separate it out.”
Ready to start a group?
Invite three or four friends to meet with you once a month. Explain what you want to do and why you think it’s important. Make sure everyone agrees how you will:
- hold each other accountable
- reflect and pray together
- agree on what confidentiality will mean for you as a group (the Methodist Church’s advice for pastoral workers might be helpful)
- create easy ways for someone to say if the group is making them uncomfortable or if they want to stop meeting.
When you meet for the first time:
- Open your time in prayer.
- Pick one or two questions from the Pocket Guide or this webpage. These are focused around 12 different things we practice (different stations on the journey) as we grow as followers of Jesus.
- As you listen to each other, reflect out loud - with loving encouragement and loving challenge – what you are noticing and wondering, and what you sense God might be saying to one or all of you.
- Towards the end, encourage each person to agree one thing you will check-in about with them the next time you meet, and one point for prayer.
- Spend time praying together for each other and the things that have emerged in your conversation.
Next time you meet, share your experiences related to your check-ins. Be open and honest. Spend time as a group sharing how God has responded to your prayer points. Then move on to discuss a new MWOL question.
After a few months, look back and see what God has done. How has your faith grown? Where have you experienced God at work? Agree whether you will continue meeting and if there’s anything you would like to adapt.