Page 40 [40]
DONÁT SÁMUEL GYURKÓ
group containing 3-5 members, the band, which sometimes functioned as a
confessional community, acting as a catalyst for personal faith experience and
formation. Ihe class consisted of 12-15 members and was organized locally as
a place to learn about Christian living. Ihe societies were larger worship com¬
munities where classes organized in one area held joint meetings, listened to
preaching, and sang together. Two other types of groups were also established
by the Methodists, the selected society, which served as a leaders’ training
group, and the penitential band for individuals struggling with addictions and
behavioral issues. Continuously practiced public preaching represented the
form that most effectively reached the uneducated masses. The bands were
those small groups where the proclaimed “message transitioned from printed
text to living speech, from personal to communal, and from cognitive to emo¬
tional levels, transforming private matters into communal issues.”!! These
groups focused on attuning each participant to the heart of Christ, meaning
the group members experienced how much Christ loves them through the
recognition of their own brokenness, thus becoming capable of change. The
requirements of the groups were quite strict by today’s standards, but par¬
ticipation was voluntary. These were always gender-segregated groups, and
they met at least once a week, although many gathered multiple times a week
for personal accountability and encouragement. In these small discipleship
groups, honesty, loyalty, and reliability were emphasized as core values.”
Contemporary practice
Today’s congregational practice is characterized by personal relationships; in
general, there is a type of group functioning, and there is the worship com¬
munity and some kind of public service or social presence. What is typically
lacking in organized congregational practice is conscious, structured small
discipleship groups of 3-5 people. In addition to one-on-one connections or
connections on large community platforms, there is an opportunity to con¬
sciously promote small group connections for the purpose of building faith.
This is what is missing in today’s congregational practice. A discipleship small
group in congregational life is a small group that has a conscious goal of per¬
sonal faith growth and spiritual formation." In these groups, the level of com¬
mitment and the boundary of inclusivity are determined by the personal
decisions of the group members. Discipleship groups connect individuals into
1 David Hempton: Methodism: Empire ofthe Spirit. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005,
79.
12 Gallaty: Rediscovering Discipleship. n.p.n.
13 Roger L. Walton: Disciples Together: Discipleship, Formation and Small Groups. SCM Press,
London, England, 123.
.38 +