Spirit & Truth is a global movement helping local churches experience renewal in purpose through faith, the Holy Spirit, and living intentionally to make disciples of Jesus. My church partnered with four others to bring this weekend conference to North Georgia, and as someone who loves collaborative ministry, it was incredible to see us work together on this meaningful event.

Friday Evening: Worship and Word
We began Friday night with worship and a fresh message shared by a young woman in her twenties who spoke about the power of staying close to Jesus. She walked us through Mark 14, reminding us that “we are a peculiar people.” Several youth attended with their parents, which made it a particularly inspiring start.

Saturday: Teaching, Listening, and Going Out
Saturday morning involved a session on listening to the Holy Spirit, followed by an exercise in listening.

It was on Saturday afternoon we were taught then sent out in groups of three or four to share our faith through prayer (Jesus never sent out His disciples alone, but in groups of two, three, or up to seventy) in our own community. And no one died. Really. By being available and obedient to love my neighbor through prayer we asked, “I know this may sound off the wall, but is there something I can pray about for you?” And no one died. Really.

My team of four headed for Dairy Queen in our downtown area. In full transparency, I didn’t even know there was a Dairy Queen downtown. Now I do. And now I know about the folks who work there. Within the forty minutes we were there, we ordered some sweet goodness, prayed for a family in a car and just about every staff person on the line, including the manager. As we left the manager invited us to come back in a couple of hours to pray over the next shift.

Stories of Connection
One introverted team member, wearing a church name tag, even had someone approach him to ask for prayer, proving that visible signs of faith—like a simple T-shirt—can begin a conversation and prompt to pray. God’s tenderness showed up, encouraging us all to trust and obey in new ways.

A Weekend of Worship and Testimony
Saturday night ended with a worship service of gratitude and thanksgiving. Pastor Matt shared the message on Sunday morning leading with several telling the stories of God’s people being taught then practicing what it looks like to live on mission of making disciples of Jesus all day, every day.

Teaching Confirmation: The Wesleyan Way
This weekend, I’ll wrap up our Confirmation class, moving from “The Absolute Basics of Christian Faith” to finish with “The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way.” I’ll be answering the question, “What do Wesleyans do?” Even 8th & 9th graders know the internal and external practices of the faith through holy habits and community. But what really sets Wesleyans apart?

The Wesleyan way of holiness isn’t meant to be traveled alone, because our relationship to one another is connected with our relationship to God. The Wesleyan way is a way of friendship: building friendships centered on common love, worship, and service to God. When Methodism started out, it wasn’t a new church. It was a group of church-going Christians seeking to grow closer to God through fellowship. They were a group of friends. (pg 68-69).

A Methodist Method

May we be faithful in making friends wherever we go, even if it’s just offering to return someone’s shopping cart and asking if we can pray for them—a simple yet powerful way to live out our faith in the Methodist tradition.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23