A Disciple's Path Leader Guide with Download
A Guide for United Methodists
Published June 2018
Discipleship within the context of the United Methodist heritage and tradition.
A Disciple's Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church.The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God's love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world.
This Leader Guide provides group facilitators with helpful tips for leading a group, material for leading an introductory session or pastor’s coffee, and six ready-to-use session guides. Also included is a link to downloadable resources, along with previews of these online tools, including sample e-mails handouts, including customizable templates that can be modified for any congregation,and PowerPoint presentations.
“A Disciple’s Path has transformed countless new members into deeply committed disciples – people who are using their gifts, praying in new ways, worshipping regularly and not only when it’s convenient, giving sacrificially of their financial resources, and seeking to be a witness to Christ’s love and light in the world. I am deeply grateful for this resource and recommend it wholeheartedly." Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor of Mount Veron Place United Methodist Church and author of A New Day in the City
Endorsements
“A Disciple’s Path has the potential to revolutionize the way we view our participation in the church. Following this ‘path’ can transform us from wanderers into pilgrims.” —Dr. Steve Harper, Retired Professor of Spiritual Formation; author of Five Marks of a Methodist and Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition
“For churches transforming their invitation to membership into an opportunity for a discipleship journey.” — Lovett H. Weems, Jr., author and Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Director, Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary
“A very useful explanation of the traditional Wesleyan view of Christian discipleship, strengthened in particular by its stress on the balanced approach of the Methodist way.” —Dr. Richard P. Heitzenrater, Duke University Divinity School
Videos
About the Authors
Rev. Dr. James A. Harnish
James A. Harnish retired after 43 years of pastoral ministry in the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was the founding pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando and served for 22 years as the Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa. He is the author of A Disciple’s Heart: Growing in Love and Grace, Earn. Save. Give. Wesley’s Simple Rules for Money, and Make a Difference: Following Your Passion and Finding Your Place to Serve. He was a consulting editor for The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible and a contributor to The Wesley Study Bible. He and his wife, Martha, have two married daughters and five grandchildren in Florida and South Carolina.
Justin LaRosa
Justin LaRosa, LCSW?is an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church, a licensed clinical social worker, a certified enneagram practitioner, an author, and a spiritual entrepreneur who initiates and leads change. He is the Director and Pastor of The Portico, a cutting-edge initiative in the oldest church in downtown Tampa, Florida. Justin is the author of?The Jesus Challenge: 21 Days of Loving God and Neighbor, and has co-authored three books,?A Disciple’s Path, A Disciple’s Heart,?and?SENT: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas.?He and his wife Caroline have a daughter, Isabella, and a son, Russell.