I.
As members of the _______________ Group we covenant to:
From Bill Easum
II.
A COVENANT WITH GOD AND THE OTHERS IN MY CELL GROUP
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE — I covenant that there is nothing that anyone in
the group has done or will do that will make me stop loving them. I may not
agree with their actions, but I will love them as a person and do all I can
to hold them up to God’s affirming love.
CONFIDENTIALITY — I will promise to keep whatever is shared within the confines of the group, in order to provide the atmosphere of openness and respect for the other person’s privacy. I will not discuss another cell member’s words, attitudes or life conditions with anyone outside the cell. I understand that without this important element the group will not be able to survive.
HONESTY — I will endeavor to mirror the feelings of others in the group without being offensive. If I am having trouble with another person’s personality I will be honest about it, but I will not resort to personal attacks in or out of the group.
PRAYER — I covenant to pray for those in the group in some regular fashion, believing that our caring Father wishes His children to pray for one another and ask Him for the blessings they need.
ACCOUNTABILITY — I will covenant to come each week as prepared as possible. I will make a serious attempt to have the lesson completed, to be working on a daily habit of prayer and meditation on God’s Word. I will pray regularly for the others in my cell.
OPENNESS — I covenant to strive to become a more open person, disclosing my feelings, my struggles, my joys, and my hurts to those in my cell as much as I am able. The degree to which I do so implies that I cannot make it without them, that I trust them with my problems and my dreams, and that I need them. This is to affirm their worth to me as a person.
SENSITIVITY — Even as I desire to be known and understood by the others in the group, I covenant to be sensitive to each person. I will be attentive when they are speaking and protect their feelings even though they react differently than me. I will not be shocked, condemning, or condescending. I will not resort to labels such as “emotional,” “not very bright,” “too intellectual,” “liberal,” or “conservative.”
AVAILABILITY — Anything I have—time, energy, insight, possessions—is at the disposal of those who need it, to the limit of my resources. I give these freely as I give myself as long as they do not interfere with the prior covenants with God or my family which take precedence.
God being my helper, I enter into this covenant:
Signed.......................................................................................................
This covenant is from
Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
(Adapted from
Roberta Hestenes's book,
Using the Bible in Groups,
and Covenant to Care by Dr. Louis J. Evans Jr.)
III.
The Five Core Values of Our Small Group:
We, as Small Group, commit to these Five Core Values of our Discipling Group Ministry:
We agree to gather together:
How often: Weekly ______ Every other week ______ Monthly ______
Day(s) of the week: __________________________________________
Time of day: _____________________
Length of each Session: 1hr. 1 ½ hrs. 2 hrs. Other _________
Apprentice Leader’s Name: ____________________________
Beginning Date: __________________
Multiplication / Birthing date (a one year cycle recommended): ___________________
Where we meet: ____________________________________________________________________________
When we must be absent or late, we will: ________________________________________________________
Type of preparation before each group session: ____________________________________________________
Childcare arrangements: ______________________________________________________________________
Hospitality-Refreshments arrangements: _________________________________________________________
“With God’s help, we each agree to abide by these promises to God and our Small Group.”