Today on The SMC Podcast I did an interview with an old friend and fellow pastor, Derik Heumann. I found the whole conversation enlightening, especially as both of us are adamant about blending the different streams of the church into the Free Methodist Churches in which we serve (I have been known to blend a fair amount of charismatic Christianity into ours).
But one of the most eye opening things for me to hear about in Derik’s ministry is his use of John Wesley’s “bands.” Back in the day, Wesley created these small groups for people to get together on a regular basis and answer the following questions:
- What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
- What temptations have you met with?
- How were you delivered?
- What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
- Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?
Derik has borrowed from a more modern spin on these questions, but he implements the same technique, which surprised me. So many church people today are afraid to be honest about themselves, so I always wondered if Wesley’s old bands could hold any weight in today’s world. Derik showed me that the answer is an overwhelming, “Yes.” I hope to play around with the idea down the road.
But hey, don’t listen to my explanation of the interview—listen to the interview itself by clicking one of the links below!
Check out this podcast episode on Southern Michigan Conference’s Webpage or simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play.
Jamin Bradley 