Class Leader Job Description

What's my job?

Class leaders are disciples who disciple others. Your job is to coach up to 20 members of your congregation who are ready to be more intentional about their discipleship. You do this by helping them to apply the General Rule of Discipleship to their daily lives. Class Leaders, in partnership with the appointed pastor(s), play an important role in the congregation’s mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, administration, helping, and shepherding.

Experience, skills: This leader will be participate in a covenant discipleship group, willingness to be held accountable for personal discipleship, prior effective ministry leadership, and an understanding of the General Rule of Discipleship (To witness to Jesus Christ in the world and follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit). A class leader must listen to and communicate with people of all ages, work with other ministry leaders toward goals of the congregation, be able to delegate responsibility, and follow up getting the job done.

What does a Class Leader do?

• Meet weekly in a covenant discipleship group.
• Develops a plan for contacting class members on a regular basis in order to help them grow in discipleship by applying the General Rule of Discipleship to their daily lives. This might be through regular telephone calls, letters, or personal visits.
• Actively encourage class members to practice witnessing to Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teachings through acts of justice, compassion, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Be familiar with covenant discipleship resources to help class members find help for discipleship guided by the General Rule of Discipleship.
• Meet monthly with the pastor, the lay leader, and other class leaders to plan and develop the congregation’s mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Where can I get help?

Getting started:

• Read Disciples Making Disciples: Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders to understand the depth and breadth of your job.
• Continue your personal practice of covenant discipleship.
• Meet with the pastor to evaluate and plan the congregation's disciple-making ministry for the year.
  

Agencies and people:

• Your pastor, class leaders in your congregation and other congregations in your conference that have a covenant discipleship ministry.
• InfoServ answers questions and provides current information about United Methodist resources, programs, and staff services.
• Steve Manskar, [email protected], Discipleship Ministries, P. O. Box 340003, Nashville, TN 37203-0003; 877-899-2780, x1765; www.umcdiscipleship.org.
  

Web and print:

• Disciples Making Disciples: Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders by Steven W. Manskar
• Accountable Discipleship: Living in God's Household by Steven W. Manskar
• Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition by David Lowes Watson
• Covenant Discipleship website has a monthly e-letter, information about organizing Covenant Discipleship and training.
• Opening Ourselves to Grace (DVD) four sessions with leaders guide,introduces Wesleyan concept of grace.
• Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit: 52 Prayers for Today by Paul Chilcote
• The United Methodist Book of Worship See especially "an Order for Commissioning Class Leaders."