Huduma ya Kichungaji, Uinjilisti na Misheni ya Ulimwengu ya Kiwesley — Sehemu ya 3: Vikundi Vidogo na Kufanya Wanafunzi: Mikutano ya Darasa kwa LeoWesleyan Pastoral Ministry, Evangelism, and Global Missions — Unit 3: Small Groups and Discipleship: Class Meetings for Today

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Tukaangaliane ili kusukumana kwenye upendo na matendo mema; wala tusiache kukusanyika pamoja, kama ada ya wengine; bali tuonyane; na hayo zaidi, kwa kadiri mwonavyo siku ile inakaribia." (Waebrania 10:24-25, SUV)"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Ukimaliza kipindi hiki, utaweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza kufanya wanafunzi kunamaanisha nini na kwa nini Wesley aliamini kuhubiri peke yake hakutoshi.1. Explain what discipleship means and why Wesley believed preaching alone was not enough.

2. Kueleza jumuiya (society), darasa (class) na kikundi cha karibu (band) vya Umethodisti wa mwanzo, na kusimulia jinsi mkutano wa darasa ulivyoanza Bristol mwaka 1742.2. Describe the early Methodist society, class and band, and tell how the class meeting began in Bristol in 1742.

3. Kuonyesha kutoka katika Maandiko kwa nini Wakristo wanahitaji ushirika mdogo, wa mara kwa mara na wa kuwajibishana.3. Show from Scripture why Christians need small, regular, accountable fellowship.

4. Kupanga kikundi kidogo rahisi cha kila juma kwa kanisa lako mwenyewe, chenye kiongozi, muundo na kanuni za kuaminiana.4. Plan a simple weekly small group for your own church, with a leader, a structure and rules for trust.

5. Kutaja pingamizi tatu dhidi ya vikundi vya aina ya mkutano wa darasa na kutoa majibu ya Kiwesley.5. State three objections to class-meeting-type groups and give the Wesleyan answers.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kiwesley, kwa ajili ya wachungaji walio ndani yake. Tunashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa, kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya wote, na kwamba Mungu huwaita watu wake kwenye utakatifu wa moyo na wa maisha. Wakristo wengine hutofautiana katika baadhi ya mambo; tunaeleza mitazamo yao kwa haki na kujibu kutoka upande wa Kiwesley. Kwa njia ya Wesley kama historia, tazama Kozi 1, Kipindi cha 4. Hapa tunauliza jinsi njia hiyo inavyoweza kulitumikia kanisa leo.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for pastors who belong to it. We hold that the Bible is God's inspired Word, that Christ died for all, and that God calls His people to holiness of heart and life. Other Christians differ on some points; we state their views fairly and answer from the Wesleyan side. For Wesley's method as history, see Course 1, Unit 4. Here we ask how that method can serve a church today.

Kuhubiri HakutoshiPreaching Is Not Enough

Yesu hakusema, "Nendeni mkafanye wongofu," bali "Basi, enendeni mkawafanye mataifa yote kuwa wanafunzi, mkiwabatiza kwa jina la Baba, na la Mwana, na la Roho Mtakatifu; mkiwafundisha kuyashika yote niliyowaamuru ninyi" (Mathayo 28:19-20). Mwanafunzi ni mwanafunzi anayemfuata. Hafanywi katika mkutano mmoja. Hukua kwa miaka, akiwa pamoja na wengine.Jesus did not say, "Go and make converts," but "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple is a learner who follows. He is not made in one meeting. He grows over years, in company with others.

John Wesley alielewa hili mapema. Katika kuhubiri kwake nje aliona watu wengi wakiamshwa chini ya mahubiri. Aliona pia kwamba baadhi yao, walipoachwa peke yao, walirudi upesi kwenye maisha yao ya zamani. Mhubiri alisonga mbele hadi mji uliofuata, na waumini wapya hawakuwa na mtu wa kuwafundisha au kuwaambia ukweli walipokuwa wakitangatanga. Kwa hiyo Wesley aliunganisha kila kuamshwa na njia ya kumtunza muumini mpya. Mahubiri hufungua mlango. Kufanya wanafunzi ni barabara iliyo zaidi yake.John Wesley understood this early. In his field preaching he saw many people awakened under a sermon. He also saw that some, when left alone, soon went back to their old life. The preacher moved on to the next town, and the new believers had no one to teach them or to tell them the truth when they were drifting. So Wesley joined every awakening to a way of caring for the new believer. A sermon opens the door. Discipleship is the road beyond it.

Kwa mchungaji katika Amerika ya Kilatini, Afrika au Asia, hili ni jambo la kivitendo. Makanisa mengi huona watu wakija mbele katika kampeni au ibada maalum kisha hupotea ndani ya miezi michache. Tiba si kampeni bora zaidi. Tiba ni njia ya kumweka kila muumini mpya mikononi mwa watu wachache watakaotembea naye.For a pastor in Latin America, Africa or Asia, this is a practical matter. Many churches see people come forward at a campaign or a special service and then disappear in a few months. The cure is not a better campaign. The cure is a way to put each new believer in the hands of a few people who will walk with him.

Mfano wa Methodisti wa Mwanzo: Jumuiya, Darasa na Kikundi cha KaribuThe Early Methodist Pattern: Society, Class and Band

Umethodisti wa mwanzo ulikuwa na ngazi tatu za mikutano, na kila moja ilikuwa na kusudi lake.Early Methodism had three levels of meeting, and each had its own purpose.

Jumuiya (society). Hii ilikuwa mwili mzima wa wale waliotaka kuwa Methodisti mahali fulani. Jumuiya za kwanza ziliundwa mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1730. Ili kujiunga, mtu alihitaji jambo moja tu, kama Kanuni za Jumla zilivyosema: hamu ya kukimbia ghadhabu inayokuja na kuokolewa kutoka dhambi zake. Jumuiya ilikutana ili kusikia mahubiri, kuomba na kufundishwa. Wanachama walikubali kushika Kanuni za Jumla: kutofanya madhara, kutenda mema, na kutumia njia za neema.The society. This was the whole body of those who wished to be Methodists in a place. The first societies were formed in the late 1730s. To join, a person needed only one thing, as the General Rules put it: a desire to flee from the wrath to come and to be saved from his sins. The society met to hear preaching, to pray and to be taught. The members agreed to keep the General Rules: to do no harm, to do good, and to use the means of grace.

Darasa (class). Hiki kilikuwa ufunguo wa mfumo. Darasa lilikuwa kikundi cha wanachama kumi na wawili hivi wa jumuiya, chini ya kiongozi, wakikutana pamoja mara moja kwa juma. Wanaume kwa wanawake walikuwa katika madarasa, na kiongozi wa darasa angeweza kuwa mwamini wa kawaida, mwanamume au mwanamke. Darasa halikuwa funzo la Biblia kwa maana ya kawaida. Kiini chake kilikuwa swali la roho ya kila mtu inaendeleaje na kila mmoja alikuwa akifanya nini ili kumfuata Kristo katika juma lililopita.The class. This was the key to the system. A class was a group of about twelve members of the society, under a leader, who met together once a week. Both men and women belonged to classes, and a class leader could be a layperson, man or woman. The class was not a Bible study in the usual sense. Its center was the question of how each person's soul was doing and what each was doing to follow Christ in the week that passed.

Kikundi cha karibu (band). Vikundi hivi vya karibu vilikuwa vidogo zaidi, vilivyojiunga kwa hiari na havikuhitajika kwa kila mtu. Wanachama waligawanywa kwa jinsia na kwa hali ya ndoa, na wangeweza kusema kwa uhuru zaidi kuhusu majaribu na kasoro zao. Wesley alichukua wazo la vikundi hivi kutokana na mawasiliano yake na Wamoravian mwaka 1738 (tazama Kozi 1, Kipindi cha 3). Vikundi vya karibu vilikuwa kwa wale waliotaka ushirika wa ndani kabisa.The band. The bands were smaller groups, joined by choice and not required of everyone. Members were divided by sex and by whether they were married, and they could speak with greater freedom about their temptations and failings. Wesley took the idea of bands from his contact with the Moravians in 1738 (see Course 1, Unit 3). Bands were for those who wanted the deepest fellowship.

Hapa tunatambua ukweli rahisi. Mkutano wa darasa haukuwa nyongeza ya kiroho kwa wachache waliojitoa sana. Ulikuwa njia ya kawaida ambayo Mmethodisti alifundishwa, alitazamwa na kushikiliwa.Here we notice a plain truth. The class meeting was not a spiritual extra for the very devoted. It was the ordinary way in which a Methodist was taught, watched over and held up.

Jinsi Mkutano wa Darasa UlivyoanzaHow the Class Meeting Began

Hadithi hii inasimuliwa na Wesley mwenyewe katika maelezo yake kuhusu watu wanaoitwa Methodisti. Mnamo Februari 1742 Wamethodisti wa Bristol walikuwa na deni kwa ajili ya nyumba yao ya mikutano, New Room. Mtu aitwaye Kapteni Foy alipendekeza kila mwanachama atoe senti moja kwa juma kwa ajili ya deni, na akajitolea kukusanya kutoka kwa majirani zake kumi na mmoja hivi. Kisha Wesley aligawanya jumuiya nzima katika vikundi vya watu kumi na wawili hivi, kila kimoja na kiongozi aliyekusanya senti.The story is told by Wesley himself in his account of the people called Methodists. In February 1742 the Methodists in Bristol were in debt for their meeting house, the New Room. A man named Captain Foy proposed that every member give a penny a week toward the debt, and offered to collect from about eleven of his neighbors. Wesley then divided the whole society into groups of about twelve, each with a leader who gathered the pennies.

Huu ulikuwa mpango kuhusu fedha. Lakini viongozi hao upesi waliripoti jambo lingine. Walipokuwa wakienda nyumba kwa nyumba, walipata watu wanaoishi kwa njia zisizoendana na ungamo lao, na wengine waliokuwa wagonjwa na wenye uhitaji. Wesley aliona kwamba hii ilikuwa njia nzuri ya kutunza roho, naye akafanya njia ya kukusanya fedha kuwa njia ya usimamizi wa kichungaji. Mwanzoni viongozi walimtembelea kila mtu nyumbani, lakini ilionekana kuwa rahisi na bora zaidi kukutana na darasa zima mara moja kwa juma. Mazoea hayo yalienea katika jumuiya zote.This was a plan about money. But the leaders soon reported something else. As they went from house to house, they found people living in ways that did not fit their profession, and others who were sick and in need. Wesley saw that this was a good way to care for souls, and he made a money-gathering method a method of pastoral oversight. The leaders at first visited each person at home, but it proved easier and better to meet the whole class once a week. The practice spread through the societies.

Senti zilikuwa jambo dogo upesi. Kilichodumu ni mkutano wa kila juma, kiongozi na swali kuhusu roho.The pennies were soon a small matter. What lasted was the weekly meeting, the leader and the question about the soul.

Kwa Nini Ulifanikiwa: Maandiko na AkiliWhy It Worked: Scripture and Reason

Wesley hakubuni wazo jipya. Alitoa umbo jipya kwa yale ambayo Biblia tayari inafundisha.Wesley did not invent a new idea. He gave new form to what the Bible already teaches.

Tunahitajiana. "Afadhali kuwa wawili kuliko mmoja; kwa sababu wapata ijara njema kwa kazi yao," asema Mhubiri 4:9. Mistari inayofuata inasema kwamba mmoja akianguka, mwingine atamwinua. "Chuma hunoa chuma; ndivyo mtu humnoa mwenziwe" (Mithali 27:17).We need one another. "Two are better than one," says Ecclesiastes 4:9, "because they have a good reward for their labor." The next verses say that if one falls, the other will lift him up. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17).

Kanisa la kwanza lilikutana katika vikundi vidogo. Waumini wa kwanza "wakadumu katika mafundisho ya mitume, na katika ushirika, na kumega mkate, na katika kusali" (Matendo 2:42), nao walikutana "nyumba kwa nyumba" (Matendo 2:46). Kulikuwa na mkutano mkubwa hekaluni, na kulikuwa na mikutano midogo nyumbani.The first church met in small groups. The first believers "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42), and they met "from house to house" (Acts 2:46). There was a large gathering in the temple, and there were smaller gatherings in homes.

Tunaambiwa kuungama na kuombeana pamoja. "Ungamaneni dhambi zenu ninyi kwa ninyi, na kuombeana ninyi kwa ninyi, mpate kuponywa. Maombi ya mwenye haki yanaweza mno, hufanya kazi" (Yakobo 5:16).We are told to confess and pray together. "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).

Tunaambiwa kurejeshana. "Ndugu zangu, ikiwa mtu ametenda dhambi kwa kushikwa na kosa lolote, ninyi mlio wa Roho mrudisheni mtu wa namna hii kwa roho ya upole . . . Bebeaneni mizigo, na kwa njia hiyo mtaitimiza sheria ya Kristo" (Wagalatia 6:1-2).We are told to restore one another. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness . . . Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2).

Tunaambiwa kutiana moyo. Mstari wetu mkuu unatuambia "tukaangaliane," kusukumana kwenye upendo na matendo mema, na tusiache kukusanyika. Neno "tuonyane" ni neno la kutia moyo pamoja na kusahihisha.We are told to encourage one another. Our key verse tells us to "consider one another," to stir up love and good works, and not to stop meeting. The word "exhorting" is a word for encouragement as well as correction.

Vifungu hivi havielezi hotuba. Vinaeleza watu wanaojua maisha ya wenzao. Hii ndiyo sababu madarasa hayakuwa ya kufundisha hasa. Mahubiri yalifundisha. Darasa lilimsaidia kila mtu kutenda na kukua.These passages do not describe a lecture. They describe people who know one another's lives. This is the reason that classes were not mainly teaching. The sermon taught. The class helped each person to do and to grow.

Kilichotokea Kadiri Wakati UlivyopitaWhat Happened Over Time

Wanahistoria wanakubaliana kwamba mkutano wa darasa ulikuwa muhimu kwa maisha ya Methodisti wa mwanzo, lakini wanapima nafasi yake kwa njia tofauti. Wengine husema kwamba ulikuwa kiini cha njia ya Kimethodisti na sababu kuu ya waongofu kudumu. Wengine huonyesha nguvu ya mahubiri, nyimbo, wahubiri waumini wa kawaida na uamsho wenyewe, na kusema kwamba madarasa yalisaidia lakini yalikuwa sehemu moja ya mzima mkubwa zaidi. Usomaji wa haki unasema kwamba madarasa yalifanya jambo ambalo mahubiri hayangeweza kufanya: yaliwaweka waongofu katika ushirika wa karibu na wa mara kwa mara.Historians agree that the class meeting was important to early Methodist life, but they weigh its role differently. Some say that it was the center of the Methodist method and the main reason that converts stayed. Others point to the power of the preaching, the hymns, the lay preachers and the revival itself, and say that the classes helped but were one part of a larger whole. A fair reading says that the classes did something that the sermons could not do: they kept converts in a close and regular fellowship.

Katika karne ya kumi na tisa, katika makanisa mengi ya Methodisti nchini Marekani na kwingineko, mahudhurio ya mkutano wa darasa yalipungua, na kadiri wakati ulivyopita makanisa mengi yaliacha kuuhitaji. Sababu zilizotolewa ni pamoja na ukuaji wa makanisa, mabadiliko ya wazo la mshiriki wa kanisa anapaswa kufanya nini, na kuibuka kwa mashirika mengine kama shule za Jumapili na vikundi vya kujifunza. Wasomi hujadili sababu, na hatuhitaji kuzimaliza hapa. Katika maeneo mengi ya Afrika na Amerika ya Kilatini, ushirika wa vikundi vidogo umebaki sehemu ya maisha ya kanisa. Kanisa katika nchi yoyote linaweza kujifunza kutoka kwa mfano wa asili.In the nineteenth century, in many Methodist churches in the United States and elsewhere, attendance at class meeting fell, and in time many churches stopped requiring it. Reasons that have been given include the growth of the churches, a change in the idea of what a church member should do, and the rise of other organizations such as Sunday schools and study groups. Scholars discuss the reasons, and we do not need to settle them here. In many places in Africa and Latin America, small-group fellowship has remained part of church life. A church in any country can learn from the original pattern.

Mikutano ya Darasa kwa LeoClass Meetings for Today

Hatuhitaji kunakili karne ya kumi na nane. Tunapaswa kushika kilicho muhimu. Haya ndiyo mambo muhimu katika umbo ambalo mchungaji anaweza kulitumia.We do not have to copy the eighteenth century. We should keep what was essential. Here are the essentials in a form that a pastor can use.

Weka kikundi kidogo. Watu wanane hadi kumi na wawili ni ukubwa mzuri. Kikundi cha watu thelathini hakiwezi kumwuliza kila mwanachama hali yake. Kikundi kikikua zaidi ya kumi na wawili, kigawanye.Keep the group small. Eight to twelve people is a good size. A group of thirty cannot ask each member how he is. When a group grows past twelve, divide it.

Kutana kila juma, kwa wakati wa kawaida. Mdundo ni muhimu kuliko mahali. Nyumba, chumba cha kanisa au ua wenye kivuli vyatosha.Meet weekly, at a regular time. The rhythm matters more than the place. A home, a church room or a shaded yard will do.

Chagua na mfunze kiongozi. Kiongozi si mwalimu bora bali yule anayejali, anayesikiliza na anayetunza siri. Wesley alichagua viongozi kutoka miongoni mwa wanachama, na alikutana nao kila juma ili kujua mambo yanavyoendelea. Mchungaji afanye vivyo hivyo: akutane na viongozi mara kwa mara, aombe nao, na awafundishe la kufanya mtu anapoungama dhambi nzito au taabu kubwa.Choose and train a leader. The leader is not the best teacher but the one who cares, listens and keeps confidence. Wesley chose leaders from among the members, and he met them each week to learn how things were going. The pastor should do the same: meet with the leaders regularly, pray with them, and teach them what to do when someone confesses a serious sin or a deep trouble.

Tumia muundo rahisi. Kwa mfano: (1) anza kwa wimbo au sala fupi; (2) soma kifungu kifupi cha Maandiko; (3) kila mtu aeleze, kwa sentensi chache, jinsi alivyojaribu kumfuata Kristo juma hili na mahali alipopambana au kubarikiwa; (4) kiongozi ajibu kwa kutia moyo na, pale inapohitajika, neno la upole la kusahihisha; (5) kikundi kiombeane kwa majina; (6) funga kwa baraka.Use a simple structure. For example: (1) open with a hymn or a short prayer; (2) read a short passage of Scripture; (3) each person tells, in a few sentences, how he has tried to follow Christ this week and where he has struggled or been blessed; (4) the leader responds with encouragement and, where needed, a gentle word of correction; (5) the group prays for each other by name; (6) close with a blessing.

Weka kanuni wazi za kuaminiana. Kinachosemwa kikundini kinabaki kikundini, isipokuwa pale mtu yuko katika hatari ya madhara. Hakuna umbea. Hakuna dhihaka. Katika vikundi ambavyo watu wanaweza kusema kuhusu majaribu, wanaume hukutana na wanaume na wanawake na wanawake. Kiongozi haulizi undani wa dhambi ambao ungewadhuru wengine kuusikia.Set clear rules for trust. What is said in the group stays in the group, except where someone is at risk of harm. No gossip. No ridiculing. In groups where people may speak of temptations, men meet with men and women with women. The leader does not ask for details of sin that would harm others to hear.

Unganisha kikundi na kanisa. Kikundi si mpinzani wa ibada ya Jumapili. Kinawatuma watu kwenye ibada, na kinaleta mafundisho ya mchungaji katika maisha ya kila siku.Tie the group to the church. The group is not a rival to the Sunday service. It sends people to the service, and it brings the pastor's teaching into daily life.

Panga kuzaana. Kila kikundi kiwe na kiongozi mwanafunzi, ili kikikua kiweze kugawanyika. Makanisa mengi leo huzungumza kuhusu vikundi vya seli au vikundi vya nyumbani. Majina ni tofauti lakini kanuni ya Kiwesley ni ya zamani: vidogo, vya mara kwa mara, vya kuwajibishana na vilivyo wazi kwa watu wapya.Plan to multiply. Every group should have an apprentice leader, so that when it grows, it can divide. Many churches today speak of cell groups or home groups. The names are different but the Wesleyan principle is old: small, regular, accountable and open to new people.

Pingamizi na Majibu ya KiwesleyObjections and Wesleyan Answers

Pingamizi 1: Hii ni kuingilia faragha. Biblia haituambii kuungama dhambi zetu kwa watu wengine, na inafanana na maungamo ya Kikatoliki.Objection 1: This is intrusive. The Bible does not tell us to confess our sins to other people, and it looks like Catholic confession.

Baadhi ya Waprotestanti huogopa kwamba kuwaomba watu wasemee maisha yao ya ndani kutaleta shinikizo, au ukuhani wa kibinadamu.Some Protestants fear that asking people to speak of their inner lives will create pressure, or a human priesthood.

Jibu letu. Darasa la Kiwesley halina kasisi anayesamehe dhambi. Mungu peke yake husamehe dhambi (Marko 2:7; 1 Yohana 1:9). Kile ambacho darasa hutoa ni kuungamana na kuombeana kunakoelezwa katika Yakobo 5:16 kati ya Wakristo walio sawa. Pia ni kwa hiari kwa maana kwamba hakuna anayelazimishwa kusema jambo asilokuwa tayari kulishiriki. Darasa huuliza, "Roho yako inaendeleaje?" Halidai orodha ya dhambi. Maungamo ya ndani zaidi yanahusu vikundi vya karibu, ambako huchaguliwa. Kiongozi mwenye hekima huweka mwendo na huwalinda wanyamavu.Our answer. The Wesleyan class does not have a priest who absolves sin. Only God forgives sin (Mark 2:7; 1 John 1:9). What the class offers is the mutual confession and prayer that James 5:16 describes between Christians who are equals. It is also voluntary in the sense that no one is forced to speak about anything he is not ready to share. The class asks, "How is it with your soul?" It does not demand a list of sins. Deeper confession belongs in the bands, where it is chosen. A wise leader sets the pace and protects the quiet.

Pingamizi 2: Viongozi waumini wa kawaida wanaweza kufundisha makosa au kutoa ushauri wa kipumbavu.Objection 2: Lay leaders may teach error or give foolish advice.

Mchungaji anaweza kuhofu kwamba viongozi wasio na mafunzo wataharibu kikundi.A pastor may worry that untrained leaders will harm the group.

Jibu letu. Hatari ni ya kweli, na ndiyo sababu madarasa hayakuachwa peke yake. Wesley alikutana na viongozi, alivibakiza vikundi chini ya usimamizi wa wahubiri, na aliwapa kazi yenye mipaka. Kazi ya kiongozi wa darasa ilikuwa kuuliza, kusikiliza, kutia moyo na kuripoti, si kuwa mwalimu wa mafundisho. Maandiko yanaonyesha ushirikiano wa namna hiyo: Prisila na Akila waliposikia Apolo akifundisha kwa mapengo, "wakamchukua, wakamweleza njia ya Mungu kwa usahihi zaidi" (Matendo 18:26). Mchungaji hufunza na husimamia. Jambo likiwa kubwa kuliko kiongozi, kiongozi analileta kwa mchungaji.Our answer. The risk is real, and it is why the classes were not left alone. Wesley met with the leaders, kept the groups under the preachers' oversight, and gave them a limited task. The class leader's task was to ask, to listen, to encourage and to report, not to be a teacher of doctrine. Scripture shows the same sort of sharing: when Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos teaching with gaps, they "took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:26). The pastor trains and supervises. If a matter is beyond the leader, the leader brings it to the pastor.

Pingamizi 3: Vikundi vidogo vinaweza kuwa makundi ya wachache yanayogawanya kanisa.Objection 3: Small groups can become cliques that divide the church.

Vikundi vidogo vinaweza kuwa duara zilizofungwa zenye maoni yao wenyewe.Small groups can become closed circles with their own opinions.

Jibu letu. Hatari hii ni ya kweli kikundi kikisimama peke yake. Katika Umethodisti wa mwanzo madarasa yalikuwa sehemu ya jumuiya, na wanachama walishiriki katika mahubiri na Meza ya Bwana. Wesley alisisitiza kwamba Wamethodisti washikamane na kanisa lao la parokia na sakramenti yake. Tunapaswa kufanya vivyo hivyo: kukiweka kikundi chini ya mchungaji na ndani ya maisha ya kanisa, kuwajumuisha watu wapya, na kukigawanya kikundi kinapokuwa kikubwa mno au kilichofungwa mno.Our answer. This danger is real if the group stands alone. In early Methodism the classes belonged to the society, and the members took part in the preaching and the Lord's Supper. Wesley insisted that the Methodists keep to their parish church and its sacrament. We should do the same: keep the group under the pastor and in the life of the congregation, include new people, and divide the group when it grows too large or too closed.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji Daniel anahudumia kanisa la watu arobaini na tano hivi katika mji wa wakulima. Katika miaka miwili iliyopita, watu kumi na watano walikuja mbele katika ibada maalum, lakini wanne tu ndio bado wanahudhuria. Anaamua kujaribu vikundi vitatu vya watu saba au wanane.Pastor Daniel serves a church of about forty-five people in a farming town. In the past two years, fifteen people came forward at special services, but only four are still attending. He decides to try three groups of seven or eight.

Anachagua viongozi watatu: mwalimu wa shule, mama wa watoto waliokua, na mkulima ambaye si mzungumzaji mzuri lakini anajulikana kama mtu anayesikiliza. Anakutana nao kwa majuma manne kabla vikundi havijaanza, akipitia muundo rahisi na kanuni za kuaminiana. Katika mwezi wa kwanza, mwanachama mmoja wa kikundi anasimulia hadithi kuhusu familia ya mwanachama mwingine nje ya kikundi. Daniel anakutana na kiongozi na watu wawili hao, nao wanamkumbusha kila mtu kanuni. Kikundi kinaendelea. Kufikia mwezi wa nne, mmoja wa wale walioacha kuja amerudi. Vikundi vitakapofikia wanachama kumi, Daniel anapanga kuvigawanya.He chooses three leaders: a schoolteacher, a mother of grown children, and a farmer who is not a good speaker but is known as a man who listens. He meets with them for four weeks before the groups start, going over a simple structure and the rules for trust. In the first month, one member of a group tells a story about another member's family outside the group. Daniel meets with the leader and the two people, and they remind everyone of the rule. The group continues. By the fourth month, one of the people who had stopped coming has returned. When the groups reach ten members, Daniel plans to divide them.

Sasa kila mtu katika kanisa ana mahali ambapo mtu anajua jina lake na anauliza kuhusu juma lake.Now each person in the church has a place where someone knows his name and asks about his week.

MuhtasariSummary

Kuhubiri huanza kufanya wanafunzi, lakini hakuwezi kukamilisha. Wesley aliunganisha kila kuamshwa na usimamizi katika jumuiya, darasa na kikundi cha karibu. Mkutano wa darasa ulianza Bristol mwaka 1742 kama njia ya kukusanya senti moja kwa juma kwa ajili ya deni, nao ukawa mkutano wa kila juma wa watu kumi na wawili hivi chini ya kiongozi, uliojengwa juu ya swali kuhusu roho. Biblia inauunga mkono: Mhubiri 4:9, Mithali 27:17, Matendo 2:42-46, Yakobo 5:16, Wagalatia 6:1-2 na Waebrania 10:24-25. Wanahistoria wanapima nafasi yake katika uamsho kwa njia tofauti, na katika makanisa mengi ya Methodisti ulififia katika karne ya kumi na tisa. Kwa leo, mambo muhimu ni kikundi kidogo, mdundo wa kila juma, kiongozi aliyefunzwa, muundo rahisi, kanuni za kuaminiana, uhusiano na kanisa, na mpango wa kuzaana. Tulijibu pingamizi kwamba vikundi hivyo ni vya kuingilia faragha, kwamba viongozi waumini wa kawaida wanaweza kukosea, na kwamba vikundi vinaweza kuwa makundi ya wachache.Preaching begins discipleship, but it cannot finish it. Wesley joined every awakening to oversight in the society, the class and the band. The class meeting began in Bristol in 1742 as a way to collect a penny a week for a debt, and it became a weekly meeting of about twelve people under a leader, built around the question of the soul. The Bible supports it: Ecclesiastes 4:9, Proverbs 27:17, Acts 2:42-46, James 5:16, Galatians 6:1-2 and Hebrews 10:24-25. Historians weigh its role in the revival differently, and in many Methodist churches it faded in the nineteenth century. For today, the essentials are a small group, a weekly rhythm, a trained leader, a simple structure, rules for trust, a tie to the church, and a plan to multiply. We answered the objections that such groups are intrusive, that lay leaders may err, and that groups may become cliques.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, "A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists" (Maelezo Rahisi Kuhusu Watu Wanaoitwa Methodisti), chanzo cha msingi kuhusu jumuiya na madarasa.• John Wesley, "A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists," a primary source on the societies and classes.

• The General Rules of the United Societies (Kanuni za Jumla za Jumuiya Zilizoungana), chanzo cha msingi.• The General Rules of the United Societies, a primary source.

• John Wesley, "The Means of Grace" (Njia za Neema), katika Mahubiri ya Kawaida (Standard Sermons).• John Wesley, "The Means of Grace," in the Standard Sermons.

• The Journal of John Wesley (Shajara ya John Wesley), kuhusu kuundwa kwa jumuiya Bristol na London.• The Journal of John Wesley, on the formation of the societies in Bristol and London.

• John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament (Maelezo juu ya Agano Jipya), kuhusu Matendo 2 na Waebrania 10.• John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament, on Acts 2 and Hebrews 10.

• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (Mchungaji Aliyerekebishwa) (1656), kuhusu usimamizi binafsi wa mchungaji juu ya kundi lake.• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (1656), on the pastor's personal oversight of his flock.

• The Journal of Francis Asbury (Shajara ya Francis Asbury), chanzo cha msingi kuhusu madarasa katika Umethodisti wa Amerika.• The Journal of Francis Asbury, a primary source on classes in American Methodism.

• Kozi 1, Kipindi cha 4 (njia ya Wesley) na Kozi 3, Kipindi cha 7 (njia za neema) za mkondo huu wa masomo.• Course 1, Unit 4 (Wesley's method) and Course 3, Unit 7 (the means of grace) of this specialization.

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