At Pinetown Methodist, we use the image of a wheel to explain what membership
of our congregation is about:
GOD AT THE CENTRE
The hub of our membership wheel symbolises the God revealed to us in Jesus
Christ. Our goal is not to make members of this or that church. Our goal
is to make disciples of Jesus.
“If you were to ask me point-blank, ‘What does it mean to live spiritually?’ I would have to reply, ‘Living with Jesus at the centre.”
-Henri Nouwen, Letters to Marc about Jesus
“We cannot be Christ-followers alone…When we open our lives to (Jesus), he enters with arms around his brothers and sisters”
– Trevor Hudson
FIVE SPOKES THAT DEEPEN OUR DISCIPLESHIP OF CHRIST
We believe that there are five holy habits that Christ-followers should
practice. These holy habits help our members to grow in their relationship
with Jesus Christ. Each of the five spokes on the membership wheel represents
one of these holy habits:
The holy habit of worship connects us to God and empowers
us to fulfil our mission. The congregation worships together every Sunday;
church staff share in mid-week worship, and the mission projects begin
each day with devotions. We encourage all our members to attend worship
every week, unless they are sick or out of town. Click
here to find out more about Sunday worship.
The holy habit of prayer undergirds every aspect of congregational
life. We encourage every member to commit to daily prayers, and to growth
in their personal prayer life.
Caring small groups provide for our members a sense of
belonging, and a place where members can help one another in their journey
of faith. There is a small group for everyone. Some small groups gather
around a task, others gather primarily for fellowship and study. Small
groups meet during the week and over weekends, during the day and in the
evening. We hope that all of our members will find a small group which
enables them to serve, pray and grow alongside other followers of Christ.
Many people no longer believe that there is any group that will truly accept, genuinely value, and sincerely care about them
-Peter Storey
The fourth spoke on the membership wheel symbolises service of God and people. Followers of Christ find purpose and fulfilment when they are able to give of themselves in some form of service. We believe that service of God and God’s people is a vital part of every Christian’s life. We call on every congregation member to serve God in a ministry that is life-giving both for them and for those individuals or ministries impacted by their service. Click here to find out about opportunities for service at PMC.
We believe that joyful, sacrificial and generous giving
is the correct response of every Christian to the love of God revealed
to us in Christ. Generous giving undermines the God-like claims of money
and returns it to its rightful place in our lives. We call on our members
to give in proportion to their income. Click here to find out about ways
you can give to the ministries of PMC.
“(Christians) give generously because they pattern their life after the example of Christ”
- Mark Trotter
