What is a Disciple?
Our mission is simple — we are making disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. At Royston First UMC, we believe that EVERYONE is invited to walk with Jesus on a discipleship journey. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus calls his first disciples with a simple invitation, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Today, that invitation to walk with Jesus is just as simple and clear as it was 2,000 years ago.
Discipleship is not about what we do, it’s about the journey of who we are becoming. A disciple is one who accepts the invitation to learn from the Master and model his or her life after the example of Jesus. We believe a disciples exhibits five key behaviors:
A disciple has a personal relationship with Jesus
A disciple develops relationships of mutual growth and accountability with other disciples
A disciple lives a life of stewardship using everything they have for God
A disciple serves others with acts of love and compassion in order to advance the Kingdom of God
A disciple intentionally shares their faith with others and makes new disciples (who make disciples who disciples)
If you want to know more about this discipleship journey and how you can get started in your journey at Royston First UMC, contact us and we would love to help you discover that next step in your journey.
Find a Group
We believe that transformation happens best in community, so we encourage everyone who worships with us to find a small group community where they can ask questions and learn from other like-minded believers. The goal of our small groups is taken from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who challenged his early followers to “watch over one another in love.”
Discipleship Groups
Discipleship is an important process for every believer that provides intimate friendships, an environment of accountability, and most importantly, it cultivates a life rooted deeply in God’s Word.
A Discipleship Group (or D-Group) is a safe place to be transparent, grow spiritually, and become equipped to invest in others Joining a D-Group is an invitation to study Jesus’ model, develop spiritual disciplines, and learn new skills for disciple-making. During the time of your group, you will be challenged to examine every area of your life in the light of the Scriptures so that you may emerge as a man or woman after God’s own heart.
Discipleship groups meet weekly through the school year and sporadically over the summer. An equipped leader facilitates Bible-based teachings with typically 4-6, same-gender believers. These closed groups meet at a variety of times and stay together for an average of 3 years.
To learn more about Discipleship Groups at Royston First UMC, please email Matt Parker at matt@roystonfirstumc.org. If you already have 2-4 friends who want to start a D-Group, let us know and we can help you launch and lead a new D-Group. Our staff will provide helpful resources that will remove the intimidation of leading.
Prayer
We want to be a church that prays WITH you and a church that prays FOR you. You can share your prayer concerns and celebrations with us by e-mailing us at prayer@roystonfirstumc.org. When you e-mail us, your prayer request will be sent out to our Prayer Network each week and added to our Sunday morning prayer list. Additionally, we have a Prayer Chain that is activated every time you send an e-mail.
You can also join us in praying with others when you sign up to be part of our Prayer Network. You will receive prayer updates each Tuesday.
Stewardship
Stewardship is not simply a means for the church to raise money; It is a way of life that recognizes everything that we have is God’s, and we are simply managing those resources while here on earth.
The Bible is filled with examples of grateful response to God’s generous gifts. The Bible also teaches about our personal responsibility to share with others and warns against selfishness and misuse of God’s economic resources. This includes our time, our talents, and our resources (including our money).
Spiritual Gifts
Every believer has been given certain spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit to use for the work of ministry (making disciples). Using an online spiritual gifts assessment, we would love to help you discover your spiritual gifts and determine some of the ways you can use the gifts that God has given you through the ministries of the church.
Royston First United Methodist Church 