Discover the Enhanced 'Belong' Series

Are you ready to enrich your congregation’s understanding and practice of the sacraments? Introducing the Belong series, a comprehensive suite of resources designed to deepen your church members’ engagement with the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, as well as their commitment to our membership vows.

Foundations Guides: Tools for Leaders

The original booklets (Our Membership Vows, The Meaning of Baptism, The Meaning of Holy Communion) have been revised to support church pastors and leaders in teaching and leading their congregations considering current realities. These guides include:

• The Meaning of Baptism in the United Methodist Church: Explore baptism as an act of incorporation into God’s family and the connection to discipleship.
• The Meaning of Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church: Discover the tradition of Communion and understand it as a vital means of grace for individual and corporate discipleship growth.
• Our Membership Vows: Reflect on the promises made when joining the United Methodist Church and the importance of living out these commitments in the church community.

Explore: Engaging the conversation

To complement the Foundations editions, we’ve created new Belong booklets that offer a dynamic layout with approachable language for new members, small groups, Sunday school, and confirmation classes. These guides:

• Encourage personal reflection and group discussion.
• Use accessible language and dynamic visuals to bring theological concepts to life.
• Provide practical applications for integrating sacramental practices into daily life.

Lesson Plans for Flexible Learning

To support church leaders, we’ve developed sample lesson plans for Baptism, Holy Communion, and Membership Vows. Each lesson plan includes clear objectives and guidance for leading discussions, making them ideal for:

• New member classes
• Confirmation preparation
• Small group studies
• Sermon series support

These interactive lessons focus on personal experiences, theological foundations, and practical application, helping participants connect deeply with the sacraments and their discipleship in the community of faith. Click here to read more.

Videos for Teaching & Theological Reflection

Each topic—Baptism, Holy Communion, and Membership Vows—is accompanied by six videos to be used as teaching tools, discussion starters, or sermon supplements. These videos offer further theological insight and practical support for churches using the Belong series. Click here to watch the Belong Teaching Videos.

Perspective Articles

We are also releasing periodic articles from United Methodists across the connection, sharing their personal experiences with the sacraments. These reflections will highlight how Baptism, Holy Communion, and our Membership Vows shape discipleship and community life in different contexts. Click here to read more.

Why Choose the Belong Series?

The Belong series emphasizes the communal nature of our sacraments. Baptism and Holy Communion are not just individual expressions of faith but milestones that reinforce our identity as a faith community. These resources will:

• Enhance faith formation and new member classes.
• Transform abstract theological concepts into relatable, lived experiences.
• Support discipleship growth by highlighting the Wesleyan doctrines of grace and salvation.

Get Started Today!

Equip your church with these valuable resources to foster discipleship. Join us for upcoming webinars designed to help you implement these tools in your ministry. Together, let’s live out our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Belong: We belong to God, and through God, we belong to one another.