Follow Me

Follow Me! That’s Christ’s call to each of us. This booklet is a modest attempt to respond to Christ’s call in the midst of our world today. Our Christian faith is to be shown in discipleship that is rooted in Scripture and concerned about social justice (addressing inequities) in our world.

Franklin H. Littell, a Methodist scholar who knows Anabaptist history intimately, has said, “The tragedy of the ‘Radical Reformation’ was that, in good part as a result of savage persecution, it withdrew from the world for which Christ died.” How are we responding today to “the world for which Christ died”?

While respectful of EMC official statements and unofficial sentiments, this booklet does not purport to offer official positions on various matters; it is a discussion guide, aware that there are various opinions on many matters it contains.

It occupies a humbler stance than that of The Christian Life booklet, our baptism and membership instruction guide. And it was prepared with a wider audience in mind—older, more mature believers (while remaining valuable to teenagers and newer believers). It is designed for use by all of our churches in various settings—Sunday school, youth groups, Bible studies, care groups, and retreats.

The booklet’s topics were not randomly chosen; at the same time, other topics were left out. More topics could be covered in a companion volume. But all topics were selected with the conviction that Jesus cares much about social justice in our world, and that our faith must be practical or it risks being pronounced hollow by Him.

This booklet is prepared by authority of the Education Committee, Board of Church Ministries. The BCM is responsible to “provide resources and services to help congregations with Christian education” (Constitution, p. 37). It is also supported by the national Social Concerns Committee, Board of Leadership and Outreach. The BLO is responsible “to identify and respond to spiritual and social concerns” (Constitution, p. 36).

Grapple with the writers’ opinions; more importantly consider carefully the Scriptures referred to. This booklet is deliberately geared toward your direct study of Scripture on various matters.

Through Scripture we become aware of the revelation of God in history—through Israel, in the Early Church, and ultimately and supremely in Jesus Christ our Lord. Scripture is God’s Word written, our final authority in faith and practice. By reading Scripture and listening together in common reliance upon God’s Spirit, we can discern more of what Christ calls us to do today when he says, “Follow Me!”

Education Committee, Board of Church Ministries
Social Concerns Committee, Board of Leadership and Outreach