Virtual Accountability

In a previous post, I included John Wesley’s “Rules of the Band Societies.” The post ended up starting a conversation about online accountability, or “virtual” accountability. The conversation went in several different directions, but the conversation particularly stuck with Bart and he ultimately decided to start a blog that would be dedicated as a place where people could check in daily and post their successes, challenges, and requests for prayer.

I am going to participate in this group, and I would like to invite you to consider whether you would like to be involved too. I am excited about this because my interest in the blogosphere is above all else in whether this is a platform that can be used to encourage people to grow in their faith. I think an accountability blog would be a great place to first, be held personally accountable and second, to learn what works and what can be improved for online accountability.

If you are interested, check out the blog Bart created. Bart and I are the only two involved at this point. We would welcome your feedback and suggestions on how this would work better.

Here are some thoughts I have initially:

• the blog would multiply every time 9 people became involved. As soon as the 9th person joined, the blog would split into 4 and 5. Someone already in the group would agree to start and maintain the new blog. They would all use the same format, so starting it would be very easy.
• we would create a page with some basic information about each person in the group as a starting point for getting to know each other with each person’s email address so that we can check in if someone drops out for a few days.
• participants lift up what they want to be accountable for, it is not the other members job to try to root things out. we trust each other to be open as we feel led to be open about the room we have for growth.
• i haven’t mentioned this to Bart, but i would like to see covenanting to read Scripture daily and pray for group members be a basic commitment that we make for being a part of the group.

I anticipate that this will be fairly organic at first. We will evolve and improve things as we benefit from the collective wisdom of the folks who would like to participate.

How do you think this could be improved? Would you like to participate? (Even if you are not planning on participating, your feedback on what is good and what could be better about this idea would be greatly appreciated.)

Rules of the Band Societies

I had a conversation recently with a few people who expressed a desire to enter into a deeper level of accountability and intimacy with fellow Christians. We were talking about the power that can come from “watching over one another in love.” I shared that I had been a part of a Wesleyan band meeting in seminary and that this was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.

In light of that conversation, I thought I would post Wesley’s “Rules of the Band-Societies,” Drawn up December 25, 1738. (This is public domain.) So what follows are the rules:

The design of our meeting is, to obey that command of God, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

To this end, we intend -

1. To meet once a week, at the least.
2. To come punctually at the hour appointed, without some extraordinary reason.
3. To begin (those of us who are present) exactly at the hour, with singing or prayer.
4. To speak each of us in order, freely and plainly, the true state of our souls, with the faults we have committed in thought, word, or deed, the temptations we have felt, since our last meeting.
5. To end every meeting with prayer, suited to the state of each person present.
6. To desire some person among us to speak his own state first, and then to ask the rest, in order, as many and as searching questions as may be, concerning their state, sins, and temptations.

Some of the questions proposed to every one before he is admitted among us may be to this effect: –

1. Have you the forgiveness of your sins?
2. Have you peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Have you the witness of God’s Spirit with your spirit, that you are a child of God?
4. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?
5. Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?
6. Do you desire to be told of your faults?
7. Do you desire to be told of all your faults, and that plain and home?
8. Do you desire that every one of us should tell you, from time to time, whatsoever is in his heart concerning you?
9. Consider! Do you desire we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?
10. Do you desire that, in doing this, we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
11. Is it your desire and design to be on this, and all other occasions, entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

Any of the preceding questions may be asked as often as occasion offers; the four following at every meeting: –

1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have you met with?
3. How were you delivered?
4. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?