Class Meeting Method

Class Meeting Method

Structure accountability groups using John Wesley's class meeting format with regular soul-searching questions, mutual support, and progressive transparency.

When to Use

• Forming accountability groups for personal or professional growth
• Designing team retrospectives with depth beyond surface issues
• Creating sustainable spiritual formation communities
• When isolated practice leads to stagnation or failure
• Building cohesive teams through mutual vulnerability
• When someone asks "How do I find accountability?"
• Transforming superficial check-ins into genuine growth structures

Inputs

The Class Meeting Framework

John Wesley's class meetings transformed 18th-century England by providing structured, regular accountability in small groups. The method works because it combines:

1. Small size - Approximately 12 people, enough for diversity, small enough for intimacy
2. Regular rhythm - Weekly meetings create sustainable habit
3. Leader modeling - Leader shares first, demonstrating vulnerability
4. Structured questions - Not vague check-ins but soul-searching inquiry
5. Mutual responsibility - Both encouragement AND challenge expected

Core Principle

"The heart would be laid bare in the midst of forgiving love."

The goal is not surveillance or shame but honest self-examination within supportive community.

The Design Process

Step 1: Define the Group Purpose

What transformation are participants seeking?

• Professional growth (skills, habits, effectiveness)
• Spiritual development (practices, character, devotion)
• Personal change (health, relationships, formation)
• Team cohesion (trust, communication, alignment)

Key Question: "What will be different in participants' lives because of this group?"

Step 2: Determine Structure

Based on Wesley's tiered model:

Most groups should use the Class format for balance of depth and sustainability.

Step 3: Establish the Leader Role

The class leader is not a teacher but a fellow traveler who goes first:

• Opens each meeting by sharing their own struggles and victories
• Models the vulnerability expected of all
• Asks the questions but doesn't interrogate
• Ensures each person speaks
• Offers encouragement without minimizing
• Provides loving challenge without harsh judgment

Step 4: Design the Meeting Format

Standard 60-90 Minute Format:

1. Opening (5 min)

   • Brief centering practice (prayer, silence, intention-setting)
   • Remind group of purpose and confidentiality

2. Leader's Share (5-10 min)

   • Leader answers the core questions first
   • Models appropriate depth and honesty

3. Round Robin (40-60 min)

   • Each member answers core question(s)
   • Others listen actively, ask clarifying questions
   • Group offers encouragement and loving challenge

4. Mutual Support (10 min)

   • Specific commitments for the coming week
   • Offers of help or partnership
   • Prayer or affirmation for specific needs

5. Closing (5 min)

   • Confirm next meeting
   • Brief closing ritual

Step 5: Craft the Core Questions

Wesley's central question: "How is your soul?" (or "How goes it with your soul?")

Adapt to context while maintaining soul-searching depth:

For Spiritual Formation:

• How is your soul this week?
• What known sins have you committed since we last met?
• What temptations have you faced? How did you respond?
• What victories has grace given you?
• Is there anything you're hiding or reluctant to share?

For Professional Development:

• What progress have you made on your commitments?
• Where have you fallen short, and why?
• What obstacles are you facing?
• Where do you need the group's help?
• What will you commit to before we meet again?

For Personal Growth:

• What has been life-giving this week?
• Where have you struggled or failed?
• What patterns are you noticing in yourself?
• What truth are you avoiding?
• How can we help you this week?

For Team Cohesion:

• What's working well that we should celebrate?
• Where are we falling short of our values?
• What difficult truth needs to be named?
• What do you need from this team?
• What will you contribute before we meet again?

Step 6: Establish Covenant

Groups should agree on:

1. Confidentiality - What's shared stays here
2. Honesty - Truth-telling is expected
3. Regularity - Attendance is a commitment, not an option
4. Participation - Everyone speaks, no one hides
5. Grace - This is a place of forgiveness, not judgment
6. Challenge - Loving honesty includes hard truths

Workflow

Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:

• Review the provided data and context
• Identify key parameters and constraints
• Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
• Establish success criteria

Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:

• Identify patterns and relationships
• Evaluate against established frameworks
• Consider multiple perspectives
• Document key findings

Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:

• Synthesize insights from analysis
• Prioritize recommendations by impact
• Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
• Consider implementation feasibility

Output Format

## Class Meeting Design

### Purpose
[The transformation this group seeks]

### Structure
- **Size:** [Number of participants]
- **Composition:** [Who is included and why]
- **Frequency:** [How often the group meets]
- **Duration:** [Length of each meeting]
- **Leader:** [Who leads and their role]

### Meeting Format

| Phase | Time | Activity |
|-------|------|----------|
| Opening | X min | [Opening ritual or centering] |
| Leader Share | X min | [Leader models vulnerability] |
| Round Robin | X min | [Each member shares using core questions] |
| Mutual Support | X min | [Commitments, offers of help] |
| Closing | X min | [Closing ritual, confirm next meeting] |

### Core Questions
1. [Primary soul-searching question]
2. [Secondary questions as needed]
3. ...

### Covenant
Participants agree to:
- [ ] Confidentiality
- [ ] Honest self-reporting
- [ ] Regular attendance
- [ ] Active participation
- [ ] Grace toward others
- [ ] Loving challenge

### Getting Started
[First meeting agenda or launch plan]

Constraints

• Do not exceed 12 participants - Larger groups prevent genuine sharing
• Do not skip the leader's share - Modeling is essential; leaders must go first
• Do not allow passive observation - Everyone participates or doesn't belong
• Do not police without grace - Accountability without love becomes oppressive
• Do not abandon structure - The method provides the safety for vulnerability

Outputs

Primary Output: A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

Format:

## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]

Example output: See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

Example

Input: "I want to create an accountability group for my engineering team. We've tried retrospectives but they stay surface-level. We need to build trust and address the real issues."

Output:

Class Meeting Design

Purpose

Build deep trust and genuine accountability on the engineering team by creating space for honest conversation about struggles, growth, and mutual support.

Structure

• Size: 8 team members (entire team)
• Composition: All IC engineers on the team
• Frequency: Weekly, same day/time
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Leader: Rotate monthly among experienced team members

Meeting Format

Core Questions

1. "How goes it with you this week?" (not just work - the whole person)
2. "Where did you fall short of how you want to show up?"
3. "What's something difficult you've been avoiding naming?"
4. "What do you need from this group?"

Covenant

Participants agree to:

• Confidentiality - Nothing shared here goes outside unless explicitly permitted
• Honest self-reporting - Tell the truth about your own experience
• Regular attendance - Be here every week unless genuinely prevented
• Active participation - Everyone shares, no silent observers
• Grace toward others - This is a judgment-free space
• Loving challenge - We can ask hard follow-up questions with care

Getting Started

First Meeting Agenda:

1. Explain the class meeting concept and why we're trying it (10 min)
2. Collectively agree on the covenant (10 min)
3. Model first share (leader demonstrates the depth expected) (10 min)
4. Each person shares response to "What do you hope this group can become?" (20 min)
5. Confirm weekly time, leader rotation, and format (10 min)

Note: The first few weeks will feel awkward. Persist. Depth develops through consistency.

Integration

This skill is part of the John Wesley expert persona. It applies Wesley's class meeting methodology - perhaps the most important organizational innovation of early Methodism - to contemporary contexts.

For related frameworks:

• Use means-of-grace-practice to design individual practices that complement group accountability
• Use way-of-salvation-assessment to understand where individuals are in their development journey