Do you hear the call from God to serve your church in a position of service and leadership? Are you not sure you have the skills to do the best job? Do you wish there was some program that you could attend that would help you build the skills that would help you be a better Christian-based leader and servant? Then, the Lay Servant Ministries program may be for you.
Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) is a mission of the United Methodist Church. It is based on the principle that we are called to leadership and service. John Wesley was a strong proponent of using laity, members of the church, in key leader positions. But, to fill these roles, we need training, continued education and a support network.
LMS offers classes throughout the year that address the needs of new and long time leaders and servants through the course call “Basic–Lay Servant Ministries”. This course focuses on Leading, Communicating and Caring. After that course it taken, a large number of advanced courses are available that include a vast number of topics from how to lead prayer, how to teach Bible study, how to provide caregiving and how to enhance stewardship. The classes are offered in a weekend format, starting on Friday evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To participate in “Basic”, an endorsement is required from your Pastor or Administrative Board.
The “Basic-Lay Servant Ministries” course is being offered in the Central East District on May 20-21, 2016 at Velda Rose UMC, Mesa and August 19-20, 2016 at Shepherd of the Pines UMC, Overgaard. To register, go to the Desert Southwest Conference website at http://desertsouthwestconference.org/lay-servant-ministries.
Cost is $30 per participant. Participants are responsible for purchasing and reading the text in advance of the class. For more information, contact Susan and John Bowers, Directors of Lay Servant Ministries, Central East District, at jandsbowers@yahoo.com.