Central MA District Announces Fall, 2016 Lay Servant Ministries Courses*

Each course will meet on three Saturdays – September 24 and October 8 from 1-6 PM and October 15 from 12 Noon to 4 PM.

Location: South Athol United Methodist Church; 65 Morgan Ave; Athol, MA 01331

Registration Fee: $45.00 Registration Deadline: Noon Friday, September 9, 2016
Download: Registration Form

Description of Courses
Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course
The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course focuses on the many ways lay servants are called to be in ministry. Completion of the Basic Course is required for certification. This course is foundational for all courses in Lay Servant Ministries. Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts as God intended and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship.

Delivering an Effective Sermon – Advanced Course
Moving beyond the basics of public speaking and the foundations necessary for preparing an engaging sermon, this course also includes types of sermons – from exegetical to topical to children’s sermons – as well as how to find a story, use the hymnal, and how to move from communication on paper to beyond the paper. This course is not recommended for beginning preachers. This course meets the Lay Speaker track “Preaching” training requirement.

Life Together in the United Methodist Connection – Advanced Course
What we believe about God and God’s relation to the world shapes who we are and how we organize our church. This course uses the Wesleyan theology of “Connection” to help participants understand United Methodism’s polity (organization and practices), the relationship of our beliefs, mission, and practice, and how they facilitate our shared mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”. This course meets the Lay Speaker track "United Methodist Polity" training requirement.

For More Information or for a copy of the registration form, email bobhout@verizon.net or contact Robert Hout, Jr. at (781)647-3117

*About Lay Servant Ministries
Certified Lay Servants serve in their own churches, in other churches, and through district or conference projects and programs. This offers them the opportunity to expand their outreach and to enrich their ministry through the various advanced courses. To be recognized as a certified lay servant, one must be recommended by his/her pastor and church council or charge conference and complete the Lay Servant
Ministries Basic Course as well as one Lay Servant Advanced Course. Each lay servant must report and be renewed annually, and he/she must complete at least one Advanced Course every three years.
Specialized Track: Lay Speaker – A lay speaker is a Certified Lay Servant who is called and equipped to serve the church in pulpit supply in accordance and compliance with the Book of Disciplines (2012) ¶341.1. Lay speakers will have specific training as listed in this amendment, and will be interviewed by the district committee on Lay Servant Ministries. In the New England Annual Conference, the following comprise the training requirements for the Lay Speaker track: Discovering Spiritual Gifts, Leading Worship, Leading Prayer, Preaching, United Methodist Heritage, and United Methodist Polity.