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Your resource for support of lay ministry, mission, and leadership. |
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"Organized Methodism in America began as a lay movement"* ... lay people are/have been/ and will be vital to the ministry, mission, and leadership of our churches. |
| * 2004 Book of Discipline - Historical Statement "roots" 1736-1816 |
| HELP! I would like to request the services of a Lay Speaker. |
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The responsibility of finding capable, grounded Lay Speakers is at the District Director of Lay Speaker Ministries level. Please click here to go to the District Contact Page for links to the list of District Directors of Lay Speaking Ministry Committees, links to their email and district web sites. |
| What is a Lay Speaker? |
| A
lay speaker is often recognized by their desire (calling) to be actively
involved in the ministry, mission, and leadership of the church ... to use
their God-given gifts and learned educational/vocational skills to make a
difference.
A Lay Speaker is someone who has attended a formal
Basic Lay Speaking Ministry Class Program and attends LS Committee and
conference-approved workshops for additional learning. John Wesley was
concerned that lay people active in ministry were well-grounded in
scriptures, polity, and Methodist doctrine; therefore, it is important today
that today's district basic lay speaker program properly prepares a lay
speaker not only to be able to speak in public, but also to be grounded in
scriptures, polity, and doctrine. |
| Called: |
| There is but one ministry in Christ, but there are diverse gifts and evidences of God's grace in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-16). The ministry of all Christians is complementary. No ministry is subservient to another. All United Methodists are summoned and sent by Christ to live and work together in mutual interdependence and to be guided by the Spirit into the truth that frees and the love that reconciles. * BOD ¶ 129 |
| What do I do with a Lay Speaker? |
| A major part of the
pastor's role is to equip the Saints and make Disciples. How you develop
and use your lay speakers will greatly impact how well they perform, what
they experience, and how fast they grow in their spiritual journey. Not all Lay Speakers are destined to be in the pulpit. Some Lay Speakers may, indeed, use their gifts to provide excellent sermons ... Other Lay Speakers use their gifts to lead the time with youth, serve as scripture readers, assist with serving the sacraments, and other worship activities. They lead small groups, they teach classes, visit the imprisoned, the elderly, and the sick. They are the arms, hands, legs, and feet of the church body! People in leadership positions in the church are often lay speakers ... grounded in scripture, Methodist doctrine, trained for caring, leading, and communicating. Many Pastors have come to the
realization The benefits are that, by
the lay people grow in wisdom, spiritual growth, and become increasingly more effective and active. = A HEALTHY CHURCH
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| "Qualified Lay Speakers
are a terrible thing to waste" ... please set up an appointment with
each lay speaker to discuss what they have discerned as their own, special
spiritual and vocational gift(s), and what the Spirit is leading them or
otherwise things that they prefer to do in ministry, mission, and
leadership.
Develop an annual plan, empower them, and help them find resources to properly ground and equip them (the district and conference has a wonderful material and training), and give them the opportunity to be involved ... |
A Lay Speaker is categorized
as:
(click on any under-lined text to learn more)
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| Annual Lay Speaker Forms: Annual Report forms are required by the Book of Discipline - to be completed, reviewed with the pastor, signed at the annual church charge conference, and provided to the District Committee on Lay Speaking for approval.* The report forms serve as an administration tool (contact and re-certification), an assessment of what the LS has done in the current year, and an activity plan/focus for the next year. |
| * the NY Conference Committee on Lay Speaking is ultimately responsible for approval (BOD). |
