What classes are being offered?

Basic Lay Servant Training
taught by Martha Stokes, Virginia Conference Lay Leader
This is an overview course that provides helpful background for all laypersons in service in the church and community. It is also required for all who pursue recognition in Lay Servant Ministries. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores:
• personal spiritual gifts;
• servant leadership;
• each leader’s role in developing future leaders;
• the importance of consistent spiritual practices;
• the core ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating.

From Pew to Pulpit, A Beginners Guide to Preaching
taught by Rev. Sarah Calvert, DS of the Mountain View District
This course is designed for those who have not completed formal preaching training, for pastors seeking a basic refresher course, and for others who are called upon to preach in a pastor’s absence. Learners will:
• Examine the role of the sermon in the Service of Worship and see it as a proclamation of the Good News;
• Work through the stages in sermon preparation from message topic to final manuscript;
• Learn how to assess the congregation’s profile as it impacts sermon creation and delivery;
• Examine technical issues of grammar, language, word selection, and humor and their impact on delivering the sermon.

Lay Pastoral Care Giving
taught by Rev. Jay Carey, DS of Living Waters District
This course will offer a systemic path for pastoral care using the gifts of the laity in the church. Unique to this course is the ongoing training and accountability meetings outlined for those in this valuable ministry. Participants will be able to:
• Describe and discuss the concepts of lay pastoral care;
• Demonstrate appropriate interactions in a caregiving situation;
• Describe life and faith passages;
• Discuss the relevancy of sensitivity and supportive environments;
• Describe and discuss various situations and conditions they may encounter.

For the Common Good – Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
taught by Tammy Burdick, Co-Lay Leader of the Mountain View District
This course offers a scriptural understanding of spiritual gifts as always given “for the common good.” By helping participants identify and link their gifts, abilities, and sense of calling, laity will learn the powerful connection between spiritual gifts and vocational discernment in the context of the mission of their local church. They will also learn how to make spiritual gifts discernment a part of their congregation’s culture and commitment to equip mission-focused leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Participants will:
• Discover the nature of spiritual gifts through Bible study and reflection;
• Relate spiritual gifts to the overall life of the church and to the means of grace;
• Discover one’s own spiritual gifts and examine their definitions;
• Develop a plan to implement the use of spiritual gifts as an element of leader development and deployment in the local church including suggestions for how to build a ministry team or assign people to committees based on the gifts of each individual.

Worshipping with United Methodists
taught by Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor, Director of Coordinating Ministries for the MVD
This course focuses on the ministry of the lay servant who either regularly or occasionally leads a group, class, organization, or congregation in worship. The course is grounded in the classic patterns of Christian worship.
Learners will:
• Be able to name the four elements of the Basic Pattern of Worship and describe the history of this pattern;
• Practice leadership through the four elements of the basic pattern;
• Receive and offer supportive feedback on planning and leading worship;
• Explore and practice leading worship in a variety of settings, other patterns of worship, and multiple forms of prayer.

How do I register?
Click Here to register for the Mountain View District Lay Servant Training.

Will there be homework?
Yes. After you register, you’ll get an email with a link to order the book you’ll be reading for the course. Please read it before you come to the class – none of the books are very long. After the course, you may be asked to write a short reflection on your experience.

Where can I learn more about becoming a Certified Lay Servant?
Learn more about becoming a Certified Lay Servant, a Certified Lay Speaker, and a Certified Lay Minister: Click HERE