Lay Servant Academy
more training coming soon…
Lay Servant Academy VIRTUAL Winter Training
February 20-21, 2026
Registration is now closed.
*including a Lenten Daily Disciplines Course that begins February 19th. This course will be offered once per week at different times. Participants choose the best day and time that works best for their schedule.
Virtual Only
Registration Fee per course: $30.00/$15.00
LSA Schedule (Feb 20th & 21st)
Friday, February 20th
6:00-6:30PM Welcome & Worship Zoom
7:00-9:00PM Class Session 1
Saturday, February 21st
9AM-12:00PM Class Session 2
12:00-1:00PM LUNCH
1:00-4:00PM Class Session 3
Registration coming soon
Basic Course
This foundational course introduces the core practices of lay leadership. Participants explore their spiritual gifts, servant leadership, spiritual disciplines, and the value of accountable discipleship. Together, we’ll look at simple, practical ways to lead and serve both in the church and in daily life.
Instructor: Nick Abate
Required Reading: Lay Servant Ministries – Basic Course by Sandy Zeigler Jackson and Brian Jackson
Participant’s Book • DR626 • 978-0-88177-626-3 • $12.00
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (United Methodist Polity)
(10-hour course)
INSTRUCTOR: Lauren Leggett
This course offers a practical overview of how The United Methodist Church is organized and how our connectional system works—especially in light of newly adopted Regional Conference structures. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how decisions are made, how ministries are supported, and how we live out our shared life together. (A 2020/2024 Book of Discipline is encouraged)
Required Reading: The Method of Our Mission Laceye C. Warner
Participant’s Book • AB717 • 978-1-4267-6717-3
Class Leaders
(10-hour course)
INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Banek
This course looks at the historic Wesleyan role of the class leader and why this form of lay pastoral care is vital for the church today. Participants will explore how class leaders support spiritual growth, accountability, and community. Prerequisite: Accountable Discipleship.
Required Reading: Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition
Participant’s Book • 978-15791-0954-7 • $27.00 Available at WipfandStock.com
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
Leading Worship
(10-hour course)
INSTRUCTOR: Seungsoo “RJ” Jun
This course equips lay servants who regularly or occasionally guide a congregation in worship, offering practical tools and confidence for leading well.
Required Reading: Worshiping with United Methodists (REVISED) by Hoyt Hickman
Participant’s Book • AB526 • 978-0-687-33526-8 • $11.99 (Kindle, $9.99)
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
Certified Lay Minister (CLM) Orientation
(2-hour course) Friday 7:00-9:00 PM
INSTRUCTORS: Jo Dietz and Jenn O’ Brien
This 2-hour orientation is designed to provide information about the two year CLM training for those who are considering a path toward CLM. We will spend time learning expectations of becoming a CLM while creating a network of peers who are also considering certification. If the participants discern that they are indeed called to become CLMs, this cohort will continue to support one another throughout the educational process (2 years) while learning how CLMs are functioning in the Virginia Conference.
For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts.
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.
Instructor: Jenn Robinson O’Brien with Jim Granger
Required Reading: For the Common Good: Discovering and Using
Your Spiritual Gifts Christine Harman Participant’s Book • DR958 •
978-0-88177-958-5
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEU’s.
Called to Preach
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.
Instructor: John Hall
Required Reading: From Pew to Pulpit Clifton F. Guthrie
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEU’s.
Accountable Discipleship
This course focuses on the concept of the household of God, Scripture as divine revelation, Wesleyan understandings of grace, and the importance of the class leader in the development of the Methodist movement.
Instructor: Richard Speirs
Required Reading: Accountable Discipleship Steven W. Manskar
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEU’s.
Certified Lay Minister (CLM) Orientation
This 2-hour orientation is designed to provide information about the two year CLM training for those who are considering a path toward CLM. We will spend time learning expectations of becoming a CLM while creating a network of peers who are also considering certification. If the participants discern that they are indeed called to become CLMs, this cohort will continue to support one another throughout the educational process (1-4 years) while learning how CLMs are functioning in the Virginia Conference.
Instructors: Joanna Dietz & Jenn Robinson-O’Brien
Suggested Reading: Roots and Routes by Randy Litchfield & Part Time is Plenty by G. Jeffrey MacDonald.
This course qualifies as one of the courses toward CLM specialization in Children’s Faith Formation.
Additional LSA Course Offerings
*Please note dates and times. *Additional fees apply!
Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (Daily Disciplines)
(10-hour course) Meets once per week on Thursdays February 19th-March 26th, 7:00-9:00 PM.
Rooted in John Wesley’s rhythms of grace, this course explores the practices that shaped his daily walk with God—prayer, Scripture, Holy Communion, fasting, and more. Together we’ll discover how these timeless habits can deepen our own devotional lives and ground us for ministry today.
Instructor: Richard Speirs
Required Reading: Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition by Steve Harper;
Participant’s Book • 740 • 978-0-8358-0740-1 • $14.99 (ePub and Kindle, $9.99)
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
The Talking Bible: Exploring the Old Testament as Dialogue and Conversation
(10-hour course)
Meets once per week on Mondays February 23rd-March 23rd, 7:00-9:00 PM
This course, inspired by Dr. William P. Brown’s work, explores how Scripture speaks—within its own pages and to readers from many backgrounds. Participants will discover how the Bible’s varied and sometimes conflicting voices invite honest dialogue, revealing the richness and strength of our sacred text.
Instructor: Dwayne Stinson
Required Reading: Sacred Tension: Exploring Dissonance and Dialogue in the Old Testament by William P. Brown (https://upperroombooks.com/book/sacred-tension/)
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
Soul Reset: Relearning the Rhythms of Grace
(10-hour course) Meets once per week on Mondays from 6:30-8:30, March 9th-30th.
INSTRUCTOR: Jenn Robinson O’Brien
This course invites participants to step away from busyness and distraction and rediscover the gift of rest. Through practices that nurture spiritual wholeness, you’ll explore how Christ’s healing presence restores balance, clarity, and peace in everyday life.
Required Reading: Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness by Junius B. Dotson
Participant’s Book • 978-083581-896-4 • $14.99 (ePub and Kindle, $9.99)
*This course provides Certification credit and renewal credit for Certified Lay Servants and Certified Lay Speakers.
Note: 2 hours of class time prior to class should be spent on reading the required materials for the class! *This applies only to those who are working towards Lay Servant Certifications or CEUs.
SAVE THE DATE!
Summer Lay Servant Academy: August 14th-15th, 2026.
Please direct questions to Tianna Durbin and Richard Speirs.
Save the dates!
Contact Tianna Durbin tiannad@arcolachurch.org, Director of Lay Servant Academy with questions!