Lay Servant Ministry A Quarterly Publication of the Five Rivers District

Transcription

1 Lay Servant Ministry A Quarterly Publication of the Five Rivers District A Few Words from David Wasserfallen ~ Five Rivers District s Lay Servant Director Greetings to all you fellow 5-Rivers LSM s. For those of you who haven t crossed paths with me before, I m David Wasserfallen and I m the 5R Dist. LSM Director/Coordinator (whatever the title will turn out to be). I m at Wellsville UMC and have been a Lay Speaker from 1990 until the name changed now I m a Great Plains LSM. Our hope is that we can encourage you in your work at the local church where you are, provide the support you need, and help celebrate your work as you help lead the people of your congregation toward a more fulfilling mission as United Methodists. Last year I was asked by then Conference Director/LSM Bob Aderholt to develop an LSM Q&A to be posted on the Conference website. Since Bob retired as Conference Director at Annual Conference in June (he was replaced by Mary Feit) there has been some delay in getting the Q&A properly vetted and approved, so what s below is from the DRAFT Q&A (nobody talking here but just me nothing official, yet--i hope) but I hope what follows is an adequate description of an LSM... Volume 2, Issue 2 August 15, 2015 What is a Lay Servant? It is said that when John Wesley was asked to evaluate (or assess) a particular congregation, he asked three questions: a) Have they faith?; b) Have they fire?; and c) Have they fruit? A Lay Servant is a member of the laity of the church who, through their personal faith journey, has acquired faith, has encountered the fire of the Holy Spirit, and wants to bear fruit--in other words, a person who has heard and responded (or is responding) to the call of God to a larger role in the life and ministry of the church. What does a Lay Servant do? A Lay Servant accepts the call to step forward in guiding and helping the church further its ministries to the world. He or she becomes one of the leaders in implementing the church s directive to make disciples for Jesus Christ. In doing so, the Lay Servant s actual activities may encompass a great range of things, from teaching a bible study, serving at the local food pantry, visiting the sick, or shut-ins, or at the nursing home, raising funds for disaster relief or some other mission activity, going to serve with a disaster relief team, serving on a District or Conference committee or board and so forth. A Lay Servant s activities may vary greatly according to the gifts and graces of each Lay Servant, and according to the particular call that that person hears, but they will all align with the church s mission in the world. Continued on page 6 Five Rivers District Lay Servant Director: David Wasserfallen drw1490@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor: Marve Ralston Fiveriversdistrict.com Inside this issue: Lay Servant Training Opportunities If You Don t Ask, The Answer Is Always No ~ Mary Brooks Evidence of the Holy Spirit at Work ~ Helen Burkett What is Lay Servant Ministry 5 Certified Lay Minister Program 5 Greetings from David Wasserfallen continued

2 Page 2 Lay Servant Ministry A Quarterly Publication of the Five Rivers District Available Training for Lay Servant Ministry in the GP and beyond Please continue to check the GP website page above for future training events. GATEWAY DISTRICT Oct , 2015 at Camp Comeca, near Cozad, Nebraska Mount Sequoyah ~ Fayetteville, Arkansas Mount Sequoyah has opened registration for its Lay Servant Academy, which is October Make plans to attend now for both basic and advanced classes. Part of the South Central Jurisdiction, Mount Sequoyah is above Fayetteville, Arkansas, near the southeast area of the Great Plains. - See more at: layservantministries#sthash.jzpv7gno.dpuf Accountable Discipleship This course focuses on the concept of the household of God, the importance of scripture as divine revelation, Wesleyan understandings of grace and the importance of the office of class leader in the development of the Methodist movement. You are encouraged to look at your own faith community and see how it is (or is not) a reflection of genuine Christian community. Devotional Live in the Wesleyan Tradition Structured around Wesley s Means of Grace, this study covers, among other topics, prayer, scripture, the Lord s Supper and fasting major features in John Wesley s devotional life. Participants will learn how they can apply Wesley s ministry to their own life. Planning Worship This course builds on the course Leading Worship, and it is grounded in the principles and practices of worship planning. Leading Worship is, however, not a prerequisite for registration for this course. Readers, liturgists, worship leaders and members of church worship committees will all benefit from understanding the concepts included in this course. You Can 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. All of these count as Advanced Courses toward certification as Lay Servants. Anyone can take a course whether he/she has attended the required Basic Course or not. Built into the 24-hour retreat are worship, recreation and study -- all offered in a relaxing setting away from daily routines and responsibilities. Course leaders and classmates will contribute to your spiritual life and learning. For more information or to register for a class, contact Peg at the Gateway District Office at mccollough@greatplainsumc.org or Ardith Davenport at a.r.davenport@gmail.com. BLUE RIVER DISTRICT Nov , 2015, at Havelock United Methodist Church, 4140 N. 60th St., Lincoln, Nebraska Basic Course United Methodist Polity Leading in Prayer Elder Care Check back for more information as it becomes available. - See more at: layservantministries#sthash.jzpv7gno.dpuf Online Training Opportunities And Information Resources Please continue to check the Great Plains and the Five Rivers District websites for training events. Look for our next quarterly issue in December. If you would like to be on our list, please contact me at 5riversdistrict@greatplainsumc.org

3 Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 3 If you don t ask.. By Mary Brooks Certified Lay Servant A large part of my working life was spent in the Call Center for a Telecommunications company. Part of the job was selling services to customers. I ll admit, it was not my favorite part of the job. I did learn one important lesson from it, however. If you don t ask, the answer is always no. What does that have to do with being a Lay Servant? Have you asked anyone in your local congregation if they are interested in becoming a Lay Servant? Back in 1987, when I was just learning to be an adult leader in the church, one of our members invited me to a Lay Speaking training event. I did not enjoy getting up in front of people and talking, but I was working on what my music ministry was going to look like, so I decided to go. I was going to be the first Lay Singer. It didn t quite work out that way, but that invitation has opened so many doors for me that have absolutely nothing to do with filling a pulpit. Because of my involvement in Lay Servant Ministries, I have had the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful people throughout the conference, met some amazing people I would not have dreamed of meeting and been able to pass that blessing along to others. Some of the folks I ve been in classes with have gone on to full time pastoral leadership. Others have gone on to leadership positions in our District and in our Conference. Others use their gifts in a myriad of ways. Please, look around you in your local churches. I m willing to bet there is someone in almost every church who would make a great Lay Servant. They are just waiting for someone to ask them. And remember- if you don t ask, the answer is always no. Lyndon UMC Friends and Family

4 Page 4 Lay Servant Ministry A Quarterly Publication of the Five Rivers District Meet our District Lay Leader ~ Helen Burkett I often wonder, much like all of us, Why am I here? Where is my journey going to lead? The fact that I ve made it to this point in my journey is evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in my life. For I know the plans I have for you. declares the LORD, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 I grew up going to church, it was in 2003 that I came to the Lyndon United Methodist Church, and here God s plan for my journey started to take on a more vital role. God wants us to find joy and fulfillment when we serve. It s during some of our darkest days that we truly find out, Why am I here? In 2008 I had the privilege of being nominated to the Lyndon UMC L3 Leadership Incubator Team. We are a growing community of persons faithfully seeking to know Christ, and humbly serving to make Christ known. It was during this time of L3, while digging and going deeper in my faith, that I discovered a gift that I didn t realize was there. In 2010 I signed up for my first Lay Servant Ministry class, and I ve never looked back. Being a part of the Lay Servant Ministry has proven to be one of my greatest joys on my faith journey. I recall early in my ministry I had the opportunity to preach again (mind you this was only my third time of preaching). I showed up that Sunday morning not feeling well at all, but I was determined to show the love of Christ, and one of things I like to do prior to my giving a sermon is to walk between the pews praying for the members, and asking God who will you have me speak to today. The sermon was delivered (I felt it was one of the worst sermons ever given) I went home after church feeling that I had failed in my mission for that Sunday, and so I crawled into bed and started crying, and telling God what a failure I was and perhaps he d made a mistake when he choose me to offer his message for this Sunday. Of course, while I m having my pity party and talking with God about how He really needs to rethink what He has me doing, and that I m not qualified to serve God. My phone rings. It was one of the members from church service at morning worship, he called to let me know how much he appreciated my sermon that morning, letting me know how it spoke, and touched him. He told me I had a gift and he hoped to hear me again soon, and often. Needless to say, after the call I thanked God, and apologized for not having faith in myself. Each of us has been given gifts by the Holy Spirit spiritual gifts. Some of the gifts are mysterious; we are not sure how they work or what purpose they serve. I m looking forward to the new growth opportunities that are laying out before me, as I m walking with you as your 5 Rivers District Lay Leader. Blessings and Peace Helen Burkett

5 Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 5 Who are Lay Servants? A formal definition is in the * Discipline 266 (Formerly Lay Speakers) Lay Servant 1. A lay servant (local church or certified) is a professing member of a local church or charge who is ready and desirous to serve the Church and who is well informed on and committed to the Scriptures and the doctrine, heritage, organization, and life of The United Methodist Church and who has received specific training to develop skills in witnessing to the Christian faith through spoken communication, church and community leadership, and care-giving ministries. An applicant must be active in the support of the local church or charge. * The Book of Discipline constitutes the law and doctrine of the United Methodist Church. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For more information on Lay Servant Ministry, download the booklet on the General Board of Discipleship website at: Certified Lay Ministry CLM Program Overview A Certified Lay Minister (CLM) is a lay person who serves the small membership church, or serves in a specialized ministry in a larger congregation. In the small membership congregation, the CLM will preach the word, help to order worship, provide a care ministry to the congregation, assist in programs and be a witness in the community for the growth, missional and connectional outreach of the United Methodist Church. To become a certified lay minister, a candidate will first meet with her/his district superintendent (DS) to being the CLM process. The DS will then refer the candidate to do the background check, psychological evaluation and Safe Gatherings reports, and begin taking the 10 required online classes. To be an officially Certified Lay Minister, a candidate must pass all ten online courses and be approved by the District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM). A student is responsible for visiting with their district superintendent to begin the certification process with the DCOM. To begin coursework, apply to the director of the CLM program, Rev. Micki McCorkle. Download a Certified Lay Minister Training Program application. Send the completed application to Rev. Micki McCorkle, Center for Small Membership Churches, 9440 E. Boston, Ste. 110, Wichita, KS or it to mmccorkle@greatplainsumc.org. Certified Lay Ministry Manual

6 Five Rive rs Dis tr ic t Primary Business Address 3300 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 110 Lawrence, Kansas Phone Fax riversdistrict@greatplainsumc.org Cultivating Christian Discipleship website: fiveriversdistrict.com Continued from page 1. David Wasserfallen our Registrar I hope that this is an accurate description of where you are in your faith journey. This newsletter will try to offer ideas that you can use to expand the role of your church in the mission of the general church by highlighting ideas and programs that are in use in other congregations. This being the case, we are always looking for examples to use, so if you have a mission program at your church that is doing good work, please share it with us who knows, a fellow LSM somewhere else in the District may see it and think to himself or herself Hey, we can do that here... All the District Directors and the Conference Director are, at the Conference level, trying to get the new Great Plains LSM organization well, organized. It is a rather large task and we still have a ways to go, but I can promise you we re making progress. If you have an example we can use, or if you have any questions, suggestions or requests, please feel free to contact me (contact info below). David Wasserfallen Dist. Coordinator, LSM 5 Rivers Dist., GP Conf. Drw1490@hotmail.com (H) (C)