Lay Servant Ministry Posts

For a few weeks now, I've been writing posts based on a class I taught in the Western District.  I thought it might be helpful to link those posts here, in a common place, for reference.

What is call? How do we respond? How does God respond to us?

• Abram's Call - God Finds Us
• Moses' Call - No Excuses
• Isaiah's Call - Never Worthy

What is ministry?

• Ministry
• Servant Leadership
• Priesthood of All Believers

Lay Servant Ministry

• What is Lay Servant Ministry?
• What are the types of certifications?
• What resources are available?

CLM Thoughts

Throughout my time as a Certified Lay Minister, I've written several blogposts that include thoughts about it.  You can find them here.

Lay Servant Ministry, Part 3

What resources are available to help as you consider lay servant ministry?

• Spiritual Gift inventory - consider a Spiritual gift inventory.  Here is one that is online, but there are lots of options.
• The Book of Discipline - This is a great resource to understand then process, qualifications, and certification.
• The Basic Course
• Advanced course catalog - you can find it online here.  The catalog can provide you with an idea of the Advanced courses that are available.
• Courses:  The courses are offered in your district and across the annual conference.  An online resource is www.beadisciple.com
• District Lay Leader
• District Certified Lay Ministry Coordinator
• District Superintendent 
• Pastor
• Annual Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries
• WVAC Website  - This link has TONS of information that can help.  If you are not in the West Virginia Annual Conference, check your own conference's website for information.

How can you help others to see the opportunity?  What are some ways that you can help to promote this ministry in your church?  What are  some of the ways you are already promoting this ministry in your church?

• Talk about it – Sunday school, worship, evening study
• Publicize the training
• Consecrate lay servants
• Add articles to newsletter
• Utilize lay servants in worship, and introduce them as such
• Pray about who should become a lay servant in your church, and then approach  them about it.  One on one has been most successful for me.

Lay Servant Ministry, Part 2

There are currently three types of Lay Servants; here are there qualifications, purpose, and information about recertification:

1. Certified Lay Servant -- Who should become a certified lay servant? The best  way I’ve heard it defined is that a certified lay servant is a person who has a call to  work in the local church or in the community.  A Certified Lay Servant provides leadership, assistance, and support the program emphases of the  church; leads meetings – prayer, training, discussion, study; conducts or assists in conducting services of worship, preaches, or speaks; Works with, in, or leads committees and teams in the church; leads a particular ministry in the church; teaches about scripture, doctrine, organization or ministries of the church.  In order to become a certified lay servant, you need to be approved by your charge  conference, and complete the basic course, and one advanced course – and you  can choose the course that best matches your call, whether it is preaching, teaching,  praying, care giving – or a multitude of other choices.  To maintain your certification,  you will need to be approved by your charge conference annually (there is a form)  and take one advanced course at least every three years.
2. Certified Lay Speaker.  Consider this option if you are interested in serving pulpit  supply – filling in when necessary, but not serving a single church on a long term  basis.  The certified lay speaker preaches the word when requested by the pastor,  DS, etc and is also equipped to do the work of the Certified Lay Servant.  This certification requires that you first become a certified lay servant – and then  complete six particular advanced courses – preaching, prayer, polity, United  Methodist beliefs, spiritual gifts, and leading worship.  You have to be approved  by your charge conference, and then you have to be interviewed by the District  Committee on Lay Ministry.  Maintaining your certification involves being  approved annually by your charge conference (the form again), being reviewed by  the district committee, and taking an advanced course at least once every three  years.
3. Certified Lay Minister.  Consider this if you are called to serve in a particular  ministry long term – such as assigned supply in a church or working in an outreach  ministry long term (like me at the Foundation), or perhaps serving a church as a  youth worker. The options are not at all limited.  To be certified as a CLM, you  must first become a certified lay servant, and then work through a specific CLM  curriculum.  You are approved by your charge conference annually, and  interviewed by the District Committee on Ordained Ministry every other year.

Recertification

The requirements for recertification are as follows:

•     Annual Form to Charge Conference.  
•     Recommendation from pastor and church council or charge conference
•     Advanced Course every three years

There are additional requirements for recertification as a lay speaker or lay minister.

Hints for recertification

• Track your service throughout the year
• Track your training each year
• Get a form – know when Charge Conference happens in your church and get  the form to the office / pastor at least a week before the charge conference.
• Get forms from the office or from www.wvumc.org

Lay Servant Ministry, Part 1

I am the Director of Lay Servant Ministry for my Annual Conference. Given that (and because I have prepared material for a class), I thought I would spend a few posts talking it.

What is Lay Servant Ministry?  Lay servant ministry is a leadership development program of the general United  Methodist Church.  It is focused on equipping and empowering lay people who have  responded to God’s call to serve in mission and ministry.  According to the Discipline, “a lay servant serves the local church or charge (or beyond  the local church or charge) in ways in which his or her witness, leadership, and service  inspires others to a deeper commitment to Christ, and more effective discipleship.”  

Some history, first – because I think the history will help to clear up some issues.  When  I first started in lay ministry, there were three types of lay servants: local church lay  speaker, certified lay speaker, and certified lay minister.  In 2012, the church decided  that “speaking” limited the ministry of the laity.  

In response to that concern, two things happened.

1. The structure of the program changed.  Everyone who was a certified lay speaker  became a certified lay servant.  The local church lay speaker became a local church  lay servant.  The position of certified lay speaker was born.  Certified Lay ministry remained the same.  In 2016, the local church lay servant designation was  eliminated.  So – hold that thought, and in a moment we’ll explore each of those more deeply.
2. The second thing that happened was a revamping of the course what was called  “The basic course.” The course was redesigned to reflect the expansion of the  definition of lay service – from only speaking to a wider understanding of leadership.  And in our Annual Conference, the Bishop (and others) decided that since the  program and course were so different from what they used to be, that anyone who  had taken the previous course would need to be “recertified” by taking the new  basic course.

To understand the qualification for each of the types of lay leadership, though, there are  a few terms we need to define:

1. Basic Course – Think of this as United Methodist Leadership 101.  It includes  information about the United Methodist Church, servant leadership, leading  ministries, caring ministries, and communication.  It’s a great course, and I hope that  even if you don’t intend to pursue certification, you consider the course as a  Leadership Development opportunity the next time it is offered near you.
2. Advanced Courses – An advanced course is a class that is focused in depth on an  area of ministry.  It requires 10 hours of study – 8 of those can be in the class with 2  hours of homework.  There are a wide variety of class topics – preaching, teaching,  prayer, spiritual gifts, polity, caring ministries.  Whatever your interests, there is  probably a class that will help you develop it.
3. Charge Conference – this is the annual meeting of the charge governing body where  church and charge officers are elected.  
4. District Committee on Lay Ministry – This is led by the District Lay Leader and is  composed of officers elected by the District Conference.  This committee plans  educational events and oversees much of the lay ministry program in the District
5. District Committee on Ordained Ministry – This is a district committee.  The  members are nominated by the DS and approved by Annual Conference. The  committee – among other duties – supervises all matters regarding candidacy for  ordained ministry and with the license for local pastors.