Lay Servant Training
Basic and Advanced Lay Servant Courses
*If you are currently certified as a “Lay Speaker,” the Advanced Lay Servant Course is the one you will need to take every three years to keep your certification current.
Lay Servant training is designed to educate those persons interested in stretching their faith to participate more fully in the ministries of the church. They have three main areas of focus: Leading, Caring, and Communicating.
- Leading - Lay servant leadership takes many forms. Lay Servants provide leadership for small groups, mission endeavors, community organizations, worship settings, committees and teams, and more.
- Caring - Lay servants provide a caring presence in all they do. They may participate in visitation, welcoming and hosting guests, new member care, establishing local mercy ministries, prison ministry, and care for pastors and staff.
- Communicating - Lay servants, like all believers, are called to share the good news of Christ with others. This can occur through sharing an encouraging word with those who are suffering, speaking out for those who can’t speak for themselves, or presenting the gospel through preaching, teaching, or speaking. Most importantly this happens through leading a life that exhibits Christ in all they do.
There are two levels of certification for Lay Servants:
Basic - The basic class is based on Cokesbury’s book, “Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course,” which teaches a basic understanding of ministry in the United Methodist Tradition. Included in the course is the following:
- Wesleyan Tradition and Foundations
- Spiritual Gifts
- Servant Leadership
- Caring Ministries
- Communicating
- Sharing Your Faith
Advanced - The advanced class, based on Cokesbury’s book, “Each One a Minister,” by William Carter is a study of the book of Ephesians and what it teaches us about how we are called to use our spiritual gifts. Included in the course is the following:
- Ephesians 1- Being a chosen member of God’s family
- Ephesians 2- Living out our spiritual inheritance
- Ephesians 3- Our job and mission as the church
- Ephesians 4- Using our gifts
- Ephesians 5- The posture of leadership
- Ephesians 6- Armed for the Fight
- Exploring how to use your gifts
- Prepare and execute a 5-minute talk
You may register for the class times/locations that are convenient for you. All classes will be the same across districts.
Online Classes using the Zoom Platform
Online Basic Lay Servant Ministries Training:
We invite you to join us for the Basic Lay Servant Ministries Online Training. Basic LSM Training includes a basic foundation of the faith and an introduction to leadership. This training will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings via Zoom on the following dates:
August 12, 14, 19, 21 from 6-8pm: Register Here
Online Advanced Lay Servant Ministries Training
We invite you to join us for the Advanced Lay Servant Ministries Online Training. Advanced LSM Training includes learning how to put your spiritual gifts into service. This training will be offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings via Zoom on the following dates:
2025 Advanced LSM Training Dates:
September 16, 18, 23, 25 from 6-8pm: Register Here
Online Classes Offered from NGUMC
It is our pleasure to collaborate with the North Georgia Conference to offer even more online Lay Servant courses through a combination of Google Classroom and Zoom, which gives you a great deal of flexibility in your schedule.
These are all advanced classes that you can take to renew your certification. Please notify Anne at abosarge@sgaumc.com if you are taking a class through NGUMC so we can record your classwork in our database and keep you current!
https://www.ngumc.org/onlineclasses
In-Person Training
In-Person Basic Lay Servant Ministries Training
(Note: Basic Lay Servant class must be completed before taking Advanced Class)
None scheduled at this time.
In-person training can be scheduled upon request. A minimum of 6 participants are required to hold an in-person class.
Questions about Lay Servant Classes? E-mail abosarge@sgaumc.com.