Click here for COVID-19 updates

Approved Courses

Read through the lists below to find approved courses for Lay Servants for 2018 from the Legacy Conferences, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain. 

Yellowstone Legacy Conference

Rocky Mountain Legacy Conference

Currently Approved Courses from Yellowstone Legacy Conference: 2018

  1. Approved are any Advanced Courses as listed on the Lay Speaking Ministries Web Site. Also any courses listed in the annual “Lay Ministry Equipping Resources Catalog” (found on the Upper Room website) that are the preferred courses for first course work for individuals seeking Advanced Certification. This Catalog lists both in residence and on-line courses as well as Alternative Advanced Courses. Available on the Discipleship Ministries Web Site. 
     
  2. Approved are Online/Web Based Courses as reviewed and approved by the YAC Conference Discipling Team.
     
  3. Approved are Conference, District or Circuit developed courses upon meeting the approval of the Curriculum Review Committee.
     
  4. Approved are courses not listed on the Lay Speaking Ministries Web Site or developed in the  conference that are Web Based to include:
    1. The Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship (Southwester College) and the Discipleship Ministries as announced on http://beadisciple.com
    2. United Methodist Communications Training (training@umcom.org) as it pertains to lay development of communications skills (all skills, speaking, written, and web    based).         
    3. The Illif “Small Group Leadership course by Podcast to include an end of course five hour meeting. Based on the “The Christian Small  Group Leaded” by Thomas Hawkins,
    4. The Saint Paul Lecture series conducted in Helena, MT.
    5. Conference Spiritual Formation events, retreats that are structured to address the aspect(s) of Lay Servant Ministries in a particular area or areas. Examples of past event subjects are Servant Leadership, Discipleship, Wesleyan History, and various workshops such as Trustees, SPRC, Christian Education and Finance.
       
  5. In Residence Courses to include courses developed by: 
    1. The United Methodist Women’s Mission U (formerly School of Christian Missions). Requires the Basic Lay Servant Ministry Class and at least one Lay Servant Ministry advanced class be completed before credit for Mission U courses count as advanced course work.
    2. Courses that would be available and approved from other Conferences to include in-residence and web based courses as long as an enrollee can meet all requirements of the course, 
       
  6. Retake of the Basic Course. If a Certified Lay Servant has not taken the current Basic Course, credit as an Advanced Course can be given for this course.  Rational being that the individual is provided with information in which to use to encourage others to take the course. 

Education On Line:

Be a DiscipleCourses:  On line Advanced courses approved by the GBOD. Courses offered by Southwestern College, Richard and Julia Wilkie Institute. On the home page go to “Lay Speaking Ministries for current approved class offerings

Iliff Scholl of Theology advanced course “Small Group Leadership”. This Advanced Course podcast presentation requires the online work with a follow on local group session. A great Advanced Course that can be conducted by a group at the local church level. Site instructions: click on “connect”, click on “Illif clips”, “audio clips” scroll down to Iffif courses, click on “Small group leadership lay ministry course. This is a free course.

Summer Early Fall

Lay Servant Ministries

Several times a year, BeADisciple.com hosts online courses which have been approved by the General Board of Discipleship as an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries. These are designated by the GBOD logo “Learning and Leading.” While anyone is welcome to enroll for a great learning experience only those who have completed the Lay Servant Basic Course and have been certified as UM Lay Servants are eligible for re-certification through these courses. Some of the courses are also approved as advanced courses towards the Lay Speaker status. Listed below are the courses anticipated for 2014. If dates are not listed then dates may have not yet have been set. To inquire, email BeADisciple@sckans.edu.

These first courses meet the requirement for Certified Lay Servant (one advanced course every 3 years). In addition, these  courses meet the requirements for the Lay Speaker status.

 

ADVANCED Courses that also fill a requirement for Certified Lay Speaker Certification

Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (Polity course) –  September 4-21, 2018 

Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (Heritage course) – September 24 – October 12, 2018 

Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts (Spiritual Gifts course) – July 16-27, 2018 

Your Ministry of Leading Worship 101 (Leading Worship course) – August 20 – September 14, 2018  |   

The following courses are advanced courses in Lay Servant Ministries which meet the requirement for Certified Lay Servant (one advanced course every 3 years)..

Afire With God: Becoming Spirited Stewards – August 13-24, 2018  | 

  Biblical Storytelling I – September 17-30, 2018 

Biblical Storytelling II – 

Children of Abraham – November 5 – December 8, 2018 

Come to the Table – October 1-13,2018 

Come to the Waters – September 4-15, 2018  |  

 (new course!) Leading Bible Study: Biblical Interpretation – June 11-22, 2018  |  

 Teach Adults – August 20-31, 2018  |   

 

Informational:

Discipleship Ministries, Lay Servant Ministries webpage   www.umcdiscipleship.org   arrow over to Leadership Resources, scroll down and select Ministry of the Laity.

The Upper Room Bookstore   To access the Upper Room Lay Servant Ministry Catalog, on the home page upper right click on catalog and select  Lay Ministry

The Cokesbury Bookstore

 

Contact:

Carlton "Butch" Bennett

YAC Director Lay Servant Ministries

butchb@bresnan.net

307-674-1602

Currently Approved Courses from the Rocky Mountain Legacy Conference: 2018

The Basic Course is the introduction to lay ministry and is the required course for becoming a Certified Lay Servant/Speaker/CLM.  This course is also available in Spanish.

An approved refresher course must be completed once in every three years in order to maintain Lay Servant/Speaker status. The following courses are from the 2017 LAY MINISTRY Equipping Resources Catalogs. 

  • *Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts
  • Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts
  • *United Methodist Heritage—Living Our United Methodist Beliefs
  • Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (also available in Spanish)
  • *Growing Spiritually Through Daily Disciplines
  • *Life Together in the UM Connection (Polity, Practice and the Mission of the UM Church OR The Method of our Mission)
  • Transforming Evangelism 
  • Accountable Discipleship (also available in Spanish)
  • Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition
  • *Your Ministry of Leading Worship 101
  • Leading Worship: Worshiping with United Methodists
  • The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together
  • *Come to the Table (Communion)
  • *Come to the Waters (baptism)
  • *Multimedia Technology in Worship for the Church
  • Leading in Prayer (Let the Whole Church Say Amen!)
  • *Leading Public Prayer (Let the Whole Church Say Amen!)
  • Lay Pastoral Care Giving 
  • Aging and Ministry in the 21st Century—Older Adult Ministries
  • Dancing With Words (storytelling) 
  • *Bible Storytelling I
  • *Bible Storytelling II
  • You Can Preach!
  • From your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon
  • A Mission Journey: A Handbook for Volunteers
  • Justice in Everyday Life (A Look at the Social Principles of the UMC)
  • Spiritual Gifts –Each One a Minister
  • Leading in Stewardship—Afire with God 
  • Biblical Interpretation: A Roadmap (Bible Study)
  • Start Here (teaching adults)
  • Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
  • Concepts in Leadership course 
  • United Methodism 101
  • Opening Ourselves to Grace
  • Pentecost Journey
  • Music - Singing a New Song, United Methodist Style
  • Leading Bible Study
  • Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
  • Leading Missional Small Groups
  • Called to Preach
 

Alternative Advanced Courses

 
  • Mission U
  • Quadrennial Training Event on Adaptive Leadership
  • Lay Witness Mission (only available through Aldersgate Renewal Ministries)
  • Understanding Men’s Ministry (offered through UMM)
  • Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation
  • Aldersgate Renewal Ministries
  • SOULfeast
  • Disciple Bible Study
  • Stephen Ministry Training
  • Walk to Emmaus, School of Missions (Instructor)
  • Christian Believer
  • Companions in Christ
  • Course at an accredited UM School of Theology
  • Any shorter term Disciple Study “Invitation to….” Course

 

*Available as online courses.

Other online courses are available at www.beadisciple.com.