Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation
LAY LEADER/
LAY MEMBER
2013-2016
Connecting Your Congregation and
Your Annual Conference
CALLED TO A MINISTRY OF FAITHFULNESS
AND VITALITY
Leadership in Vital Ministry
 The Church’s Vision
 Assessing Your Efforts
 The Mission of the UMC

OUR PRIMARY TASK
¶ 243 The Book of Discipline
CALLED TO SPIRITUAL
LEADERSHIP
 By
virtue of our baptism
 Ministry vs. “ a job”
THE UNITED METHODIST BOOK OF
DISCIPLINE
THE ROLE OF LAY LEADER
LAY LEADER/LAY MEMBER
 Interpreting
actions
and programs of the
annual conference
and the general
church
 Communicating the
vision and needs of
the local church to
the annual
conference and
general church
LAY LEADER RESPONSIBILITIESPARAGRAPH 251- 2012 BOOK OF DISCIPLINE
 Advocacy
 Modeling
Discipleship
 Building
awareness
 Recognize and
celebrate the
ministry of the
laity
 Meet with the
pastor
 Serve
on various
committees
 Assist the church
council
 Continue to study
 Inform the laity of
educational
opportunities
Representing the Laity
MODELING DISCIPLESHIP
WESLEYAN CLASS MEETINGS
The Holy Club
FOSTER THE MINISTRY OF THE LAITY

Building Awareness
Recognize and Celebrate the
Ministry of the Laity
Laity Sunday – Third Sunday in
October
Laity Sun poster
RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE MINISTRY
OF THE LAITY
Recognize lay speakers
Promote service opportunities
RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE MINISTRY OF
THE LAITY
Recognize ministries in daily life
MEET WITH THE PASTOR
REGULARLY
Re: State of the congregation
Needs for ministry
Prayer for each other
NEW WAYS TO WORK;
SHARED MINISTRY
No
ministry is subservient
to another
Sent by Christ to live and
work together - clergy and
laity
Guiding congregation
through change
Covenant for Leadership
GUIDELINES FOR DIALOGUE WITH
YOUR PASTOR

Listen

Be courageous

Don’t be defensive

Be honest and kind
SERVE ON COMMITTEES
Charge
Conference
Church Council
Finance Committee
Lay Leadership
Committee
Staff Parish Relations/
Pastor Parish Relations
Committee
CONTINUOUS STUDY
ASSIST THE COUNCIL
Ministry Beyond the Walls and Windows
DISTRICT AND CONFERENCE LAY
LEADERS

Your counterparts and leaders on a
district or conference level
REFLECTION
The UMC: A “Connectional”
Church
Purple Street Church is not just any church,
It’s a United Methodist Church….
Courtesy of UMCOM
…and it’s
part of the
District…
Courtesy of UMCOM
…which is part
of the Annual
Conference…
Courtesy of UMCOM
…which is part
of the
Jurisdiction…
Courtesy of UMCOM
…which is part of the
United Methodist Church,
which is really…
…a global church, with conferences and members
in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.
Courtesy of UMCOM
RESPONSIBILITIES AS
LAY MEMBER OF ANNUAL CONFERENCE
 Participate
in all sessions and
vote
 Report to the congregation
 Interpret actions taken
at annual conference
 Serve on Church Council,
SPR/PPR, and
Finance Committee
ANNUAL CONFERENCE –
TWO MEANINGS

Geographic area with assigned bishop.
The annual meeting of lay and clergy
members of the geographical area
(Annual Conference Session)

PREPARING FOR ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
Study
Attend
district meetings
Understand the process
The Book of Discipline
Discuss issues
PARTICIPATE DURING
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
 Attend
laity sessions
 Participate in all other sessions
 Listen
 Worship
 Attend Bible study
 Explore
JOURNALING:
Reflections about;
 Proceedings
 Discussions
 Worship
 Special ceremonies
 Music
SERVE AFTER ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Share
information
Celebrate the opportunity and
accomplishments
GENERAL CONFERENCE

2016 Portland Oregon- May 10-20
JURISDICTIONAL CONFERENCE
 Held
after General Conference
 Delegates elected with
General Conference Delegates
 Election of bishops
 Other Jurisdictional business
REFLECTION
IMPROVING YOUR LEADERSHIP
Servant Leadership
Spiritual Disciplines
Accountability
Spiritual Gifts
Lay Servant Ministries
Christian conferencing
Communication Skills
Leading Change
Evaluating Your Leadership
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Mt. 20:25-28
 The United Methodist Book of Discipline


Part IV. Sections III. - V.
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Means of Grace
Prayer
 Searching the Scriptures
 Holy Communion
 Fasting
 Christian Conferencing
 Worship
 Devotions
 Works of Piety and Mercy

Spiritual Disciplines
“O begin! Fix some
part of every day
for private
exercises..Wheth
er you like it or
no, read and
pray daily. It is
for your life;
there is no other
way: else you
will be a trifler
all your days.”
John Wesley
THE UNITED METHODIST RULE OF LIFE
The General Rules
First: Do no Harm
Second: Do Good
Third: Attend upon all the Ordinances of God
(Means of Grace)
“To form the Savior in the Soul”
ACCOUNTABLE/COVENANT DISCIPLESHIP
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
“Each one of us
has received a
special gift in
proportion to
what Christ
has given.”
Ephesians 4:7
LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES
 Inform
congregation about
Lay Servant Ministries
 Encourage participation
 Keep track of courses
taken by lay servants
 Help lay speakers find
ways to use their skills
LEARNING & LEADING
Most
Lay Servant Ministries
courses can be used as
short term studies for
ALL members of
the congregation!
CERTIFIED LAY MINISTERS
Additional training beyond Lay Servant
Ministries
 Assigned by District Superintendent
 Serve with a mutual ministry team
 Certified by District Comm. on Ordained
Ministry

 More
Info:
www.gbod.org/laity/clm
clm@gbod.org
CHRISTIAN CONFERENCING/LEADING MEETINGS
Tithing Your Time
Discernment
“to see to the heart of the matter with
spiritual eyes”
CONSENSUS
Creates cooperative dynamic
Mutual Invitation
“Do unto others……”
INCLUSIVITY
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Listening
LEADING CHANGE
Necessary for growth
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY –
A NEW WAY OF
THINKING
Philippians 4:8
WHAT IS APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY??
A
way of seeing and
creating
Offers a different reality
Forsakes the “deficit
model”
CONFLICT AND MEDIATION
From PROBLEMS To POSSIBILITIES
IDENTIFYING AND PREPARING
POTENTIAL LEADERS
Passing the Baton
EVALUATING YOUR LEADERSHIP
REFLECTION
TAKE AWAYS
Set up times for regular conversations
with your pastor- including prayer
covenant
 Plan to change the format of meetings
to Christian conferencing
 Find ways to encourage members in
their Ministry in Daily Life – help
them recognize their work as
ministry- explore ways to recognize
this in the church

MORE TAKE AWAYS
 Consider
a recognition
service for those serving on
committees- including those who
are rotating off
 Find ways to stay connected and
informed on the larger church
 Find ways to be in ministry beyond
the walls
 Establish a pattern of spiritual
disciplines and join or form an
accountability group – Teach about
the General Rules in your
congregation
“Do everything without
complaining or arguing,
so that you may become
blameless and pure, children of
God without fault in a crooked
and depraved generation in
which you shine like stars in the
universe as you hold out the
word of life…”
Philippians 2:14-15
COPYRIGHT
“Lay Leader/Lay Member” Copyright © 2013
The General Board of Discipleship of The
United Methodist Church, PO Box 340003,
Nashville TN 37203-0003. Website:
http://www.GBOD.org. This presentation
may be reprinted and used for nonprofit local
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inclusion of the complete copyright citation
plus the words "Used by permission." It may
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profit, or placed on a website not under the
auspices of The General Board of
Discipleship.