By Emilie Kroen
Lay Servant Ministries (foundational & advanced) courses scheduled for July and August 2026
There are multiple opportunities to get involved in Lay Servant Ministries (LSM). Check out the upcoming LSM courses on Zoom. Classes are open to laity throughout the Greater Northwest and Mountain Sky Areas. There are three first-time advanced course offerings: Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders, Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution, and Opening Ourselves to Grace.
For each of these courses, participants are required to have purchased the book, read it, complete assignments and be fully engaged in all five sessions with audio and video capability active on Zoom. We highly recommend that the Foundations (Basic) course be completed prior to taking advanced courses.
Starting July 1, Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course Opening Ourselves to Grace: Basic Christian Practices
July 1 – 29, 2026, Wednesdays 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT; 7 to 9:00 pm MT.
(July 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Opening Ourselves to Grace explores the basic practices of Christian faith and life from a Wesleyan perspective by examining John Wesley’s understanding of spiritual practice, Bible study, and other helpful resources.
INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Abbey, Certified Lay Minister
OFFERED BY: Oregon-Idaho Conference
COST: There is no cost for the download of the participant’s book
BOOK: Opening Ourselves to Grace: The Means of Grace and Discipleship. Participant Guide by Steven W. Manskar Available as PDF download at: UMCDiscipleship.org /resources/layservant-ministries-advanced-courses
REGISTER by June 22, 2026. Email Emilie Kroen, ekroen@yahoo.com with your name, address, phone #, email address, and your church name & city (where you hold your membership). Contact Cindy Abbey, csabbey1865@gmail.com with questions or need assistance.
Starting July 7, Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders.
July 7 – 21, 2026, Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT; 7 to 9 pm MT. (July 7, 9, 14, 16, & 21)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders is designed to help lay servants consider some of the basic requirements of Christian transformational leaders in responding to the mission to make disciples for the transformation of the world and guides lay servants seeking to be more empowered to lead their congregations toward vitality.
INSTRUCTOR: Virginia L Mills, Certified Lay Speaker & District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, North Louisiana Annual Conference
OFFERED BY: Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference
COST: The cost of the book $18.00
BOOK: Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders; Marc Brown, Kathy Merry, John Briggs. Participant’s Book • DR881 • 978-0-88177-881-6 • $18.00
REGISTER by June 26, 2026. Email Emilie at ekroen@yahoo.com; Provide your Name, Home Address, email address, phone #, & and your local church (where you hold your membership.)
Starting August 3, Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
Aug 3 – 17, 2026, Mondays and Thursdays 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT; 7 to 9 pm MT. (Aug. 3, 6, 10, 13, & 17.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution Every church deals with conflict, both healthy and unhealthy, and lay servants can be equipped and empowered to help lead through those times of conflict as a time of transformation.
INSTRUCTOR: Virginia L Mills, Certified Lay Speaker & District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, North Louisiana Annual Conference
OFFERED BY: Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference
COST: The cost of the book $25
BOOK: The spirit and Art of Conflict Resolution by Thomas Porter; Participant’s Book • 1026 • 978-0-8358-1026-5 • $25.00
REGISTER by June 26, 2026. Email Emilie at ekroen@yahoo.com; Provide your Name, Home Address, email address, phone #, & and your local church name and city (where you hold your membership.) For those wondering what it means to be a Lay Servant, there is one foundational (Basic) course offering that could be for you!
The Foundation course for Lay Servant Ministries Lay Servant Ministries: The Basic Course
Starting August 13 – 27, Thursdays and Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm PT; 7:30 to 9:30 pm MT. (Aug 13, 18, 20, 22 & 27)
INSTRUCTOR: INSTRUCTOR: Rev. Sheila Miranda
OFFERED by: PNW Conference
REGISTER by August 3, 2026. Visit the event description on the PNW website to learn more and register. Contact Rev Sheila Miranda, at smiranda@pnwumc.org, with questions or if assistance is needed.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is the foundational course for Lay Servant Ministries. It is designed to equip church leaders in the UMC. It explores: personal spiritual gifts, servant leadership, each leader’s role in developing future leaders, the importance of consistent spiritual practices, “God’s call to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ and the core ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating and much more.”
COST: The cost of the book $13
BOOK: Lay Servant Ministries: The Basic Course By Sandy Zeigler Jackson and Brian Jackson. Participant’s Book • DR626 • 978-0-88177-626-3 • Participants’ books available at Cokesbury and Upper Room.
Looking ahead? The following courses are penciled in for September, October, or November 2026.
- Lay Servant Ministries: The Basic Course
- Accountable Discipleship
- Called to Preach
- Discover Your Spiritual Gifts
- Fresh Expressions of Faith
- Leading Prayer
- Leading Public Prayer
- Leading Worship
- Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (Polity)
- Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (Heritage)
- The Millennial Narrative: Sharing the Good Life with the Next Generation
In early August, all courses offered in September through November will be announced and ready to receive registrations.
