Lay Leader/ Lay Member 2009-2012 Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation.

Lay Leader/ Lay Member 2009-2012

Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation

Sandy Zeigler Jackson - GBOD

Lay Leader/Lay Member

Connecting Your Congregation and Your Annual Conference


Priesthood of Believers Called to Spiritual Leadership

“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work,chosen to be a holy people,God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the day and night difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” I Peter 2:9 (The Message)


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..Whether 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


Cultivating Vision and Mission

What is Godcalling your church to be and to do?


Honor the VisionStay Focused and Accountable

Develop Goals & Action Plans Help your team create suggestions Plan mission and ministry

opportunities

Evaluate and Measure Keep an eye on how things are

going Is this moving us closer to the

vision?


Tithing Our Time

Set a Spiritual Tone

Practice Discernment

Consensus and Parliamentary Procedure

Mutual Invitation

Meetings as Christian Conferencing


Our Primary Task¶ 243 The Book of Discipline“The local church shall be organized so that it

can pursue it’s primary task and mission in the context of its own community – reaching out and receiving with joy all who will respond; encouraging people in their relationship with God and inviting them to commitment to God’s love in Jesus Christ; providing opportunities for them to seek strengthening and growth in spiritual formation and supporting them to live lovingly and justly in the power of the Holy Spirit as faithful disciples.”


Purple Street Church is not just any church,Purple Street Church is not just any church,

It’s a United Methodist Church….It’s a United Methodist Church….

Courtesy of UMCOM

The UMC: A “Connectional” Church


…and it’s part of the

District…

…and it’s part of the

District…

Courtesy of UMCOM


……which is part which is part of the Annual of the Annual Conference…Conference…

Courtesy of UMCOM


……which is part which is part of the of the

Jurisdiction…Jurisdiction…

Courtesy of UMCOM


……which is part of the which is part of the United Methodist Church,United Methodist Church,

which is really…which is really…

……a global church, with conferences and members a global church, with conferences and members in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.

Courtesy of UMCOM


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


Responsibilities- Paragraph 251- 2008 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


ADVOCACYRepresentative of the laity in the congregationAn extension of the congregation in the

community

Modeling Discipleship Model of faith and

integrity Role model for good

habits of personal

devotion and discipleship

Building AwarenessLeadership example -Can serve as co-leader

with appointed leader• Foster the ministry of the laity


Recognize and Celebrate the Ministry of the Laity

Laity Sunday, Recognize lay speakers

Promote service opportunitiesRecognize ministries in daily life


Meet with the pastor Regularly

Re: State of the congregation

Needs for ministry Prayer for each other

Sandy Zeigler Jackson - GBODRespectful Communication Guidelines

R = take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel,

without blaming others. E = EMPATHETIC listening. Try to understand

how the other person feels. S = be SENSITIVE to differences in

communication styles. P = PONDER on what you hear and feel before

you speak. E = EXAMINE your own assumptions and

perceptions. C = keep CONFIDENTIAL what others have to

say T = TOLERATE ambiguity. We are not here to

debate who is right or wrong. Trust that God will speak to us in a way

that each needs to hear.

Copyright Eric Law www.ladiocese.org/ki


Serve on Committees

• Charge Conference• Church Council• Finance Committee• Lay Leadership Committee• Staff Parish Relations/ Pastor Parish Relations Committee


Assist the Council

Ministry Beyond the Walls and Windows


District and Conference Lay Leaders

• Your counterparts on a district or conference level

• District Lay Leader works with District Superintendent

• Conference Lay Leader works with the Bishop

• Each is charged with training the laity of the district/annual conference respectively


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 the pre-conference journal and

legislation submitted• Attend pre-conference district

meetings• Understand the process used to

conduct business• Develop a general knowledge of the

Book of Discipline• Meet with pastor and other lay

leaders/lay members to discuss issues


Participate During Annual Conference

• Attend laity sessions• Participate in all sessions; business,

legislation, reports and budget• Listen during proceedings• Attend all worship experiences• Attend plenary and Bible study

sessions• Explore resource displays


Journaling:

Reflections about;• Proceedings• Discussions• Worship• Special ceremonies• Music


Serve after Annual Conference

• Share information• Celebrate the opportunity and

accomplishments


General Conference

• Held every four years• Meeting of all annual

conferences, missionary and central conferences

• Delegates elected by each annual conference in the preceding year


Jurisdictional Conference

• Held after General Conference

• Delegates elected with General Conference Delegates

• Election of bishops• Other Jurisdictional business

Sandy Zeigler Jackson - GBODImproving Your LeadershipServant Leadership- Modeled by Jesus

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

Study


Lay Speaking Ministries

• Not just about preaching!• Inform congregation about Lay

Speaking Ministries• Encourage participation• Keep track of courses taken by lay

speakers• Help lay speakers find ways to use

their skills


Learning & Leading

Most Lay Speaking

Ministries coursescan be used as short

term studies for ALL

members of the congregation!


Certified Lay Ministers

• Serve as pastoral leaders in a local congregation

• Additional training beyond Lay Speaking Ministries

• Assigned by District Superintendent

• Serve with a mutual ministry team• More Info: www.gbod.org/laity/clm [email protected]


Identifying And Preparing Potential Leaders

Passing the Baton


Accountable/Covenant Discipleship


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


Leading Change

• Change is part of growth• Some change is welcomed• Some change is resisted

(“We’ve always done it this way”)

• The Lay Leader and the Pastor guide the congregation through appropriate change


Appreciative Inquiry – A New Way of Thinking• “Finally, Beloved, whatever is

true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8


What is Appreciative Inquiry??

• A way of seeing and creating• A way of forming a

community that can perceive, think and create with their best life resources

• Offers a different reality – a different way of perceiving and living


What’s Working?• Appreciative Inquiry starts

from an assessment of: – what has worked well in the past

(peak experiences) – what’s working now– based on this, what might be

possible – and the gifts (assets and

relationships) we now have or can connect with to help us live into much more optimal working going forward…


The United Methodist Rule of Life

The General RulesFirst: Do no HarmSecond: Do GoodThird: Attend upon all the Ordinances of God (Means of Grace) or stay in love with God

“To form the Savior in the Soul”


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


Sandy Jackson

Director Connectional Laity Development

General Board of DiscipleshipThe United Methodist Church

[email protected] ext. 7179fax: 615-340-7055

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." I Peter 2:9


Copyright

“Lay Leader/Lay Member” Copyright © 2008 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 church and educational purposes with the inclusion of the complete copyright citation plus the words "Used by permission." It may not be sold, republished, altered, used for profit, or placed on a website not under the auspices of The General Board of Discipleship.

Lay Leader/ Lay Member 2009-2012 Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation.

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