This handbook encourages short-term mission volunteers to reflect on the reasons why they engage in mission and how they plan and prepare to be more intentional. It helps volunteers shape the stories of their mission experiences in a way that enhances their personal and spiritual journeys. This is the Participant's Book. The Leader's Guide, God's Mission, Our Journey, can be found here.

This advanced leader's course in Lay Servant Ministries focuses on the ministry of the Lay Servant who either regularly or occasionally leads a group, class, organization, or the congregation in worship. The course is grounded in the classic patterns of Christian worship and the practices of leading worship. Participants will come to understand more about Christian worship in order to lead worship with more confidence. They will practice leading worship in a variety of formats throughout the ...

Revised and updated, this popular book shows pastors and worship leaders the basics of United Methodist worship. In this straightforward and updated commentary, Hoyt Hickman explains the basic pattern of United Methodist worship within the broader context of Christian worship. Drawing upon five basic principles, the author explains the formative nature of worship and how it can revitalize persons' lives. These principles are: God's Word is primary; active congregational participation is cruci...

This course will explore the origins of the office of class leader in the Wesleyan Methodist tradition. It examines the need for recovering the lay pastoral ministry of the class leader for the twenty-first century church. Participants will see how the ministry of Certified Lay Servants intersects with that of the class leader. NOTE: Accountable Discipleship is a prerequisite to this course. Please note that the Participant's Guide for this, Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition, by David Low...

This guide provides information for conference and district directors of Lay Servant Ministries, including: the responsibilities of conference and district directors guidance for organizing Lay Servant Ministries tools for administration information on the Association of Conference Directors of Lay Servant Ministries (ACDLSM) other helpful resources

The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Leader's Guide is an introductory course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It can be used with adults and youth and is the foundational course for other leadership training courses. This course covers the 3 three core categories of Lay Servant Ministries: Leading, Caring, and Communicating; it also emphasizes ministry in daily life and sharing faith stories. The plans in this Leader's Guide ar...

"God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ. …Lay Servant Ministries is the first step for many laypersons toward their faith journey as they strive for a closer relationship with the Lord," the authors write in the introduction. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores personal spiritual gifts servant leadership each leader's role in d...

Transforming conflict into a positive rather than a negative force is a spiritual pursuit and needs to be grounded in biblical principles: love of God, neighbor, and self. This book is a resource for leaders, ministers, mediators, facilitators, and conflict transformation consultants who want to approach the work in this way. Part 1 explains how we can prepare ourselves for the work of engaging conflict. Part 2 explores how we engage others in conflict transformation, outlining specific proce...

You can believe anything and be a Methodist, just so long as you're sincere. Such a misperception has deep historical and cultural roots. Explore a basic explanation of the beliefs and practices of the United Methodist Church as defined in Part II of The Book of Discipline. Uncover a deeper understanding and experience of Christian faith as you embrace the United Methodist way. "Beliefs are to be lived; doctrine is to be practiced," writes Carder in this updated edition of his 1996 bestselle...