Delaware District Lay Servant Academy
Dancing with Words
(Thursday Evenings 4/28/2022, 5/5/2022, 5/12/2022, 5/19/2022, 5/26/2022)  Available by Zoom Only 
This Advanced Lay Servant course focuses on the ministry of the Lay Servant who regularly or occasionallypractices public speaking
Story telling is a learned skill; for many, however, the only story telling instruction they ever receive is in reading a good book.
This course helps the Lay Servant explore what constitutes a good story, discover storytelling styles, learn the techniques of effective
storytelling,and practice creating stories from their own experiences.
   Dancing with Words: Storytelling as Legacy, Culture, and Faith by Ray Buckley - ISBN: 9780881774078
        Amazon - https://smile.amazon.com/Dancing-Words-Storytelling-Legacy-Culture/dp/0881774073/
Cokesbury - https://www.cokesbury.com/9780881774078-Dancing-With-Words
Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dancing-with-Words-Storytelling-as-Legacy-Culture-and-Faith-9780881774078/25945261 Upper Room - https://bookstore.upperroom.org/Products/DR407/dancing-with-words.aspx
Valore Books - https://www.valorebooks.com/textbooks/dancing-with-words-storytelling-as-legacy-culture-and-faith/9780881774078
Living Our Beliefs
(Thursday Evenings 4/21/2022, 4/28/2022, 5/5/2022, 5/12/2022, 5/19/2022)   Available by Zoom Only 
This Advanced Lay Servant course focuses on reclaiming the balance of John Wesley's wisdom between cultivating Christian life and
our witness. While keeping alive Wesley's emphasis on  experiencing the grace and forgiving love of God, Lay Servants also have a
vital role maintaining our witness to holiness and discipleship that Wesley assigned to instruction in Christian beliefs and participation in
spiritual disciplines. "Living Our Beliefs" is an essential and required Advanced Course for every Certified Lay Servant in the
Peninsula-Delaware Conference of The United Methodist Church.
     In addition to the course text, Living Our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way, the instructor asks each participant to bring their Bible,
     a United Methodist Hymnal, and if possible, a copy of the Book of Worship and The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.
          Amazon - https://smile.amazon.com/Living-Our-Beliefs-United-Methodist/dp/0881775711/
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-our-beliefs-kenneth-l-carder/1112647957
Cokesbury - https://www.cokesbury.com/Living-Our-Beliefs
Upper Room - https://bookstore.upperroom.org/Products/DR571/living-our-beliefs.aspx
Social Principles
(Thursday Evenings 4/28/2022, 5/5/2022, 5/12/2022, 5/19/2022, 5/26/2022) Available by Zoom Only 
This Advanced Lay Servant course is designed to help the Lay Servant examine their own theology and ethics as related to
Social Principles such as restorative practices and trauma-informed education as related to the school-to-prison pipeline; women's issues
and the social principles; environmental justice and climate change; holistic health issues and the social principles; and ministry to the formerly
incarcerated as reflected in the social principles. This specific course begins on April 28th and runs through May 26th on the Zoom platform,
Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

     Participants must download the Revised Social Principles of The United Methodist Church (Draft 2020) and obtain a Social Principles
     (United Methodist booklet) prior to the initial session (April 28, 2022)-see the links below:
            2020 Draft - https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/124
UM Booklet:
            Amazon  - https://smile.amazon.com/Social-Principles-United-Methodist-2017-2020-ebook/dp/B071HBRQNT/ref=sr_1_3
Barnes & Nobles - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/social-principles-of-the-united-methodist-church-2017-2020-united-methodist-church/1136884574 Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/books/social-principles-of-the-united-methodist-church-2017-2020/9781501835773 Christian Books - https://www.christianbook.com/social-principles-united-methodist-church-ebook/9781501835780/pd/92408EB Cokesbury - https://www.cokesbury.com/Social-Principles-of-The-United-Methodist-Church-2017-2020
The Sacraments
(Sunday Afternoons 4/24/2022, 5/1/2022, 5/8/2022, 5/15/2022, 5/22/2022)   Available by Zoom Only 
This Advanced Lay Servant course is designed to help the Lay Servant examine and deepen their experience of Holy Communion,
baptism, confirmation, and reaffirmation of baptism, through the wide-ranging study of scripture, church history, United Methodist
theology and the practices of the sacraments.
                         United Methodists and the Sacraments by Gayle C Felton - ISBN: 9780687492152
            Amazon - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0687492157
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/united-methodists-and-the-sacraments-gayle-carlton-felton/1101825930 Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/books/united-methodists-and-the-sacraments/9780687492152
Christian Books - https://www.christianbook.com/united-methodists-and-the-sacraments/gayle-felton/9780687492152/pd/92151 Cokesbury - https://www.cokesbury.com/United-Methodists-and-the-Sacraments Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/United-Methodists-and-the-Sacraments-Paperback-9780687492152/6106722

Teaching Biblical Faith: Leading Small Group Bible Studies
(Thursday Evenings 4/28/2022, 5/5/2022, 5/12/2022, 5/19/2022, 5/26/2022)    Available by Zoom Only    
This Advanced Lay Servant course is designed to help the Lay Servant teach Biblical faith, the by applying the tools for biblical study
to explore scripture, perform historical studies of scripture texts, experience praying the scriptures, and practice teaching in small
groups of supportive colleagues.
            Amazon - https://smile.amazon.com/Teaching-Biblical-Faith-Leading-Studies/dp/1630884308/
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/teaching-biblical-faith-jack-l-seymour/1120135529 Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/books/teaching-biblical-faith-leading-small-group-bible-studies/9781630884307
Christian Books - https://www.christianbook.com/teaching-biblical-leading-group-bible-studies/jack-seymour/9781630884307/pd/884300 Cokesbury - https://www.cokesbury.com/Teaching-Biblical-Faith
Walmart - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Teaching-Biblical-Faith-Leading-Small-Group-Bible-Studies-Paperback-9781630884307/42078962
Lay Servant Levels and Requirements
Spring 2022 Lay Servant Advanced Classes
"Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient.
Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction." 2Timothy 4:2 (CEB)

Lay Servant Ministries is all about equipping and empowering people in their discipleship,it is an excellent
way to build up servant disciples in anylocal congregation. As we seek to make disciples for the transformation
of  the world, discipleship is all about forging loving, grace-filled relationships with God and all people (our neighbors).

A lay servant is a professing member of a local church or other United Methodist ministry setting who desires
to serve the church and who knows and is committedto Scripture and the doctrine, heritage, organization,
and life of The United Methodist Church. This is a person who has received specific training to witness to the
Christian faith through spoken communication, to lead within a church and community, and to provide caring ministry.
The certified lay servant serves the local church, and beyond the local church at times, in ways in which his or her witness, 
leadership, and service inspires others to a deeper commitment to Christ and more effective discipleship. 
The certified lay servant, through continued study and training, prepares to undertake one or more of the
following functions, giving their primary attention to service within the local church or other
United Methodist ministry setting:    
To be Certified or Recertified as a Lay Servant in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference
BOTH the Basic and the "Living Our Beliefs" Courses must have been successfully completed.
Registration Link:  https://forms.gle/6rYVJGKPsSim9mJC7

For additional information or questions contact:
Lay Servant Academy [ layservantacademy.wilmdist@gmail.com ]
Class Descriptions
Class Resources
ClassResources