An Introduction to Lay Speaking Ministries

Equipping the laity to realize and respond to their call to ministry

A lay speaker is a professing member of a local United Methodist church who has a desire to grow in spirituality and to develop skills that will increase the effectiveness of his or her efforts in their local church. The classes available through lay speaking ministries (LSM) offer the individual ample opportunity to do both. The intent is to provide support for all aspects of ministry, including caring, teaching, spiritual development, mutual encouragement, evangelism, and preaching. Preaching in the formal sense is not required, and a majority of the lay speakers in many conferences are not called upon for this particular ministry. Most of the classes have been developed by cooperation between the General Board of Discipleship and the Association of Conference Directors of Lay Speaking Ministries (ACDLSM).

For more information about these classes and the functioning, organization, and the description of LSM in the Book of Discipline click the ACDLSM link on the right. The lay speakers within our conference have also developed classes that are of considerable benefit, not only to lay speakers, but to all members of the North Texas Conference. Click NTCLSM to the right.

LSM sponsors other special events in the conference in addition to holding classes, but the major emphasis is to provide lay speakers with the skills that will help them with the work they do in their local church. Our purpose is to help lay speakers develop their relationship to God, and to initiate and otherwise engage in activities that will activate entire congregations.

Jesus taught us to love one another, care for each other, and to bring the good news to the world. Lay speakers work together for encouragement, fellowship, and to make all of our efforts more effective.

North Texas Conference Lay Speaking Ministries

John Bodnar
Director, NTCLSM
bodnar39@verizon.net

John Barham
Training Coordinator
jbconsults@suddenlink.net

The primary function of the Conference Committee on Lay Speaking Ministries is to coordinate the activities of the four districts, particularly with regard to insuring that adequate training opportunities are made available and that LSM activities are in keeping with the Book of Discipline.

The conference committee also supervises the program to identify accredited teachers within the conference (see below), and has developed several courses that continue to be taught as a conference activity.

Teacher Accreditation Program

To become recognized as an accredited teacher within the conference, a lay speaker must take two courses, and complete the paperwork that provides necessary information and expresses a willingness to take on the concomitant obligation. One course is Lay Speakers Teach Adults: an advanced course from the General Board of Discipleship, the purpose of which is to help individuals become more competent in teaching and leading in a classroom or a small group. The other is Prepare to Teach, which was developed in this conference as a supplement to the GBOD course.

Courses Developed by North Texas Conference LSM

Prepare To Teach

This offering was prepared as a supplement to the GBOD course on teaching adults. The purpose of the course is to help participants prepare to teach Lay Speaking Ministries courses, or other adult learning opportunities in a church environment.

There is no text. All the material was developed by NTC lay speakers.

The Organization and Polity of The United Methodist Church

The purposes of this course are to examine the development of United Methodist polity from a historical and theological perspective in order to be able to use the Book of Discipline as a working handbook for mission and ministry. The text for this course is The Organization of the United Methodist Church by Jack M. Tuell, a bishop in the UMC. The various sections of the book are presented by individuals who are currently active in the UMC. Therefore, there is a significant expansion on the material presented by Tuell.

Theology, the Basics

This course is actually a study of the book by this title by Alister E. McGrath. The purpose is to explore some of the fundamentals of Christian thinking. Topics that are covered include the vocabulary of Christian theology, the key debates that shaped theological development, and why it is important for the laity to understand Christian theology.

For additional information, contact any of the individuals who have provided their addresses and/or click on any of the site links.

Vial of Life

Lay Speaking Ministries may wish to publicize the following program in their communities (contact your city government or fire department):

The "Vial of Life" program is designed to provide needed information to assist emergency personnel in situations where you or a family member are unable to do so. The information in the vial container should include medical history, medications and dosage, doctor's name, emergency contact numbers, hospital preference, DNR papers, age, date of birth, Insurance information, and any other information you feel will assist us in treating you. If you wish, you may include a current picture of each participant with the name on the back. This will also assist responders with identification.

The container can be any clear plastic jar (peanut butter or other) that will hold the paperwork and be marked with the Vial of Life sticker. The container should be located in the top shelf of the door of your refrigerator within your home. This location is used as it is a common appliance in all homes and the contents of a refrigerator remain undamaged during a fire. Law enforcement, Fire Departments and Emergency Personnel are trained to look for the "Vial of Life" in your refrigerator. By keeping a sticker on the upper right hand corner of the outside of the refrigerator it will help save time when seconds count. You should also place a sticker on the upper right hand corner of your front door or front window. This lets emergency personnel know that you are a participant.

You may also keep a copy in the glove compartment of your vehicle or in your wallet. This will assist emergency personnel if you are away from home and experience a medical crisis. Remember to keep an updated list of medications for each family participant inside the vial.

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