Courses are free – order your own book and bring a sack lunch.
You must attend all sessions to earn credit for the course.
In case of inclement weather, that day’s classes will be held on Zoom.
Registration deadline is one week prior to the first session.
Introduction to Lay Ministry: The Basic Course
Saturdays, January 18 & 25 | 9am-3pm | Westwood UMC & ZOOM (hybrid)
Led by Rev. Sean Kidd
Required book: Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participant’s Book by Sandy Jackson
This course is foundational for all courses in Lay Servant Ministries. Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship.
Rev. Kidd has served as the pastor of Westwood UMC in Kalamazoo since 2019.
Afire with God: Lead in Stewardship
Saturdays, January 18 & 25 | 9am-3pm | Westwood UMC
Led by Rev. Dr. Sherry Parker-Lewis
Required book: Afire with God: Becoming Spirited Stewards by Betsy Schwarzentraub
This advanced course helps participants develop a holistic understanding of stewardship. You’ll be challenged to become stewards-in-action in all God has entrusted to us. We will go beyond thinking in terms of ‘dollars contributed’ to see stewardship as becoming living examples of the gospel. If we take stewardship seriously – and joyfully – it won’t be just another addition to the same old programs we’ve been doing in our congregations. It will change our thinking, acting and imagining. And it will change our vision of ministry, working from the inside out.
Rev. Parker-Lewis is the Sr. Director of Church Relations for the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan. She assists congregations with strengthening stewardship and generosity practices. She is a retired UM clergyperson who has served rural, small town and suburban congregations. Sherry and her husband George reside in Mattawan and attend Milwood UMC.
Ministry with the Forgotten: Dementia Through a Spiritual Lens
Saturdays, January 18 & 25 | 9am-3pm | Westwood UMC
Led by Rev. George Lewis
Required book: Ministry with the Forgotten: Dementia through a Spiritual Lens by Kenneth L. Carder
This advanced course is designed to help laity and clergy deepen their understanding of persons living with dementia and help all maintain their identity and worth as beloved children of God. Confronting the deep personal and theological questions created by loving people with dementia, Carder calls the church to a deeper discipleship defined by the quality of our caring and receiving relationships. Participants will discover what it means to carry each other’s memories, joys, and diminishments together in community. Through loving practices that nurture and incorporate persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia into the church’s life and ministry, we experience a spiritual wholeness rooted in God’s grace beyond our own strengths and capacities.
Rev. Lewis is a retired UM clergyperson who has led United Methodist congregations for 30 years. He has a passion for caring for and honoring older persons. He draws on biblical insight and personal experience to offer wisdom for compassionate care. He and his wife Sherry reside in Mattawan, Michigan and attend Milwood UMC.