Where We're Headed, Part 4: Lay Leadership

On May 3, everyone in the church will have a commitment card so that they can volunteer for the ministries that excite them most. When you sign up to serve, your name will go directly to our ministry leaders, so that they can help you get connected and comfortable in serving the church as soon as possible.  

From its very beginning, the Methodist church has been a church of the people. Our theology of grace says that God gives all of us the power to work forthings that will last eternally in the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:12-14). “We are God’s co-workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). The church exists to make us the partners of God, and what we build with God is built to last. 

One of the ways that we empower our congregation is through our lay leadership teams. There is an old joke that says Methodists need a committee to start a committee. The truth is that we know from experience the truth of the Zambian proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” 

We want to go far; we are headed toward the things of eternal worth.  And so, we share the leadership of our church with many, many people, and every year we change almost a full third of our lay leadership so that every ministry can receive a fresh perspective and energy.  

Our church website now includes a full listing of the elected leadership who will take on their roles beginning June 1, 2015. These individuals were nominated by our Nominations Committee (that old Methodist joke might have a ring of truth to it) and approved at our Charge Conference in March. 

Some of our ministries have entire teams leading them, others have a single coordinator. When we asked each of our new nominees if they would serve, we told each one that we need them to be “ministry multipliers.” Our leaders cannot do everything – or even most things – in the ministries they lead, but they can invite you to join them so that we all become partners in the work of building new life and new possibilities for God. 

On May 3, everyone in the church will have a commitment card so that they get connected to the ministries that excite them most. When you sign up to serve, your name will go directly to a ministry leader, so that they can help you get connected and comfortable in serving the church as soon as possible. 

For every major event and program of our church, you can expect there will be a lay coordinator. This will be someone in the church who is giving support and vision to that particular event.  For example, our Youth Ministry team has already begun some early meetings, and just this week Kristi Harms and Amy Sticha were at the church to begin planning our Youth Mission Camp that starts June 25. They may be calling you to see if you would pray for this event, or cook a dish for a potluck meal, or drive some of our youth to a mission site here in our community. 

As I look over the more than 70 people who have accepted the call to dream and lead our ministries, I marvel at the giftedness of this church. Then, I consider that they are only the beginning; each one of these will be inviting others to serve and multiply the grace of the ministries of this church.  

Look in your mail next week for your commitment card, and prayerfully consider how you might serve in the coming year.  My mind boggles to imagine where we are headed when where every leader is a ministry multiplier, and every member is a co-worker of God. The only thing I know for sure is that each of us can build something that will last into eternity.  That’s where we are headed.