LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES BASIC COURSE – February/March 2026 – Mondays
Mondays, February 2, 9, 16, 23 & Monday March 2, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM California (PST)
Mondays, February 2, 9, 16, 23 & Monday, March 2, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Hawaii (HST)
Zoom Online Platform

REGISTER AT THIS LINK

Cost & Deadlines: $30.00 and you must provide your own book (see below). Please note the deadline to register is Friday, January 30, 2026. The class size will max at 30 participants and registration will close if that number is reached before the registration deadline.

About the Class:

• About the Course:  God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  This course will give you a  variety of opportunities to serve in your local and the greater church community.  This is the first class towards being a Certified Lay  Servant, Lay Speaker or Lay Minister. The five sessions include;  Ministry of the Baptized, Leading, Caring, Communicating and Into the  World. You will also learn about the history of Lay Servant Ministries  and develop a personal testimony.
• Provide your own book: All participants will need a copy of Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participant’s Book by Sandy Jackson with Brian Jackson (Amazon, Cokesbury, Upper Room).
• The instructor is Erin Hawkins, the Conference’s Executive Director of Connectional Ministries.
• Classes are open to participants from all districts, and the class will be in an online format.
• We will be using our Mighty Network social platform for some parts of this class. Further details will be shared at the first class meeting, but you can get a head start by signing up here: calpacumc.mn.co
• Attendance is required at all sessions for credit. To complete the 10 hour course requirement, outside assignments will also need to be completed.  Zoom cameras must be on at all times during the course in order to get credit.
• About Certified Lay Servant (CLS) and Certified Lay Speaker status: All those seeking certification as a Certified Lay Servant are invited to attend. The BASIC class and one Advanced Class is required to successfully apply for Certified Lay Servant status. If you have taken the Basic Lay Servant Class within the last three years, taking this advanced class will qualify you as a Certified Lay Servant.  If you want to continue on to being a Certified Lay SPEAKER, you will need to take the following advanced classes: Preaching, Leading or Planning Worship, Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts, Leading Prayer, United Methodist Heritage or History, and United Methodist Polity. For more information about Lay Servant Ministries, click here.
• Technical requirements for Zoom participants: To participate in Zoom  meetings, participants must have a reliable Internet connection, and a  laptop, tablet, or smartphone device that can download and install the  Zoom app. A web or phone camera and a microphone are required for participation. 
• Zoom information is included in your submission message and confirmation email.

For more information about this course, contact Cathy Wilson, Associate Director of Lay and Clergy Credentialing and Development at cwilson@calpacumc.org.

REGISTER AT THIS LINK