April 18, 2026, 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) to April 19, 2026, ending at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

Location:  Mariposa Retreat Center, 1241 Orange Grove, South Pasadena, CA  91030

Cost: $125 (includes overnight accommodations on Saturday night, Lunch on Saturday through Lunch on Sunday)
               Day Use Only option:  $75 (includes Lunch on Saturday through Lunch on Sunday, no overnight accommodations)
Participants must also provide their own book, read it before coming, and bring it to the retreat center:  Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course  by Sandy Zeigler Jackson and Brian Jackson (Amazon, Cokesbury, Upper Room).

 Deadline to Register:  March 27th, Payment must also be received/mailed by that date. A minimum number of 10 in-person participants is required for this course to be held.

REGISTER HERE

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.  Any lay member of a United Methodist Church is welcome.  For those wanting a certification, 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 while creating connections with other United Methodist laity.
• The instructor is Erin Hawkins, the Conference’s Executive Director of Connectional Ministries.
• Classes are open to participants from all of the California-Pacific Conference districts.
• Attendance is required the entire schedule of the retreat for 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.
• There will not be a Zoom option at this retreat, however we will have another opportunity for a Basic Course on Zoom at a future date.  

REGISTER HERE

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