Event Series: Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course – Spiritual Practices / Sabbath & Retreat

Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course – Spiritual Practices / Sabbath & Retreat

Name: Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course – Spiritual Practices / Sabbath & Retreat
Start: 2027-02-09T17:30:00-08:00
End: 2027-02-09T19:30:00-08:00

February 9, 2027 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES ADVANCED COURSE – SPIRITUAL PRACTICES / SABBATH & RETREAT

Tuesdays, January 12, 19, February 2, 9, 16, 2027, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM California (PST)
Tuesdays, January 12, 19, February 2, 9, 16, 2027, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM Hawaii (HST)

Wednesdays, January 13, 20, February 3, 10, 17, 2027, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Guam (ChST)

Zoom Online Platform

Register Here

Cost & Deadlines: $30.00 and you must provide your own book (see below). Please note the deadline to register is Sunday, January 10, 2027. The class size will max at 30 participants and registration will close if that number is reached before the registration deadline.

About the Instructor: Rev. Marlene Urban-Funk

Marlene serves as the part-time Associate Director for Retreat Ministries for the Cal-Pac United Methodist Conference. Marlene is ordained clergy in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She attends and leads as many retreats as she can. Marlene has a passion for the blending of creativity and spirituality. New learning opportunities and female groups of mutual care are high on the list of priorities for Marlene these days. Marlene has served in Oklahoma, France, Colorado and Kansas, prior to moving to SoCal. Marlene lives in Wrightwood, CA with her husband. Her hobbies include crocheting, sewing, yoga and a variety of creative projects.

About the Course:

Time set aside for spiritual practices, including Sabbath and Spiritual Retreat, take us deeper into ourselves and into God. In this 10-hour course we will explore some spiritual practices. We will look at the concept of Sabbath practice in a contemporary light. We will talk about retreat, both personal and group retreat. Each participant will be asked to design a retreat that they might use either for their personal faith-deepening, or as a tool for guiding others into a deeper connection with God.
Required materials: Practicing our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People (Second Edition) by Dorothy C. Bass (Editor).
Classes are open to participants from all districts, and the class will be in an online format.
Attendance is required at all sessions for credit and you must have your camera on to get credit for the course.
About Certified Lay Servant (CLS) and Certified Lay Speaker status: All those seeking certification as a Certified Lay Servant are invited to attend as well as any lay member wanting continuing education. 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 highly recommended, although some users may call in via phone if a mic is not available. Zoom information will be sent to you later by the instructor.