LSM BROCHURE BLOG 4: Lay Servant Ministries’ Relevance to the Mission and Ministries of the United Methodist Church

(Previously, “Missional Results of Lay Servant Ministries: Transformational Congregations”

The purpose of this blog is to provide narrative to the “LSM Briefing Brochure” introduced at the ACDLSM convocation in January 2013.  The brochure is intended for use by Lay Servants who want to fully inform their pastors, DSs or other church leaders about the Lay Servant Ministries program.  It’s a great brochure, please use it.  Please be an advocate for Lay Servant Ministries.  The brochure is available at http://tiny.cc/LSM4PNLBROCHURE

 (If you are using the brochure along with this narrative, time to open to the inside then fold over the left hand panel putting  “Missional Roles and the Four Areas of Focus” on the left and “MIssional Roles and the Call to Action” on the right)

Now I want to address one crucial issue, that is “Is Lay Servant Ministries still relevant to the ministries and mission of the United Methodist Church?” and the answer is emphatically, “Yes.”  First, the church has chosen “Four Areas of Emphasis” as its means of fulfilling the vision of John Wesley in the 21^st Century:

1.       Developing principled Christian Leaders for the church and for the world.  If I were to go to the umc.org website, in addition to the emphasis on developing ordained leadership for the future church, I would find the statement that the church must “Offer leadership training to laity who are in ministry in countless ways.”  That training is the core of Lay Servant Ministries.  Further, one of the primary avenues for or ordained clergy has been and will continue to be the Lay Servant Ministries program.  Church leadership is one of our principle means of service.

2.       Creating new places for new people by starting new congregations and renewing existing ones.  While few lay servants are involved in new church starts, there isn’t a lay servant out there who should not think about ways to renew and revitalize his or her church every time they walk up the front steps.  Trained and effective laity are key to congregational renewal.

3.       Engaging in ministry with the poor.  Engagement does not occur without engaging leadership and without champions.  LSM can provide the champions and leaders in local congregations leading them to engage in ministry with the poor both near and far.

4.       Stamping out killer diseases by improving health globally.  Again, congregational involvement requires leadership and champions.  We believe that laity called, equipped and sent through the Lay Servant Ministries program can provide the champions and leaders in ministries like “Imagine No Malaria” and clean water projects that will motivate and engage congregations to play a significant role in stamping out killer diseases.  Involved laity provide the connecting pieces to the "connection," the church that is so powerful in making a difference world-wide.

If the Four Areas of Focus are the church’s answer to living Wesley’s vision of "doing no harm, doing good, and loving God," then the way the church will fulfill its vision will be to engage equipped United Methodist Laity in all facets of lay ministry, and it will do it best by taking full advantage of  the Lay Servant Ministry program. 

And it will do it best through vital, fruitful congregations resulting from the focus of the Council of Bishop’s “Call to Action.”  The “Call” has a long-term focus of building effective practices in local churches.  The local church is the primary arena for disciple-making, and Lay Servant Ministries is positioned to equip laity to work in collaboration with clergy and laity to build up the local church.  Every church should strive to have a team of Lay Servants who are called, equipped and gifted in key areas contributing to the congregation’s vitality as listed in the key drivers below:

Key Drivers of Vital Congregations (As noted in the “Call to Action”)

1.       Vital Congregations have effective Pastoral Leadership and Preaching.  Lay Servant Teams can complement and supplement pastors, working in cooperation with them, in ways that allow them to reach their maximum effectiveness.  It should be a goal of the Lay Servant teams to do those things that make their pastor the best he or she can be. 

2.       Vital Congregations have multiple small groups and programs for children and youth.  Lay Servant Ministers can lead small groups and are effective teachers and leaders.

3.       Vital Congregations have a mix of traditional and contemporary worship.  Again, multiple worship services require significant additional resources to happen.  Lay Servant teams can be equipped to work in all areas of worship to make them passionate and enthused.

4.       Vital Congregations have a high percentage of spiritually engaged laity in leadership roles.  Equipping spiritually engaged laity is a primary purpose of Lay Servant Ministries.

In answer to the question, “Is Lay Servant Ministries relevant to the twenty-first century mission and ministry of the United Methodist Church?” the answer is an emphatic, “Yes!”  Lay Servants and clergy should be working hand in hand to develop teams of equipped laity of a variety of gifts to make congregations vital and the denomination fruitful in addressing the issues of humanity today, in being the Body of Christ in a world of need.  That is the call.  That is what we are drawn to.  So may it be with us all.

(This the final blog providing narrative to the "LSM Briefing Brochure."  Go and spread the word.)