Advanced Courses

Our standing policy is: “Online Courses may be counted as continuing education on the same basis as Alternative Advanced Courses can be counted (every other time a Certified Lay Servant completes continuing education for credit).”  You may take an on-line class to meet continuing education requirements for Certified Lay Servant and Certified Lay Speaker without prior approval from your District Director. (Please remember that you must submit your certificate of completion of any on-line classes with your next annual report.)

Some districts are offering virtual courses.  Also on-line classes may be taken through BeADisciple.com. They offer a wide variety of classes, so please make sure you are taking only those courses approved for Lay Servant Ministries. The list of approved classes can be found at https://www.beadisciple.com/lay-servant-ministries/ Please be aware that classes may fill up quickly.

Advanced courses are developed by Discipleship Ministries in cooperation with the Education Committee of the Association of Conference Directors of Lay Servant Ministries.  Advanced courses provide at least 10 hours of instruction.  Advanced courses use a required text and will involve pre-course assignments.

Lay Servant Ministries courses are open to ALL, whether or not an enrollee applies to serve as a lay servant.  Classes that "count toward the Lay Speaker track" may be taken by anyone, not just individuals pursuing Certified Lay Speaker status. 

Conference Wide Alternative Advanced Courses

To receive continuing education credit for an Alternative Advanced Course, you must:

  1. Contact your District Director(s) of Lay Servant Ministries PRIOR to attending the event for approval and to obtain the required Continuing Education Form. 
  2. Take the Continuing Education Form to the event and obtain the instructor's signature at the end of the course.
  3. Upon completion of the course and your portion of the form, return the completed form to your District Director to receive credit.

Prior permission is NOT required to take a regular Advanced Course outside of your home District.

District Sponsored Trainings

Embarras-Iroquois River District

Kaskaskia-Cache River District

Mississippi-Sangamon River District

Title:  Public Prayer (counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)
Date:  Saturday, October 7, 2023
Times:   8:30 AM-6:30 PM
Location: Springfield Douglas Avenue UMC, 501 S Douglas Avenue, Springfield IL 62704-1701
Cost:  $ 30.00 (includes lunch & snacks)

Instructor: Rev. Molly Spence-Hawk
Wrapped snacks and bottled water will be provided. Please bring your own lunch.

Registration deadline: October 1, 2023.  Register at https://igrc-reg.brtapp.com/centraladvancedlayspeaking
Contact: Carol Conover, cconover@igrc.org
Required text:  Shaping the Prayers of the People: The Art of Intercession by Samuel Wells and Abigail Kocher (978-0-80287-097-1).  Individuals are expected to purchase the text and read it prior to class. 5 copies are available through Carol Conover or through Cokesbury, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Title: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts (counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)
Date:  Saturday, October 7, 2023
Times:   8:30 AM-6:30 PM

Location: Springfield Douglas Avenue UMC, 501 S Douglas Avenue, Springfield IL 62704-1701
Cost:  $ 30.00

Instructor: Rev. Thomas Logsdon
Wrapped snacks and bottled water will be provided. Please bring your own lunch.

Registration deadline: October 1, 2023. Register at https://igrc-reg.brtapp.com/centraladvancedlayspeaking
Contact: Carol Conover, cconover@igrc.org
Required Text:  Each One a Minister by William J. Carter (ISBN 978-0-88177-375-0). Individuals are expected to purchase, read, and study this book prior to first class. Available through Upper Room, Amazon and Cokesbury

Title: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts (Counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)
Date:  Saturday, October 14, 2023
Times:  9am-7pm

Location:  Union United Methodist Church, 721 E Main St., Belleville, IL 62220
Cost: $30.00

Instructor:  Betty Gengler
Wrapped snacks and bottled water will be provided.  Please bring your own lunch.

Registration deadline: October 7, 2023.  Register at: https://igrc-reg.brtapp.com/centraladvancedlayspeaking
Contact:  Becky Tuchalski, rtuchalski522@gmail.com
Required text:  Each One a Minister by William J. Carter (ISBN 978-0-88177-375-0).Individuals are expected to purchase, read, and study this book prior to the first class.  Available through Upper Room, Amazon, and Cokesbury.

Title: Lay Pastoral Care Giving  (Alternate Advanced Class)
Date:  Saturday, October 14, 2023
Times:  9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Location:  Union United Methodist Church, 721 E Main St. Belleville, IL 62220
Cost: $30.00

Instructor: Linda Albert
Wrapped snacks and bottled water will be provided.  Please bring your own lunch.

Registration deadline:  October 7, 2023.  Register at: https://igrc-reg.brtapp.com/centraladvancedlayspeaking
Contact:  Becky Tuchalski, rtuchalski522@gmail.com
No required text.  Materials will be supplied by the instructor.

Spoon-LaMoine River District

What: Advanced LS Classes
When: September 23, 8 am to 6 pm
Where: Griggsville UMC, Griggsville IL
Deadline: September 15
Fee: $40
Meals and snacks provided
Classes offered: Heritage, presented by Pastor Robb Roper; and "Revival: Faith in the Wesleyan Way", presented by Pastor Sheri Renner.
Contact: Peg Ratliff, 1-217-883-0137, Pegrat04@hotmail.com

 

Vermillion-Illinois River District   

Title:  Leading Prayer (counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)
Dates:  Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24, 2023 (both dates required)
Times:  Saturday, 8:30am to 3:30pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Northwest UMC, 3800 W. War Memorial Drive., Peoria, IL 61615
Cost: $20.00 (Please bring a sack lunch and your own snacks.)  Coffee and Water will be provided.
Instructor: Cathy Duffy
Contact: Kim Wade, kamwade77@outlook.com or 309-825-7237 (call or text)
Required text:  Shaping the Prayers of the People: The Art of Intercession by Samuel Wells and Abigail Kocher (978-0-80287-097-1)  Individuals are expected to purchase the text and read it prior to the first class.  Available through AmazonBarnes & Noble, and Cokesbury.  Available for Kindle.

Title: The Method of our Mission (Polity) (Counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)

Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023

Time: 8:00am to 6:30pm
Location: Essex UMC, 114 Waverly St., Essex, IL 60935
Cost: $20.00 (Please bring a sack lunch) Water and snacks will be provided
Instructor: Pastor Julie Smith
Contact: Dee Wilson, deewilson@mchsi.com or 309-241-2005, PO Box 536, Hopedale, IL 61747
Required text: The Method of Our Mission by Laceye C. Warner (978-1-42676-717-3) Individuals are expected to purchase and read the text prior to the first class.  Available through Amazon, Upper Room and Cokesbury.
 
 
Title: Living our Beliefs (Heritage) (Counts toward Certified Lay Speaker track)
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023
Time: 8:00am to 6:30pm
Location: Essex UMC, 114 Waverly St., Essex, IL 60935
Cost: $20.00 (Please bring a sack lunch) Water and snacks will be provided
Instructor: Rev. Curtis Brown
Contact: Dee Wilson, deewilson@mchsi.com, 309-241-2005, PO Box 536, Hopedale, IL 61747
Required text: Living our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way by Kenneth L Carter (978-0-88177-571-6) Available thru Amazon, Upper Room, Cokesbury. Participants are required to purchase the text and read it before the first class.