Laity Session will be Friday, June 8 beginning at 7:00 p.m. This will be a time to meet friends old and new, be inspired, learn, sing and pray together.
The evening will begin with a special presentation from Bishop Laurie. Look forward to hearing her words of inspiration and grace, meeting the Board of Laity, and congratulating the new certified Lay Speakers and School for Lay Ministry graduates.
New this year, will be a once in a lifetime chance to hear the Board of Laity perform their original "New Pastor Rap"!
Diane McClanahan from the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center will share how congregations can be positive "Difference Makers" in the lives of the clergy who serve throughout the Iowa Conference.
Laity Session Mini-Workshops 2018
All four of these short workshops will be your chance to learn and grow are designed to be directly helpful in your work as a
local church leader.
How to Grow Your Church for $1 and 1 Minute a Day
Our call "to make disciples of all nations" has been given a great boon in the form of social media, but the church has been slow leverage the technology for good. Meanwhile, Facebook has been under a lot of heat lately, but that hasn't stopped people from using it in record numbers. I'll show you how to set up a Facebook Ad that targets newcomers to your area and invites them to church. This presentation is ideal for people who have a Facebook page for their church, but would like to take it to the next level. We'll talk about other social media strategies if time allows.
Leader: Wil Raney, Deacon in Extension Ministry. Wil is known as an expert and resource person on social media, particularly for churches. He lives in Waverly.
JFON (Justice for our Neighbors) and the Local Congregation
JFON is a national ministry, founded and largely sustained by the United Methodist Church. It provides legal services for legal immigrants as they struggle with complex systems. Learn how JFON serves and how congregations and individuals can help JFON in its ministry and advocacy. Because immigration rules are changing, this is a challenging time when JFON’s work is extremely important.
Leader: John Rothlisberger, national JFON board member. John is a retired school superintendent and is Dean of the School for Lay Ministry at Simpson.
Mental Illness and the Local Congregation
How do we ensure individuals and families who live with mental illness feel welcome and supported in our churches? What can we do to help remove the stigma of mental illness and begin the conversations in our faith communities? The Grinnell UMC has spent several years exploring how to be a more welcoming and nurturing community for those whose lives are affected by mental illness. Learn about their journey and the lessons learned.
Leader: Monique Shore, Lay Leader at First United Methodist, Grinnell. Monique is also a member of the Annual Conference Mental Health Task Force
What is our WIG (Wildly Important Goal)?
Every congregation in Iowa is challenged to have in place by 2020, an intentional plan for formingDisciples of Jesus Christ. If your church has not started planning, if you are not sure where to start or if you just want to know what the goal is all about, this is an opportunity to get basic information.
Leader: Phil Carver, Field Outreach Ministry in the SE District. Phil is also the leader of Iowa’s General Conference delegation and a well-known musician in the Conference.
The Board of Laity looks forward to seeing you all there!
