What’s a “Vital Congregation?” Other than being a “buzzword” that’s in the forefront of discussions around the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, it is a commitment to doing what the church is supposed to be doing: Making Disciples for Jesus Christ.
Vital Congregations…
The United Methodist Church is seaking to empower local church congregations to become a “vital” part of their communities so that they are better equipped to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Check out the UMC Website for more information on Vital Congregations. Also, check out this recent article.
Vital Congregations have the following characteristics:
- Inviting and Inspiring worship.
- Engaged disciples in mission and outreach.
- Gifted, empowered, and equipped Lay leadership.
- Effective, equipped, and inspired Clergy leadership.
- Small Group Ministries
- Strong Children’s and Youth ministries.
2014 Laity Leadership Academy…
“Empowered and Equipped” lay leadership is critical if the church is going to fulfill its mission. Clergy can’t do it alone; effective ministry comes when there’s a partnership between clergy and laity. But to be “Equipped,” laity need some training.
A Laity Leadership Academy was held in in Ocean Grove last September and it was a huge success, attendance-wise (and in may other ways too!). This year’s academy is designed to accommodate more people.
Rosa Williams. Lay Leader of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. At PUMC during the 2014 District Day of Learning.
The Laity Leadership Academy is organized by the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, and it’s open to laity throughout the conference. In addition to the training, the academy gives the opportunity to “network” and share “best practices” with United Methodists from across the state. The academy is led by Conference Lay Leader Rosa Williams, and the sessions will be taught by experts on each topic.
Here are some details…
- Title: Empowering Laity to Lead in Vital Congregations
- Dates: Friday 9/12 (evening) and Saturday 9/13 (morning / afternoon)
- Location: Haddonfield UMC
- Registration Deadline: August 23. You can reserve Online.
The idea in the training is that participants will choose one of three “tracks”:
- Creating Vital and Growing Small Group Ministries
- Creating Inspired Worship Experiences
- Creating Evangelism Ministries
After the academy weekend, you’ll be able to join with the other participants from our church to exchange what we’ve learned in each of these areas.
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Please put the dates on your calendar and consider attending. The deadline for registration is August 23.e.
