Annual Report

2023-2024 – Annual Report for All Certified Laity

We now have one form for all certified laity. Please use this form to submit your annual report for certifications you have already received. Annual reports are required to renew all certifications. If you are applying to become a certified lay servant, certified lay speaker, or certified lay minister for the first time, please fill out the appropriate application. This report is primarily to share about your service from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. However, we encourage you to include the most up-to-date information, even it includes LSM courses or other data that extend beyond this specific 12-month period.

"*" indicates required fields

Personal Information

Name*

Prefix First Middle Last Suffix

Preferred First Name*

By what name do you prefer to be addressed? (Example: Cathy instead of Catherine; Bob instead of Robert.) Default is legal first name.

Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Phone*

Preferred contact number

New Address?*

Do you need to update your address in our files?

Yes, I moved!

No. My address has not changed.

Personal Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

LSM Certifications

Which certification(s) do you currently hold?*

If you hold more than one certification, this single report can count for both (or even all three!). Note that if you are a certified lay speaker or certified lay minister, you are also a certified lay servant and should click both.

Certified Lay Servant

Certified Lay Speaker

Certified Lay Minister

Oops! All certified lay speakers are also certified lay servants. Please click both boxes!

Oops! All certified lay ministers are also certified lay servants. Please click both boxes!

Working Toward?

If you are currently working toward any additional certifications or specializations, please share here so we can support you in accessing courses and meeting requirements.

Data on Home Church (All Certifications)

Please provide the following information about the church where you are a member. All certified laity must be affirmed and supported by their home church each year to maintain their certification. We will email the pastor and church council chair a copy of your annual report, along with a link to fill out a simple form affirming your renewal. This will satisfy the requirement of having your pastor and church council or charge conference recommendation to renew your certification(s).

Church Name and Location*

Enter the name of your church and the town or city where it it located.

District*

This form is only for certified laity in the North Carolina Conference. In which North Carolina district is your church located?

Pastor's Name*

First Last

Pastor's Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Church Council Chair Name*

If you are the church council chair, enter your own name and email here. When you receive the email requesting that you fill out the recommendation, you can forward that form to an appropriate substitute.

First Last

Church Council Chair Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Ministry Assignment and Clergy Mentor (CLMs only)

Current Assignment*

I am assigned to a ministry in my home church.

I am assigned to a local church where I am not a member.

I am assigned to a ministry setting outside of the local church.

Church Name and Location*

Enter the name of the church where you are assigned, along with the town or city where it it located. If the district is different than the church where you are member, please include the district also.

Ministry Assignment*

How would you describe your role in your ministry assignment? If you are serving as a lay pastor, you can simply enter “lay pastor.” For other ministries, please share briefly about your role.

Clergy Mentor*

According to the Book of Discipline, all CLMs will be assigned a clergy mentor by their DS. If you do not know who your clergy mentor is, we encourage you to reach out to your pastor and/or your DS.

The pastor at my home church serves as my clergy mentor.

Another pastor serves as my clergy mentor.

Clergy Mentor's Name*

We will email your clergy mentor a copy of your annual report.

First Last

Clergy Mentor's Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Pulpit Supply (Lay Speakers only)

Please share about your preaching this past year and your interest/availability to preach in the coming year.

Preaching in Past Year*

Did you have any opportunities to preach this past year (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024)? This would include opportunities in your home church.

Yes! I have been actively preaching.

No, I wanted to preach but had no opportunities.

No, I was not able to accept opportunities this year.

Preaching Locations*

Where did you preach? Check all that apply.

In my home church, where I am a member.

In other UMC congregations in my district.

In other UMC congregations outside of my district.

In contexts outside of the local church.

Total Sermons*

Taken together, how many times did you preach this past year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024)? Count every time you preached, even if you preached the same sermon multiple times on the same Sunday. If you did not keep track, simply offer a faithful guess. And know that we are asking so we can report on the total numbers for the whole program, and not to compare or evaluate any particular lay speaker.

Availability for Future Preaching*

Are you interested and available to accept invitations to preach this year?

Yes! I am eager to accept preaching opportunities as my availability allows.

I preach in my local church, but cannot travel to other congregations on Sundays.

I am not able to accept preaching invitations this year.

Worship Leader*

Churches requesting pulpit supply often expect the preacher to lead the full worship service. Are you comfortable serving as worship leader or do you need support? Please be specific about the support you need. We always encourage clear communication between the church, the district director, and the lay speaker so that roles and expectations are clear prior to the service.

Availability*

Please share more about your availability. How often are you interested in preaching? How far are you willing to drive? Would you be open to traveling to other districts? Is there anything else that your district director needs to know?

Preaching Video Sample*

In an effort to increase the visibility of our certified lay speakers, we would like to add sample videos of a sermon for each lay speaker to the short bios on our Meet Our Lay Speakers page. Do you have a video we could post online for this purpose? If so, we will reach out to you and work together on the best way to share the file.

Yes, I have a video or can make one the next time I preach!

I am open to this, but I need help making the video.

I am not interested in providing a video at this time.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Updating the Meet Our Lay Speakers Bios

Click this link to check for your lay speaker bio. Link will open in a new tab so you do not lose your work.

Did you check your bio?*

My bio is on the website and needs no changes.

My bio is there, but I’d like to update it.

My bio is not yet on the website.

Updates to Bio*

Provide any updates or additions here and we’ll make the needed changes to the website. Thank you!

Short Bio*

Your 3-sentence short bio might follow this model: 1) Introduce yourself (one sentence); 2) Why are you a lay speaker? (one sentence); 3) A little bit about yourself (one sentence). For example: “Sally Smith is a certified lay speaker, having received her certification in 2014. Sally’s passion is in connecting the stories of the Bible to our lives, and bringing her extensive knowledge of history into the pulpit. Sally currently attends Greater Heights United Methodist Church in Franklinton, where she sings in the choir and serves as the church historian.”

Continuing Education (All Certifications)

Continuing education is an important part of Lay Servant Ministries. Certified lay servants and certified lay speakers need an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries (or approved alternative) every three years. Certified lay ministers need an approved course every two years.

Lay Servant Ministry Courses*

Did you take any advanced courses this year?

Yes

Advanced Course*

Enter the course name, date, and location of any Lay Servant Ministries courses completed since your last annual report. To enter more than one course, click the plus sign at the end of the row.

Course Title

Date (Month/Year)

District / Group Hosting Course

Instructor

Background Check (Lay Speakers and Lay Ministers)

Background Check*

NCCUMC policy requires a background check through our Conference provider every three years for certified lay speakers and every two years for certified lay ministers. Do you need to request a background check?

Yes, please email me the form to request a background check.

No. I have already completed this requirement.

I’m not sure. Please check and let me know when I need a new one.

Spiritual Growth and Continued Discernment of Call (All Certifications)

Please answer the following questions thoughtfully and prayerfully. These questions are designed to aid in your discernment and to help the district and conference committees on Lay Servant Ministries to walk alongside you as your discern and respond to God’s call in your life.

Personal Spirituality*

What spiritual practices help you grow closer to God?

Aspects of LSM*

Lay Servant Ministries includes ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating. How does your ministry relate to one or more of these categories?

Reflection on Prior Year*

How have you lived into your role and calling as a layperson in ministry during this past year?

Continued Discernment of Call*

In what ways are you feeling called to be in ministry during the upcoming year? If you are feeling called to a new or different form of ministry, how are you working toward that?

Feedback for Lay Servant Ministries

We value your feedback as we seek to support the ministries of laity in the NC Conference.

Improvements

Please share any recommendations you have for improving Lay Servant Ministries in the North Carolina Conference.

Support

How can we best support you and your ministry during the coming year?

Next Steps – All Certifications (every year)

Certifications are renewed annually and require the recommendation of the pastor and church council or charge conference in the church where your membership lies. Be sure your charge conference lists you with your certification(s) on the charge conference report to confirm their continued support of your renewal.

Additional Steps – Certified Lay Speaker (every 3 years)

Every three years, certified lay speakers meet with their district committee on Lay Servant Ministries for an interview. The district committee then recommends you to the conference committee for re-certification. If you believe it is time for this interview, please reach out to your district director.

Additional Steps – Certified Lay Minister (every 2 years)

Every two years, certified lay ministers need a ministry review (conducted by the church where the CLM serves), an interview with the district committee on ordained ministry, and a recommendation from their district superintendent. If you have any questions about these requirements or whether you need to complete them this year, please reach out to the CLM Register, Josey Snyder (josey.snyder@nccumc.org).

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Annual Report

2023-2024 – Annual Report for All Certified Laity

Personal Information

LSM Certifications

Data on Home Church (All Certifications)

Ministry Assignment and Clergy Mentor (CLMs only)

Pulpit Supply (Lay Speakers only)

Updating the Meet Our Lay Speakers Bios

Continuing Education (All Certifications)

Background Check (Lay Speakers and Lay Ministers)

Spiritual Growth and Continued Discernment of Call (All Certifications)

Feedback for Lay Servant Ministries

Next Steps – All Certifications (every year)

Additional Steps – Certified Lay Speaker (every 3 years)

Additional Steps – Certified Lay Minister (every 2 years)

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