If you do not see a course in the list of Lay Servant Ministries Upcoming Courses that suits your interests or needs for recertification, you have a few options:
- Ask for more offerings! Contact your district director and inquire about additional upcoming opportunities. We may have a class in the works that is not yet advertised. Or, your inquiry may prompt an additional offering!
- Take advantage of pre-approved NC Conference learning opportunities. The conference committee on LSM has approved the following as alternative continuing education offerings for certified lay servants, speakers, and ministers:
- Two Days of Learning offered through the Center for Leadership Excellence;
- Two Mission U courses offered annually through the NC Conference United Women in Faith;
- Participation in the Leadership Fellows program.
- Participation in the Academy for Spiritual Formation’s Five Day Academy or Two Year Academy.
- Seminary courses offered by United Methodist seminaries are also pre-approved for credit. To replace a lay speaker requirement, the course must match the subject-matter for the specific course (e.g. “intro to worship” or “intro to preaching”). Other courses could be used to meet the continuing education requirement for certifications.
- Take an online LSM class through BeADisciple. BeADisciple.com offers a wide array of online LSM advanced courses that can count toward your certification or renewal requirements. Note that not every course offered through BeADisciple.com is an LSM advanced course. If you have any questions, ask your district director. Also, for those interested in becoming a certified lay minister, note that the CLM training modules offered through BeADisciple are not an accepted substitute for our CLM Candidate Training Program.
- Request approval for an alternative course. Fill out the form below to ask for an alternative course to count toward your certification or renewal requirements. Be sure the course is comparable in terms of time commitment (10+ hours) and that the subject matter is relevant to your work as a certified lay servant, speaker, or minister.
About Substituting a Course
Each annual conference has the authority to approve additional classes – called exception credit – for its own use. It is important to note that the design of the courses must fit the needs of the local conference and follow the ministry guidelines of Lay Servant Ministries.
Courses must be recognized by the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) of which the lay servant is a member, and a certificate of completion awarded.
The conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries will use the following guidelines to determine whether an alternative course will be accepted:
- The alternative course is in line with the learning objectives of courses currently in the LSM catalog.
- The content fits the LSM theme of leading, caring, and communicating.
- The course benefits the lay servant for use in their local church.
- The course provides at least 10 hours of study.
- The course is participatory and led by a facilitator qualified in the subject.
If you would like to apply to receive credit for an course as an alternative to the standard courses, please fill out this writable PDF form and submit it to your district director of Lay Servant Ministries.