Safe Sanctuaries Course
The NC Conference Lay Servants Ministries team presents a Safe Sanctuaries course with Suzanne Cobb…
January 4, 2025 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
$15
Order Your Book!
All participants will need a copy of Safer Sanctuaries. If your church does not already own a copy, consider asking your church to purchase one that you can borrow for this course.
To prepare for this session, familiarize yourself with the content in parts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.
About the Course:
Every United Methodist congregation is required to have a safe sanctuaries policy. But safe sanctuaries is more than just a policy. It’s a way of doing ministry. Join us for this course and become an advocate for safe sanctuaries in your congregation!
This year’s course has been revised to include material from the new Safer Sanctuaries resource.
Who can join? Anyone! Though the course is designed for those training to become certified lay ministers, this course is open to anyone (clergy and laity alike) who would like to better understand the need for safe sanctuaries in every congregation.
Will I receive Lay Servant Ministries course credit? While this half-day course does not count as an “advanced course” for LSM renewals, it is required for all those preparing to become certified lay ministers in the NC Conference. Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
About Suzanne Cobb
The Rev. Dr. Suzanne Cobb, a Raleigh, NC, native, graduated from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) with a B.S. in Education of the Hearing Impaired and taught Special Education for five years. She earned an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School (1999) and a D.Min. from Hood Theological Seminary (2013), focusing her doctoral work on “Building Trust in the First Six Months of a New Appointment.”
A longtime member of Soapstone UMC, Suzanne held various leadership roles, including Children’s Choir Director, Sunday School Superintendent, Youth Counselor, VBS Coordinator, and Women’s Group Leader. She also chaired the United Methodist Women, sang in the Chancel Choir, and helped establish the church’s preschool program, where she worked from 1992-2004.
Suzanne began her pastoral ministry in 2004, serving Leah’s Chapel/Shiloh UMC (2004-2006), Saint Luke UMC-Sanford (2006-2011), The Milwaukee Charge (2011-2015), and Fletcher’s Chapel UMC-Durham (2015-2024). She retired in June 2024.
Throughout her ministry, Suzanne served on the Conference Disaster Relief and UM Volunteers in Mission committees, chaired the MERCI Board, coordinated Sanford Disaster Relief, and held leadership positions in Conference Youth Ministry, including Chair of the Conference Committee on Youth Ministries.
In retirement, she continues serving as Chair of the Raleigh Wesley Board and a member of the Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee.