Upcoming and Recent Courses
New classes are added quarterly. Looking for a class that isn’t being offered? Let us know!
- All classes include a book that you must order and read prior to the class. Links to purchase books are available when you register or on our course descriptions page.
- All courses (zoom and in person) are open to anyone across the conference. Classes presented by districts are not limited to participants from that district.
- Scholarships are available upon request. Scholarships reduce the cost of a course to $5, whether it is an in-person ($25) or Zoom ($15) course.
Upcoming Courses
**Note that registration closes 16 days before the course date.
Anticipated Courses
Want to know what’s coming down the pipeline? The following courses are currently being planned, and are subject to change as new needs are identified. Courses follow a quarterly schedule. Specific dates and registration details will be added as they are available.
- Fall Quarter (September-November)
- Winter Quarter (December-February)
- Spring Quarter (March-May)
- Summer Quarter (June-August)
Course Title | District | Location | Facilitator | Course Date |
Basic Course in LSM | Beacon | Zoom | Tom Santa | Winter Quarter |
Basic Course in LSM | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | Winter Quarter |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History) | Beacon | Zoom | Tom Santa | Winter Quarter |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History) | Capital | In Person | TBD | Winter Quarter |
Transforming Evangelism | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | Winter Quarter |
Soul Reset | Corridor | Virtual, Self Paced | Anggie Thompson | January 13-24, 2025 |
Embracing Personal Prayer | Gateway | Zoom | TBD | Winter Quarter |
Aging and Ministry | Capital | TBD (in person) | TBD | Spring Quarter |
Leading Worship | Corridor | Zoom | TBD | Spring Quarter |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (UM Polity) | Fairway | Zoom | TBD | Spring Quarter |
Soul Reset | Gateway | TBD (in person) | TBD | Spring Quarter |
Called to Preach | Beacon | TBD (in person) | Tom Halberg & Tom Santa | Spring Quarter |
For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts | Beacon | Zoom | TBD | Summer Quarter |
Leading Worship | Captial | Westwood UMC | TBD | Summer Quarter |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | Summer Quarter |
Transforming Evangelism | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | Summer Quarter |
Past Courses
To get a sense of the classes we offer, check out these recent classes. The asterisk indicates a course that meets requirements to became a certified lay speaker. You can find a complete list of all Lay Servant Ministry classes available to be taught on our Course Descriptions page.
Course Title | District | Location | Facilitator | Course Date |
From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon* | Harbor | Zoom | Mike MacDonald | 8/24/2024 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History)* | NC Conference | Zoom | Allen Burden | 8/24/2024 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | NC Conference | Zoom | Tom Santa | 8/17/2024 |
Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders | Capital | Raleigh | Duke Lackey | 8/3/2024 |
Loving People and Planet in God’s Name | Corridor | Elon | Jane Almon and Kellie Gallagher | 7/27/2024 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (Polity) | Harbor | Zoom | Taylor Mills & Laura Wittman | 7/14/2024 8/18/2024 |
For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts* | Capital | Goldsboro | Deborah Horton | 5/18/2024 |
Discipleship Begins with Relationship: Creating a Spiritual Growth Plan to See All the People | Beacon & Sound | Greenville | Jon Strother | 5/11/2024 |
Leading in Prayer* | Corridor | Durham | Stephan Margeson | 4/27/2024 |
Sharing Your Faith: Transforming Evangelism | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 4/20/2024 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 4/13/2024 |
Public Prayer* | Gateway | Zoom | Vermel Taylor | 4/6/2024 |
Called to Preach* | Fairway | Cary | Carl Fraizer | 3/23/2024 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Fairway | Cary | Mamie Alley | 3/23/2024 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History)* | Beacon | Zoom | Tom Santa | 2/17/2024 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Capital | Raleigh | James Bernstein | 2/10/2024 |
Leading Worship* | Gateway | Zoom | Anne Sims | 2/3/2024 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection* (Polity) | Harbor | Zoom | Taylor Mills | 1/20/2024 |
Sacraments: Means of Grace | Gateway | Laurinburg | Vermel Taylor | 10/21/2023 |
Justice in Everyday Life | Corridor | Chapel Hill | Brenda Brown | 10/21/2023 |
For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts* | Corridor | Chapel Hill | Robert Mullen | 10/21/2023 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection* (Polity) | NC Conference | Zoom | Laura Wittman | 9/16/2023 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History)* | NC Conference | Zoom | Allen Burden | 9/9/2023 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Sound | Hybrid | Kim Smith | 8/26/2023 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM History)* | Harbor | Ocean View | Sandy Core and Ernest Leatherman | 8/12/2023 |
Leading Worship* | Sound | Hybrid: Oriental and Zoom | Anne Sims | 8/5/2023 |
For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts* | Sound | Hybrid: New Bern and Zoom | Gail Bailey Lindsay | 7/22/2023 |
Public Prayer* | Beacon | Elizabeth City | Sylvia Collins | 5/6/2023 |
Transforming Evangelism | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 4/22/2023 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 4/22/2023 |
Embracing Personal Prayer | Corridor | Zoom | Monica Beacham | 4/22/2023 |
From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon* | Harbor | Zoom | Shawn Blackwelder | 3/25/2023 |
Leading Worship* | Corridor | Durham | Donna Banks | 3/18/2023 |
Leading Missional Small Groups | Center for Leadership Excellence | Zoom | Lisa Bachman | 3/13/2023 – 4/3/2023 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Sound | Zoom | Roxie Cauley | 2/11/2023 |
Public Prayer* | Harbor | Wilmington | Sandy Core and Ernest Leatherman | 1/28/2023 |
Called to Preach* | Beacon | Columbia | Ginny Crocker and David Blackman | 1/14/2023 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Beacon | Edenton/Zoom | Tom Santa | 12/3/2022 |
Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts* | Harbor | Wilmington | Sandy Core and Ernest Leatherman | 11/19/2022 |
Soul Reset | Corridor | Zoom | Anggie Thompson | 11/5/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Beacon | Hybrid: Zoom and Elizabeth City | Tom Santa | 11/5/2022 |
Accountable Discipleship | Corridor | Durham | Belton Joyner | 10/22/2022 |
Leading Bible Study | Center for Leadership Excellence | Zoom | Alan Felton | 9/29/2022-10/20/2022 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection* (Polity) | Gateway | Zoom | Steve Taylor | 8/13/2022 |
Leading Worship* | Harbor | Wilmington | Sandy Core and Ernest Leatherman | 8/13/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Gateway | Zoom | Gypsie Murdaugh | 6/11/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Fairway | Sanford | Mamie Alley | 5/21/2022 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs* (UM History) | Fairway | Sanford | Dena White | 5/21/2022 |
Called to Preach* | Fairway | Sanford | Eddie Hill | 5/21/2022 |
Living Our United Methodist Beliefs* (UM History) | Beacon | Zoom | Tom Santa | 5/14/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Corridor | Zoom | Allen Burden | 5/14/2022 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection* (Polity) | Sound | Zoom | Taylor Mills | 4/30/2022 |
Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition | Corridor | Zoom | Darcy Knight | 4/9/2022 |
From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon | Harbor | Hybrid: Zoom and Oak Island | Mike Macdonald | 3/19/2022 |
Life Together in the United Methodist Connection* (Polity) | Corridor | Zoom | Molly Shivers | 3/5/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Sound | Zoom | Jackie Attaway, Bobby Meadows and Roxie Cauley | 3/5/2022 |
Lay Servants Lead Conflict Resolution | Heritage | Zoom | Molly Shivers | 2/19/2022 |
Transforming Evangelism | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 2/5/2022 |
Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries* | Heritage | Zoom | Ken Ripley | 1/22/2022 |