{"id":9271,"global_id":"nccumc.org\/laity?id=9271","global_id_lineage":["nccumc.org\/laity?id=9271"],"author":"199","status":"publish","date":"2025-04-02 12:39:33","date_utc":"2025-04-02 16:39:33","modified":"2025-05-21 16:08:17","modified_utc":"2025-05-21 20:08:17","url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/event\/he-life-together\/","rest_url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/9271","title":"Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (Polity)","description":"<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-equal has-theme-white-background-color has-theme-secondary-color gb-columns-center alignfull\" style=\"padding-top:5%;padding-bottom:10%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-2 gb-is-responsive-column\" style=\"max-width:1200px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Heritage district Lay Servant Ministries team presents <em>Life Together in the United Methodist Connection<\/em> (UM Polity), with <a href=\"#facilitator\">Laura Wittman<\/a>&#8230;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\"><div  class=\"tribe-events-schedule tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t<p class=\"tribe-events-schedule__datetime\">\n\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__date tribe-events-schedule__date--start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--date\">\n\t\t\t\t @ \t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__venue tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__event-price\" >\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-light-gray-background-color has-background\">Course scholarships are available to those in need of financial assistance. Scholarships reduce the cost of a course to $5. Please contact your district director or&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:lsm@nccumc.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lsm@nccumc.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Course:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why does The United Methodist Church do things the way it does? And what does any of this have to do with trying to be a place and a people that embody the Kingdom of God? This course will help participants get their bearings and consider the specific structural challenges The United Methodist Church faces in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Participants will be able to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>State and describe the uniqueness, purpose, and overall structure of The United Methodist Church, its connectional system and its order of missionary preachers;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Describe the uniqueness and purpose of the episcopacy, the itinerant ministry and appointment processes, the ordering of ministry, and annual conference;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explain the many ways our connection works together to fulfill its mission from the local church to the global general agencies;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify elements of the connection beyond the borders of the annual conference: jurisdictions, General Conference, Judicial Council, and central conferences, as well as other international affiliated churches;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use new tools for discernment in making decisions in the local church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-secondary-color has-theme-light-gray-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><strong>Order Your Book!<\/strong> <br><br>All participants are expected to read <strong><em>The Method of Our Mission<\/em><\/strong>, by Laceye C. Warner, prior to class. Participants will also need access to the <em>Book of Discipline<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cokesbury.com\/book-of-discipline-book-of-resolutions-free-versions\">available for free online<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For questions about the course, please contact Heritage Lay Servant Ministries District Director Ken Ripley <a href=\"mailto:kripley@nccumc.org\">kripley@nccumc.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><em>To receive credit for a Zoom course, full attention and presence are required. Whether online or in person, staying engaged with the group and fully focused ensures the best learning experience. Zoom classes are interactive\u2014expect breakout rooms, activities, and group discussions throughout the day.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner has-theme-white-background-color\" style=\"padding:20px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><em>We regret that we are unable to issue refunds or credits of registration fees.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"facilitator\"><strong>About the Facilitator:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"501\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/01\/headshot-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9052\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/01\/headshot-1.jpg 501w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/01\/headshot-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/01\/headshot-1-75x75.jpg 75w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/01\/headshot-1-400x400.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Reverend Laura Wittman is the Chaplain of Louisburg College as well as the Coordinating Pastor for Lighthouse Congregations in the NCCUMC. As chaplain, she provides spiritual leadership, direction, and support for the community of Louisburg College, engaging and empowering the community to learn more about God, community, and self in the everyday. This includes worship and spiritual life events that occur in the Clifton L. Benson Chapel and Religious Life Center, as well as engaging in Student Life on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rev. Laura Wittman is an Ordained Elder in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Rev. Wittman holds a Bachelors of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from High Point University and a Masters of Divinity from Duke University. She enjoys spending her free time with hobbies that include crocheting, sewing, knitting, 3d printing, and more. She is a self-proclaimed theater nerd and enjoys acting at her local theater. Rev. Wittman loves serving her community &#8211; her entire family is involved in the Imperial Center in Rocky Mount, and she participates in reptile and animal rescue. Rev. Wittman, her husband, and her father, his father and his grandfather are all ministers. She has three children who she loves dearly. Rev. Wittman loves Pokemon, Star Wars, Harry Potter and her family\u2019s multitudes of pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","excerpt":"<p>The Heritage district Lay Servant Ministries team presents Life Together in the UM Connection. This advanced course meets the polity requirement for those who wish to become certified lay speakers or certified lay ministers. It also counts as an advanced course for certified lay servants and renewals. All are welcome!<\/p>","slug":"he-life-together","image":{"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1.png","id":6917,"extension":"png","width":1200,"height":675,"filesize":374501,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":720,"height":405,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":155776,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-720x405.png"},"thumbnail":{"width":300,"height":300,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":51774,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-300x300.png"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":432,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":172654,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-768x432.png"},"sidebar-featured":{"width":75,"height":75,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":6405,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-75x75.png"},"genesis-singular-images":{"width":720,"height":405,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":155776,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-720x405.png"},"gb-block-post-grid-landscape":{"width":600,"height":400,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":143150,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-600x400.png"},"gb-block-post-grid-square":{"width":600,"height":600,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":139788,"url":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/laity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2023\/08\/Polity-1-600x600.png"}}},"all_day":false,"start_date":"2025-07-19 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