“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• 1 Corinthians 1:3

 

I have been a member of the United Methodist Church since my Christening and later Baptismal as a child. Throughout my lifetime I have served on numerous committees at various Methodist Churches in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. I felt the call to serve others in capacities where I felt God led me to serve. I am humbled to be the Lay Leader of Jubilee Shores United Methodist Church. I would like to provide you with some insight into the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline and what a Lay Leader is and what they may do for the Laity and the Church as a whole.

 

The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline is an instrument for setting forth the laws, plans, polity and process by which United Methodists govern themselves. It is a product of over 200 years of General Conferences of the denominations that now form The United Methodist Church.1

The Laity of the United Methodist Church consists of the congregation or members. The Lay Leader represents the Laity and acts as a conduit of information between the congregation and the Pastor. However, the Lay Leader responsibilities go well beyond being just a liaison between Pastor and congregation.

The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline provides that the Lay Leader of the local Church is one who is:1

•  A professing member of the local Church;

•  Desirous and ready to serve the Church; and

• Well informed on and committed to the Scriptures, doctrine, heritage, organization and life of the United Methodist Church.

In addition to the above, my mission as Lay Leader is to serve in a way that inspires the Laity to a deeper commitment to Christ and help provide effective discipleship. This includes interpretation of Scriptures, doctrine, organization and ministries of the Church. District and Conference Training is important to achieving these goals.

As Lay Leader, I will represent the Laity at Local, District and Annual Church conferences. In doing so I must stay informed about the finances, missions, commitments and emphasis of Jubilee Shores UMC. This is done by serving on various Church committees to gain insight to the everyday workings and future of Jubilee Shores UMC.

Assisting our Pastor with various activities is important to my service to Jubilee Shores UMC as Lay Leader. Activities I may be involved in include leading prayer, Bible study and discussion, assisting in conducting services of worship and any other activity deemed necessary by the Pastor.

The bottom line for me, as Lay Leader, is to strive to be a servant just as Jesus was the Servant to all. If you are not a member of Jubilee Shores UMC or new to the Fairhope area or don’t currently attend a Church, I invite you to come visit and join our family in worship and fellowship. Casual attire is welcome. Worship service is 10:00 a.m. each Sunday. See you there -

 

Cody Phillips, Lay Leader

 

1 – The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Section XI. Lay Servant Ministries, Paragraph 266,

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