LEADERSHIP UMC I CURRICULUM
Leadership UMC (LUMC) is a program sponsored by the North Georgia Conference Board of Laity to strengthen the local church through training and development of laity leadership. LUMC is anexceptional opportunity for learning and specifically designed foremerging leaders with a desire for knowledge of various facets of The United Methodist Church; who we are, what we believe and why and how we can make disciples through a joint effort of connecting with others both laity and clergy. Participants are nominated by their local church and recommended by the local church lay leader and local pastor. The districtboard of laity for each of the 12 districts selects their applicants for nomination to the Board of Directors, LUMC, for final acceptance. A most valuable aspect of LUMC is for participants to personally interact withlaityfromthroughout the conference in other local churches, learn from their shared experiences with their pastors and congregations. This experience brings a diverse learning opportunity that might not be experienced through any other means and isfocusedon the interaction of the individual participant with the class and with the faculty,LUMC board, and key leaders of the North Georgia Conference. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and canbe assured of a “UM answer.” Bishop Watson serves as one of our annual keynote speakers providingan overview of the conference’s focus and direction for the quadrennium, and specifically addresses the importance of laity’s role in the future of our denomination. This is also a time of meet and greet that enables the bishop to get to know each class member as an identified leader from their local church and districtthroughconversation times and the Questions and Answer session. Other guest speakers complete our agenda each year.
Afoundational component of LUMC is the small groupactivity. Each participant is assigned to a group of 6 -7 fellow class members and many of the LUMC activities are centered on the small groupthat meets outside the workshop times and during short designated times during the sessions, as well as by conference call, email and face to face meetings as necessary. This might best be described as an extra curriculum activity. For the small group’s main focus,each group selects three components from the 16 Key Drivers of Vital Congregations to research and make their small group report at the final session. LUMC Board members provide supervisory leadership to oversee the progress of the groups and insure compliance with the small group dynamics guidelines of LUMC. Each small group is assigned responsibility for a devotion time, a 15 minute presentation that provides experience in leading and coordinating a group as well as in developing a spiritual presentation. Another facet of the program utilizes the Mystery Guest Visitation that includes the participant actually visiting an assigned church during the worship service(s) and evaluating the hospitality that a visitor would experience. This is an important learning experience with lasting value to the local church and the participant. Throughout the LUMC experience, participants acquire knowledgefrom and with others guided by the general workshop topics on four designated weekends which are the fundamental building blocks of leadership in the Methodist Church:
Session I ~ Part I*Welcome and Orientation : LUMC expectations (attendance and participation and how participants are chosen), acquainting participants with the program and each other, outlining the various nuggets of learning (Mystery Guest Visits and reporting); identifying small group participants and selection of the 3 topics for small group report/report instructions.
Session I ~ Part II*UM History, Polity, Theology and the United Methodist Church
Brief discussions on UM doctrine, theology and history, the Book of Discipline (what it means and where to find it), and the practices, rituals, creeds and beliefs that make us United Methodists;our beliefs versus Presbyterian/Baptist/Catholic; UM sacraments: “This Holy Mystery” and “By Water and the Spirit”;Q & A Time:“And another thing ~ what about this?” Closing devotion includes Holy Communion.
Session II ~Leadership Skills, Spiritual Gifts
*Individual Spiritual Gifts Inventory; decoding its meaning and learning innovative ways to utilize these gifts; identifying gifts in others and how to utilize gifts; acquiring a general knowledge of the NGA Conference relational /organization chart and functions including overview of structure (who is responsible for what); Vital Congregations and how this relates to the “Call to Action” and the ultimate means and need for all churches to be vital; ways to begin the process; how to get people involved in mission/ministry and motivate others to become a part, how to conduct a meeting, the process of WINGS (worship, invite, nurture, grow, serve); development of the local church into full discipleship and living out the Great Commission. Sharing ideas includes working together and learning how to make the connection work for you and your local church; opportunities for additional resources within our conference and our communication network. This makes up some of the discussions and presentations.
Session III ~Clergy/Lay Partnership in Ministry
This workshop includes the participant’s local pastor as our guest for the weekend with all expenses and lodging covered by LUMC. Workshop presenters are one lay and one clergy member of the conference with personal experience and service as an advocate of the interaction of a partnership. PowerPoint presentation guides this 8-hour lively discussion focused on thePartnering Together experience (how, when and why and the boundaries)for conversation on best practices for making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world; 16 Key Drivers of Vital Congregations, (the UM mission, Four Areas of Focus, the local church matrix as a valuable toolto track progress toward realistic goals, not a measuring stick nor a grading process); ministry of believers and how to partner in servant leadership for laity and clergy; the five essentials of the working plan; the basis of ministry ~ prayer; mentoring others on their journey; the duties and responsibility of the clergy in the local church; the duties and responsibilities of the laity and lay leadership in the local church; God’s call on one’s life and how we respond; Conference blueprint for health and vitality; living the United Methodist way; Apportionments andthe individual tithe;Professions of Faith and laity’s role in effectively articulating this responsibility; reflections and references. Group discussion and interactionbetween local pastor and participant (groups of 8) to formulate future plans for mission/ministry together. Plans may includethe entire congregationand can be the beginning of a congregation becoming more vital or the beginning of a new community ministry. Anotherhighlight and “take-away”comes through the after-action discussion among the class members following pastor’sdepartureafter Saturday’s “lunch and learn” session. We discover what laity has learned from this joint experience and how it will be used. The communication experience through one-on-one conversation between the pastor and participant has frequently been found asthe first such experience within a local church. Our Keynote Speaker for this session will be announcedfor each series.
Session IV ~ Small Group Reports and Graduation:
Part I ~ REPORTS: Topic for research projectsis based on 16 Key Drivers of Vital Congregations and how churches have found these specific actions to provide vitality to their local church. This has generated new ideas and innovative ways to reach the unchurched. Each participant is required to have a speaking part in the presentation and there is accountability toward the individual responsibility in assigned research/small group participation/group dynamics knowledge/report preparation, etc. Following each presentation, the entire class enters in Question & Answer, critique and “lessons learned” session. Reports are posted on the web site as a resource.
Part II ~GRADUATION: A motivational speaker is selected each series. Following the speaker, we have the presentation of the LUMC certificate and pin for those participants who have successfully completed all requirements and have been individually approved by the LUMC Board as a graduate. The Graduation and Closing Worshipisthe finale of the series on Saturday afternoon, time to be announced.
Other Learning Points: “Lunch and Learn” on Saturdays of each session provides participants an opportunity for information on conference activities, how to become an at-large member to AC, how to receive North Georgia Conference information, the 3 programs of the CBOL and the benefits of each, and how to become a part of each program, the importance of communication (verbal and email communication), Children’s Home, Action Ministries, MUST, Connectional Café, Bridges to Mission,Q & A, etc.
Participant Opportunities ~ Annual Conference/LUMC Brochure statements: AC Presentations - Each participant is invited to prepare a written statement (90 seconds) about LUMC and present that statement before the LUMC Board on Friday evening of the last session as an audition for making a statement before Annual Conference at the Laity Orientation or Morning Devotion Time. This encourages speaking skills and articulation of witnessing. Brochure Statement -each participant is invited to provide a brief three sentence statement about the LUMC experience and what others might expect from attending the program. These statements may be chosen as quotes for the LUMC brochure in the following year.
We include in each session, a specified short time for the small groups to meet and plan futureset ups in their network of communication and research between sessions. The objective is not to do the work during the sessions, but as an outside activity.
One of the greatest values for participants is connecting with others and getting to know and work with at least sixother UM laityfrom throughout the conference, all from another church/district in the small group. With 48 participants; four from each district and none from the same family and/or same church, each participant comes to LUMC not knowing anyone in the class and leaves with friends and resources throughout the conference. Another important point is appreciating the various styles of worship within the NGA conference and being sensitive to the various cultures that are represented. All of this valuable experience is attained throughthe four- weekend workshop sessions, small group interaction, meals together and getting to know others through the 24-hour timeframe in the workshop weekends. Fun, fellowship and bonding are at a premium to create life-long friends with fellow Methodists.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:
Payment of all tuitions, attendance and full engagementat all sessions from opening to close of each session; participation in all activities, extra-curriculum work and being a part of discussions, small group projects and participation in the Mystery Worship Visitation. (In case of an emergency, with LUMC Board approval, we do offer an opportunity for a participant with a documented emergency to make up onesession upon written request to the board. This requires attendance and compliance at the other three sessions including the small group final report and attendance at the class graduation; and at the next year’s same session, and attendance at graduation to receive the graduation certificate and pin with the next year’s class. Exception: the fourth session (Small Group Reports and Graduation) is exempt of this make-up option. We cannot re-create the small group report participation which is requiredto receive a graduation pin and certification; therefore, attendance is compulsory for the final session in order to graduate and be recognized as a LUMC graduate.)
LUMC REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
Only one participant application is to be submitted per church and only one family member per annual session. In support of the LUMC program, each district is required to havea minimum of four participants per year and pay the district tuition for four participants even if the district does not have four qualified applicants.At a time determined by the LUMC Board during the application acceptance timeframe, any extra slots for participants unused by a district will be offered to other districts that have notified the LUMC Director of additional applicants above the required four. Timeframes for submission are found on the application and posted on the LUMC Application section of the North Georgia website, Conference Board of Laity page.
Applications are processed through the local church with the pastor and lay leader signing the application recommending the applicant and submitting to the district office;the District Board of Laity reviews all applications and makes four selections prioritizing the other applications that are acceptable and approved. District notifies the four selected applicants of status and requests payment of tuition from these participants and local church. (Non-selected applicants must be notified and applicant can request the application be held for consideration in next year’s class or may re-apply.) Applications are forwarded from district toDirector, LUMC, for Board approval of each applicant. Director, LUMC will notify district and local church of any applications not approved for attendance with the reason for action.
LUMC Board requests that no guests or family members come with the participant to enable the participant to be focused only on the workshop and the interaction with class members during the entire time of the session. This is respectfully requested even though single lodging accommodations are made. Due to space requirements we are unable to accommodate additional persons in the workshop.This same request is made of pastors attending the third session when each pastor has a single room accommodation made by LUMC. Exception: LUMC sincerely welcomes visitors and guests to the Graduation ceremony ONLY at the close of the final session on Saturday afternoon.
Effective with the 2013-14 Session, tuition is: Participant = $100; Local Church = $175; District = $175 payable upon receipt of the application from the district to the Director, LUMC. This covers double occupancy lodging accommodations; special requests for single accommodations arepermissible (if available) for a$160 additional charge for the participant tuition for the series. All checks are to be made payable to North GA Conference and notated on check with participant name and LUMC. Each district is responsible for district’s portion of tuition of four participants. Tuition includes all handouts, lodging, meals for four sessions for participants as well as the full accommodations and participation for the Clergy/Laity Partnership session in which the local church pastor of the participant attends the full session. The tuition covers all expenses except for travel to and from the sessions or an option to car pool with others. Specific payment information is included on the application brochure.
There is so much packaged into the LUMC Series of the four weekend sessions over the six-month period, participants continue to unpack some of the knowledge well into the next year and beyond. The LUMC Board welcomes all graduates to use LUMC as a reference and resource, both through contact with the LUMC Board and through the faculty and the program curriculum; such requests must be directed to the Director LUMC. LUMC lives in the hearts of the 450+ graduates as a valued experience forming memories that live on after the sessions and have proven invaluable to many graduates. Everything we do and say along with our existence as a LUMC team is to strengthen the local church and the laity leadership in the local church, district and conference.
Jane Finley, Director Leadership UMC North Georgia Conference The United Methodist Church
June 23, 2014