Lay leaders are key to local church ministry, encouraging all members of the body of Christ to listen for God’s voice and join other believers on the road to wellness.
RUBY ANDERSON, Lay Leader
KEN DOWELL, Associate Lay Leader
Greater Detroit District
As lay leaders, we seek to encourage all to listen for the voice of God. Recently we were encouraged by the weekly Bible study at Detroit: Scott Memorial UMC, taken from the book How to Listen to God. We were also inspired by the following scriptures lifted up in Rod Parsley’s book Covenant Blessings.
“With great understanding, Wisdom is calling out as she stands at the crossroads and on every hill. She stands by the city gate where everyone enters the city, and she shouts: ‘I am calling out to each one of you!’” (Proverbs 8:1-4, CEV).
“Jesus said: I tell you for certain only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out. When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice” (John 10:1-4, CEV).
When we listen for and begin to recognize the voice of God, God will take us from where we are to where we need to be. Our districts can help make disciples for Christ by connecting lay leaders and laity. We, the laity, are partners with our pastors and district superintendents in kingdom building and doing the needed work in the district.
We are encouraged to be on the road, walking or running. Ephesians 4:1-6 (CEV) says, “As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people. We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.”
As lay leaders and members of the body of Christ, we are invited to share the ministry of our churches through Annual Conference, charge conferences, church events, Sunday worship, one-on-one encounters, and all forms of media. We do this daily, wherever God calls us.
Please join us on the road to wellness because God loves us all and is always with us.
Last Updated on December 1, 2022