“Our gifts are in the pews.”
Several years ago the Potomac Association identified the need to provide a program that would assist local churches in recruiting and developing lay leadership. The implementation of the PALI is a response to addressing this need. The Institute strives toward the commitment to educate and form individuals for service in the local church by providing learning opportunities for lay people. It is founded on two principles: Principle 1, that all believers are called to ministry and that the Body of Christ does not serve at its best unless we all work together as parts of the body to build God’s Kingdom. Principle 2, God has blessed us with the necessary gifts and those gifts are embodied in the members of the local congregations, “our gifts are in the pews”
Our goal is to increase the number and effectiveness of current and future leaders of the Potomac Association churches by developing wider and deeper relationships among members, teaching leadership skills to equip members and set priorities, increasing the public profile and membership of the congregation, and experiencing our “God is still speaking” spirituality as the call to community involvement and social justice.
Curriculum
The institute is a curriculum of various courses designed to provide training in understanding your gifts, developing your Christian Spirituality, fostering positive working relationship within the local congregation, and gaining knowledge of church development and revitalization concepts and practices The curriculum consist of two required core tracks; Track 1 Discovering and Using Your Gifts, Track 2 Christian Spirituality; and two special interest tracks: Track 3 Pastor and congregation Relationships and Track 4 Church Development and Revitalization. At the completion of Tracks 1, 2 and 3 or 4 a participant will be awarded a PALI certificate.
Please find the complete course information, calendar, and registration form here:
PA-LI Information for 2012-2013
Please contact the leadership of the Lay Institute at: layleadership@aol.com