Training Opportunities for Laity

Equipping Lay Leaders to Learn, Lead, and Serve

The Susquehanna Conference offers workshops, webinars, and learning events designed specifically for lay leaders. Whether you are just beginning your journey in ministry or looking to deepen your leadership skills, these opportunities equip you to serve faithfully in your congregation and community.

Our training programs help lay leaders:

  • Build practical ministry skills
  • Explore spiritual formation and personal growth
  • Engage in meaningful, conference- or district-wide learning
  • Participate in accessible, community-centered formation

Upcoming Learning Events

Certified Lay Minister (CLM) School
Dates: February 20-22, March 20-22, April 17-19, 2026
Location: Wesley Forest Retreat & Camp Center (58 Wesley Forest Lane, Weikert, PA 17885)
Schedule: Starts 1:00 p.m. Fridays, Ends 4:00 p.m. Sundays

Certified Lay Minister (CLM) School operates at the same time and location as the Local Pastor Licensing School of the Susquehanna Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Participants are those seeking further development as lay persons in leadership who may experience an assignment to a ministerial role, or work as a staff person for a local congregation in areas of education, outreach, community development, or new church development. For some, the credentialing process helps fulfill ministry opportunities outside the local congregation as a chaplain or other helping profession.

Register Online Today   |    Download Flyer/Registration Form

Growing the Beloved Community
This course is a new curriculum that is being offered through Portico as an Advanced Course for Lay Speakers, Lay Servants, and Certified Lay Ministers. This 8-session course earns 1 CEU and is approved by the Susquehanna Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries.

The course is designed to be used by individuals or small groups by watching each video presentation and following the directions to interact with each other and the downloadable Participant’s Guide. Other instructors can use the videos for their own preparation and teach using the Participant’s Guide.
To earn 1 CEU, the required reading is to choose one of the following books:
1. John Lewis’s - Across That Bridge (session 1)
2. Tod Bolsinger’s - Tempered Resilience (session 4)

To find this course, log in and register on Portico. Once registered, click on the Catalog tab, then scroll down the page to the individual courses. Growing the Beloved Community is listed there. Click on the icon to enroll in the course.

If you have questions, please contact Ron Swift - rswift@susumc.org

GROW! - Living as Spiritual Transformational Leaders
GROW! is designed to meet the criteria for use by Lay Servant Ministries as well as within the life of leadership in a local church.  It specifically addresses best practices for leading in liminal spaces – caught between what used to work and what we don’t know will work yet.
The focus for the first four sessions is on the development of personal leadership practices.  The second four sessions look more closely at personal leadership within the community.
Learn more about the GROW!

District-Specific Training Courses

Freedom Trail: No Classes at this time
Mountain Valley: Advanced Lay Speaker Course - History & Polity; Leading Worship (Advanced); Called to Preach; Discovering Spiritual Gifts
North Central Rivers: Lay Academy Classes - Register Online or PDF
Northern Wilds: BASIC for the LSM program
River Valley: No Classes at this time

District-Specific Upcoming Events

River Valley District - February 14: Bus trip to Museum of the Bible & National Cathedral

Resources & Downloads

District Lay Servant Training

Laity in Leadership