Happy July, friends of the Shenandoah River District!
I pray your summer has been safe, joyful, and filled with God’s blessings.
In June, we celebrated the certification of a new Lay Speaker in our district. Congratulations to Max Hernandez, who became our third certified Lay Speaker this year! We are grateful for his willingness to answer God’s call to serve.
We will have another opportunity in October to certify additional Lay Speakers. If you are interested and have completed all the required Lay Servant courses, you may be eligible to present a trial sermon before the Lay Servant Ministries Committee. If that is something you would like to pursue, please let me know.
Please save the date for our Fall Lay Servant Training on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Strasburg UMC in Strasburg, Virginia. We will be offering the following classes:
- Basic Course
- Preaching
- Leading Worship
- Aging and Ministry
We encourage both clergy and laity to invite youth, young adults, and anyone who would like to grow in their faith, develop new skills, and discover meaningful ways to serve Christ through the church.
Watch for registration information in the August newsletter.
I’ll leave you with this question and answer:
Why should I take a Lay Servant class?
Because trained church members are vital to the ministry of the church—and because the laity is the church!
Have a wonderful July. May God bless each one of you, and I’ll be back in August with more exciting news!
Raini Newman
Lay Servant Coordinator
Shenandoah River District