Laity assembly offers sessions on making witness

Leading laypeople from across Southwest Texas are to hear this month in Kerrville about ways to enhance the United Methodist witness in their communities.
Those laypeople—elected local church lay leaders and others filling leadership posts—are to attend the sixth annual Laity Assembly Jan. 28-29 at Mount Wesley Conference Center.
Sponsored by the Board of Laity, the program is to include commissioning of new local church lay leaders Jan. 28 by Bishop Joel N. Martinez and presentations Jan. 29 on:
> How a lay leader can change the future of a local congregation—led by George White, associate conference lay leader from the Victoria District.
> How local churches can become “Certified Welcoming Congregations”—led by Douglas Cannon, Southwest Texas Conference communications and public witness director.
> How ministries in local congregations can be more racially inclusive—led by conference Lay Leader Jay Brim of Austin.
“The assembly will help lay leaders call their witnesses,” Brim said. “We live in a time of awakened spirituality, a time in which America is seen throughout the world as a nation of spiritually invigorated Christians.
“For more than 200 years, the Wesleyan movement has been known as the most active and excited of Christians in America. Our generation of leadership in The United Methodist Church is fortunate to be in position to continue that tradition.”
Registration fee is $50 per person for those staying at Mount Wesley and $35 per person for those staying elsewhere.