Empowered Laity – The Unfinished Reformation

An examination of the biblical, pastoral and practical implications of equipping laity to engage Jesus’ promise of “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” Special attention will be given to overcoming the default  understanding that not all the baptized are called to significant mission and ministry. Numerous stories will help illustrate what true empowerment looks like.

Participants will be able to:

• Outline a basic biblical understanding of why Jesus called everyone to ministry and mission
• Delineate barriers and resistances in clergy and laity for greater empowerment
• Engage in a baseline self-assessment related to barriers and resistance to empowerment
• Construct a snapshot of the current ministry setting as it relates to empowerment
• Understand a process for leading self and others to a higher level of empowerment
• Explain why a resilient and equipped laity are the keys to the future of Christianity in North America