All participants in the Body of Christ depend on the spiritual gifts God has given them. Those gifts differ but they provide the foundation for whatever ministry we do. Learn more about your spiritual gifts – and how to help your congregation learn more about theirs – in this two-week course.
Participants will interact via online discussions, journals, and videos throughout the two weeks. Participants are also expected to read the Discipleship Resources book, Each One a Minister, by William J. Carter. It is highly recommended that you acquire and read the book before the online course begins. Sherry Johnson will be teaching this session.
PLEASE NOTE: Participants must commit to posting in Discussion Board and Spiritual Gifts Journals every weekday. If you are going to be unavailable for more than one day during the course, please wait to register until a time when your schedule will permit full participation.
This class has been approved by Discipleship Ministries as an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries. It is the “spiritual gifts” class required for Lay Speaker certification.
This course is eligible for 1.0 CEU.
Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 2
Price: $105
CEUs: 1.0
Required books: Yes
Blackboard: Yes
Zoom: No
Certification and Series: Yes (Lay Servant Ministries)
Read course description for details.
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Past Learners Said…
“I knew the general concept of spiritual gifts, now I know them in greater understanding, and can recognize them in myself and others.”
“There are many things I liked about this class: the instructor gave helpful feedback, my ability to work as my schedule allowed and it was relevant to my ministry.”
“This class allowed me to slow down and take in Paul’s words and apply them to my ministry.”
“I feel I learned a new way of using my gifts and also a way of developing a class for my congregation to get others involved using their gifts.”
“I appreciate that the instructor made accommodation for my disability. Made it much easier to fully participate and not elevate my pain.
Meet the Instructors
Beth Perry
Beth Perry graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with an M.Div. in 1994 and has a bachelor’s degree in business from Elizabethtown College. She was ordained in the United Methodist Church and then had Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ. In addition to decades of pastoral and chaplaincy experience, she has taught college religion, critical thinking, and sociology courses, and been a frequent guest preacher, public speaker, and church consultant. She was the Safe Sanctuary consultant for NYAC for five years, developed a digital Bible study, mentored seminary students, and served on numerous boards and committees. She has been an instructor with BeADisciple since 2010 and has been on staff since 2021 as support for BeADisciple instructors. She is the author of “Storytelling: Beyond the Sermon,” “Women Mystics in the Christian Tradition,” and “The Study: Spiritual Action in Daily Life.”
Elaine Pratt
A retired college professor, Elaine Lehecka Pratt is a Certified Lay Minister (CLM) currently serving the Community Church of Durham. She teaches multiple courses on BeADisciple and writes daily devotions based on lectionary Scripture. To be added to that mailing list, contact her at devotions@guidestep.org. Before retirement Elaine was program director of and taught in the graduate program in pharmaceutical manufacturing and engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Stevens, Elaine spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry as a corporate middle manager and an independent industry consultant.
Sherry Bryant-Johnson
Sherry Johnson an ordained United Methodist deacon who has specialized in the ministry of spiritual formation for more than two decades. She is a trained spiritual director with certifications in spiritual formation from the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry as well as the Institute for Discipleship. Throughout her ministry she has witnessed the power of believers who embraced their God-given gifts and shared them in ministry. She considers it a sacred privilege to journey with learners as they rediscover their spiritual gifts.
