Do you get asked to preach at the last minute but need more preparation to be able to respond to those short-notice calls? Are you comfortable with a traditional sermon but left wide-eyed when asked to give a children’s sermon or have more flexibility in the pulpit?
From Your Heart to Theirs is for laity and clergy who are striving to expand their preaching abilities. It is a two-week course with insights into the connection of scripture with events and experiences, even if you haven’t preached that way before, while offering a safe space to practice those skills, and without leaving home.
The course requires using Assignments and Discussion Boards in Blackboard. In addition to Blackboard interactions, required Zoom meetings will be held on both Fridays at 8 pm Eastern time.
This course will use the book: From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon PARTICIPANT’S GUIDE
This class has been approved by Discipleship Ministries as an advanced course in Lay Servant Ministries. It is the “preaching” class required for Lay Speaker certification. (You are advised to contact your conference or district LSM office to make sure this course is approved for you.)
This course is eligible for 1.0 CEU.
Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 2
Price: $85
CEUs: 1.0
Required books: Yes
Blackboard: Yes
Zoom: Yes, required
Certification or Series: Yes (Lay Servant Ministries)
Read course description for details.
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Price: $85
Past Learners Said…
“This is an excellent class for all newly-minted Lay Servant Ministers or Christ Servant Ministers [to] take as one of their first advanced classes; you will not be disappointed.”
“Learning new ways to think about sermon writing, delve into other translations, and choose sermon structure were very welcome…”
“Rev. Beth Perry was an excellent instructor, who was kind, encouraging and provided a very safe environment for the students to be able to explore elements of preaching they were not familiar with.”
Meet the Instructors
Andrew Finch
Rev. Andrew Finch is an ordained elder in the Great Plains Conference and has served in the local church for over 12 years. Situated in Urban Ministry, Pastor Finch has seen the long-lasting effects of racial trauma that social institutions have plagued and sadly religious institutions. Determined to make a difference in how majority and minority individuals interact on a social and religious level, Rev. Finch has created courses and programs on shaping racial reconciliation opportunities within the church.
Beth Perry
Rev. Beth Perry began preaching as a Lay Speaker in the mid-1980’s. She preached weekly through two-decades of pastoral ministry and has continued to be a frequent guest preacher. She has also preached through the pandemic in Zoom, Facebook, pre-recorded videos, and streamed services. She has been leading Called to Preach since Discipleship Ministries approved the online version for BeADisiciple. Several of her other courses are also approved as advanced courses in Lay Servant Ministries and meet requirements towards lay speaker status.
Elaine Short
Raised in the United Methodist Church, Elaine Short started teaching Sunday School at age 14 and became a Certified Lay Speaker (CLS) at 18. She was a CLS for 39 years before becoming a Certified Lay Minister five years ago. She is co-director of her district’s Lay Servant Ministries Committee and serves on many other committees in her district and Annual Conference as well as continuing to be an active member of her home church. She also teaches “Preaching a Children’s Sermon” at BeADisciple.com. Elaine is deeply committed to encouraging laity members to discover their God–given gifts and develop them to serving the Lord.
Kristen Burkhart
Rev. Dr. Kristen Burkhart has been a pastor in the United Methodist Church since 2006 and currently serves Dandridge (Tennessee) First UMC. Kristen received her Master of Divinity from Southern Methodist University and her doctorate from Wesley Theological Seminary.
Kristen knows the method that guided John Wesley guided her family and brought two different backgrounds into one concept of service and worship of Jesus Christ. “The Method we follow matters; it’s part of what binds us and the Holy Spirit’s movement,” she says. Kristen also believes ministry is not always about the major issues or measurable outcomes. “Sometimes it’s about one called person reaching out to another in a season of need and in that moment when one heart connects to another’s we glimpse the heart of God.”
Nan Nelson
Nan Nelson is a retired elder in full connection with the United Methodist Church. Nan has experienced teaching and preaching about living our United Methodist beliefs through serving: as a mentor of clergy and of candidates for ministry, as a circuit elder, and as a member of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry. She was district director of Lay Servant Ministry (LSM) and taught LSM courses in her district before joining BeADisciple. Nan also taught effective communication for more than a decade at the college level.
Nan has a heart for ministry of the laity and continues to support LSM in her Conference. She understands the connection not only between churches, but also the connections between pastor and congregation and the special connections churches have with their communities. She believes that churches in concert with caring communities spread God’s love and grace.
