Testimonials

Everyone in church leadership should take this course.

You can teach old dogs new tricks. Age should not be a barrier for learning and serving.

I have been serving the Methodist Church as a District Superintendent’s Assignee for about 3 years, and last July went to licensing school and am now enrolled in Course of Study for local pastors in the United Methodist Church.

The Lay Academy prepared me well with the beginning skills and the history of the church to take my studies to the next level. I want to thank the Lay Academy for the preparation, guidance, the opportunity for group participation, and the grace I experienced

Pastor Ellis’s encouragement and the encouragement of all the instructors helped me find the courage to pursue God’s calling in my life.

I really enjoyed the class setting. It was a safe environment [and] I appreciate the fact that we were encouraged to learn from one another. I was stretched and challenged and grew because of it. I feel I am more myself than I have ever been.

One of the best aspects of this class was the sharing of our reflection papers and the response from and responding to our classmate's work. It would be next to impossible to get the same level of response in a classroom setting.

It was exciting for me to find that my gifts matched my calling. I was also surprised to learn the strength of some of those gifts.

Dr. Ellis was very involved in the course and very helpful, beyond what I would normally expect. I liked the small size of the class. It made interaction with everyone deeper and easier.

For me the most important thing was confidence. I can see things that God has done over the years that were preparing me for this time of answering his call.

I liked the way that the course prepared us for the meeting with our district superintendent. At least for me, I had no idea what to expect from a meeting with her. It took a lot of pressure off me knowing that I was well prepared before I got there.

As the lay pastor of 3 small churches in rural Nebraska, I perform all the duties of leading my churches in worship and caring for the congregations. I absolutely love what I do with the people here, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the classes and support of The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries.  

Leaving home to attend classes was not an option for me. Through The Academy, I was able to complete the courses I needed online to learn how to lead small groups, bible study, and worship, including corporate and personal prayer.

Not only did I learn from the teachers and leaders, I also learned many valuable lessons from the people in my cohort. We were able to work together and comment on each other’s experiences. 

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to go through The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries and would certainly recommend it for anyone who feels God calling them to leadership in the church.