The Wisconsin cohort of volunteer lay pastors met for the fall program November 2-4, 2018, at the Wisconsin Conference office in Fall River, WI. Personal Ministries Coordinator Pastor Titus Naftanaila, began the Friday evening training with “Stages of Spiritual Growth.” Various levels of Christian maturity were defined along with tips for how to interact with those at each different level.

Ministerial Director Adam Case gave the Sabbath presentations on the topics of worship and preaching. Attendees were involved in exploring Bible texts for answers to “why we do what we do” in these areas. After instruction on the purposes and structures of sermons, an opportunity to critically analyze a sermon was given. A lively question and answer time was held with a focus on church topics in the news.

Pastor Abraham Swamidass finished the evening with an energetic message on creative ways to make your church “Family Friendly.” A survey was provided which a church can use to consider how the building, programs, worship hour, safety procedures and family supports work (or doesn’t) to bless our children. Children ages 5-13 are the most open to accepting Jesus as Savior; thus their ministries are critical.

Sunday morning, Pastor Bill Ochs led out with tips for “Creating Visitor-Friendly Churches.” The importance of the church web site, greeter skills, and the power of quick follow up was emphasized. A final session with Pastor Ochs gave the participants a wide variety of practical visitation tips appropriate for specific settings and various circumstances.

For more information on how to join the Wisconsin volunteer lay pastor group, please apply to your local pastor and Pastor Naftanaila. Each new member attends training for three weekends/year for two years and completes all assignments after which he/she is considered for commissioning.

Article submitted by Emily Goodenough