While no ministry in the local church is more vital than evangelism, in most congregations it is a scary word -- and its intentional application is rarely found, says the Rev. John Zimmerman, Conference General Evangelist and church consultant.
To address the situation, John and his wife Christine Zimmerman, also a Conference Evangelist, will offer Evangelism Leader’s Training for up to 15 people in each of WPAUMC’s 10 districts this Fall. It will include 10 hours of online class time over two weeks through BeA Disciple.com and a one-day on-site session in each district. Classes in some districts begin in early September.
The online portion of the class, available through BeADisciple.com, will provide the theology and doctrine of evangelism, while the daylong session will equip participants with practical tools and resources to recruit, train, and lead an effective evangelism team in their local church.
The Zimmermans, through their About Face Church Outreach Consultants (AFCOC) ministry will follow-up, as requested, with professional leadership coaching for the evangelism servant-leader or a team through online conferencing.
The cost per student is just $60, including all books and material, thanks to support from the Western PA Conference and a grant from The United Methodist Foundation of Western PA. Other sponsors are the Conference Evangelism Team and BeADisciple.com. Additional funding available through the Indiana District will reduce the cost for its participants to just $27.
The text for the class is “Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith” (Knight & Powe). It is an approved textbook for Lay Servant Ministry, so successful completion of the class will count as an advanced course to renew recognition as a Certified Lay Servant, Certified Lay Speaker, or Certified Lay Minister. Clergy may also receive CEU credit.
Register at www.af180.org/evang-leaders-training.
Questions? Contact Rev. John Zimmerman at 814-490-4297 or john@af180.org
Read UM News story about the Zimmermans' efforts to revitalize churches.