Welcome to the Radcliff Church of the Nazarene Lay Leader Development Program. Your decision to participate in this demanding course of study indicates that you are earnestly seeking God’s call in your life and that you want to prepare yourself to live out that call. It is exactly for people like you that we designed this course.
Let me confess up front that this program is by design very intense, and requires a deep commitment on your part. In developing the course, we chose to move past a basic understanding of God, the church, and holy living. The price of a more robust understanding of these things, however, is a significant amount of time and energy. I believe you will find the results of your study well worth the investment you make.
For the record, we do not believe that simple academic study of this material will result in spiritual growth. If you treat these studies as simple academics, as you might in high school or college, you will undoubtedly get smarter, but not necessarily wiser. For this training to be truly effective, you must approach each topic prayerfully, always seeking to apply the lesson to your life personally. It is not the lay leader program that brings spiritual growth – it is interaction with God that does so.
The basis structure of the course is displayed in the attached chart. Each level deals with a specific topic (Bible, church history, theology, ministry), and includes requirements to read and prepare study guides, read and prepare book reviews, and interview with the pastor. The end state for the course is a layperson with a clear understanding of God’s call upon his or her life, equipped to effectively answer that call.
I think you will find this course both demanding and rewarding. If you have specific questions at any point in the course, feel free to contact me or the director of the Shepherding Ministries. May God bless you in your endeavors!