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Prairie South Lay Academy Fall 2025

Location: Rochelle UMC, 709 4th Ave., Rochelle

2025 Fall Lay Academy Ps Banner

Saturdays, Oct. 11 and 18
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All class times must be attended to receive course credit.

Rochelle UMC
709 4th Ave., Rochelle

Online registration 

Cost: $40

Cost includes lunch
Youth may register at no cost if they have an adult accompanying them

All books may be purchased at your favorite bookseller.

Classes:

  1. Basic Course: This course is foundational for all courses in Lay Servant Ministries. Participants are encouraged to consider the importance of servant leadership, developing future leaders and remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices.
    Instructor: Raleigh Shifflette, CLM
    Book: Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participant's Guide by Sandy Zeigler Jackson & Brian Jackson.
  2. Leading in Worship: This course focuses on lay servants who regularly or occasionally lead in worship.
    Instructor: Dennis Yocum, DSS
    Book: Worshiping with United Methodists (revised) by Hoyt Hickman
  3. Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution: Every church deals with conflict, both healthy and unhealthy, and lay servants can be equipped and empowered to help lead through those times of conflict as a time of transformation.
    Instructor: William Dunfrund, CLM
    Book: The Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation by Thomas Porter
  4. From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon (first time offered in Prairie South): Moving beyond the basics of public speaking and the foundations necessary for preparing an engaging sermon, this course also includes types of sermons—from exegetical to topical to children’s sermons—as well as how to find a story, how to use the hymnal, and how to move from communication on paper to beyond the paper.
    Instructors: Clifford Peddicord, CLS and Marcia Peddicord, CLM/CCM
    Book: From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon by Tony Franks and David Carroll

For information, contact Pastor Marcia Peddicord, Director, via email or call 815-579-5938.

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Mr. Vi Tran, spouse of Rev. Brian Gilbert of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the age of 37.

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