Lay School of Ministry

Lay School of Ministry (LSM)

Director of Lay School of Ministry and Center for Congregational Leadership:
Dr. James L. Bailey (picture & bio)

Coordinator of Lay School of Ministry (LSM):
Kim Eighmy, who serves as Coordinator of the Lay School of Ministry, is an Associate in Ministry. She is currently on study leave. Kim and her husband, John, have a daughter and a son.

The South Central Synod of Wisconsin (SCSW) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) offers Lay School of Ministry classes as a service to the people of its congregations. Lay School of Ministry (LSM) classes are designed for:

People desiring personal enrichment
Lay church staff wishing to enhance their knowledge
Those discerning their call to serve the church as a rostered leader
Persons desiring to partially fulfill (our program does not fulfill) educational requirements for becoming rostered as an Associate in Ministry, Diaconal Minister or for Ordained Ministry
Persons who seek to serve in public ministry within or on behalf of their own congregation as a Congregationally Recognized Partner in Ministry (CRPM)

(View the "Guideline for Participating in the Lay School of Ministry")

Admissions

Application materials for admission to the Lay School of Ministry are available upon contact with the Coordinator of the Lay School of Ministry. Classes operate on a semester basis beginning in January of each year and meet on the third weekend of each month, except for the summer months. (View Two Year Course Schedule) Classes meet on Friday evening and Saturday at St. James Lutheran Church, 427 S. Main St., Verona, WI. (View the 2007 Class Schedule)

Normally a Discernment Day is held in October of each year and offers a time for exploration into the many questions where God is calling us to best use our gifts for ministry. For more information regarding the next scheduled Discernment Day, contact the Coordinator of the Lay School of Ministry.

Courses and Faculty

The faculty members for the Lay School of Ministry are selected from the very talented pool of seminary faculties, pastors, and Associates in Ministry within the ELCA.

New Lay School Teacher Chosen
The process of selecting a new instructor for the Faith Formation course in the Lay School of Ministry has been completed. A number of qualified persons submitted applications, four of whom were interviewed by a three-person team. The Steering Committee approved the selection of the Rev. Chris Lee-Thompson for the position. We anticipate Chris' fine leadership for the Faith Formation course and his larger contribution to the work of the Lay School of Ministry.

The courses include:

Old and New Testament Studies
Lutheran Confessions and Systematics
History of Christianity
Worship
Faith Formation
Ethics
The Church: Its Ministry and Mission

You can see the current Lay School Ministry Outcomes Chart here.

You can see the Two Year Course Schedule here.

You can see the Course Description here. (Instructor bio to be added soon)

Tuition for the Lay School of Ministry is $200 for one class, $350 for two classes, and $500 for three classes. Students may enroll in one, two or three courses and fees are listed per semester. Book costs, travel, and meals are additional.

The Lay School participants are asked to secure the agreement of a pastor or neighboring Associate in Ministry who will serve as mentor. Lay School participants in other synods have expressed strongly that this mentoring relationship is an important part of the program. Print out the Guidelines for the Mentor of a Student in the Lay School of Ministry and give it to the person you are considering asking to serve as your mentor.

Registration Form for the Lay School of Ministry in Microsoft Word (.doc) format
Registration Form for the Lay School of Ministry in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format

Rostered Ministry

Within the ELCA there are three officially recognized and rostered positions: Ordained Ministers, Associates in Ministry and Diaconal Ministers. Persons interested in the Lay School of Ministry as a means to partially fulfill (our program does not fulfill) the requirements for becoming rostered will need to contact the Candidacy Committee in addition to the forms for the Lay School. Candidacy information and forms are available from the Synod Candidacy Committee. Please contact the Synod Office for more information at 608-270-0201.

Click here for more information regarding Associates in Ministry.

(View the "Guideline for Participating in the Lay School of Ministry")