The Kansas District is encouraging and equipping its churches' lay leadership through a lay ministry academy held for the first time in March. While organizers expected to have around 30 attendees, 75 lay leaders traveled from across the district to attend the day-long academy in Pratt, Kansas.

The event brought together lay leaders to hear from keynote speakers and form relationships with others in the same positions. Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, and leaders who work with children, youth, and small groups attended the event.

"The seminar has helped me to affirm my calling to teach those in our congregation and to help provide [an in-depth] understanding of our beliefs and practices and to avoid distractions away from our purpose," said Roger Unruh, an attendee from Garden City Church of the Nazarene.

When Scott Powell became the district Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) president, he realized that many churches in the district were in the same boat as he was.

Powell pastors Abundant Harvest Church of the Nazarene in Pratt, which is located in a rural town of a little over 6,000 people. The church is healthy, with up to 250 members now, but Powell remains the sole staff member of his church. Those who lead the other ministries are primarily volunteers and lay ministry leaders.

"Some of them are stipend types of positions, but the lion's share is probably more volunteer," Powell said. "Sometimes, we give our lay leaders a big job, but we don't give them any authority because they're not actually on staff. For the district to start recognizing them, it will give them some of that authority and accountability."

The academy was created to help support these non-clergy staff, providing a day of equipping and encouragement. While plenary sessions focused on larger topics, the breakout groups brought together attendees in their ministry-specific groups to talk about topics within their respective contexts.

Powell said those discussions were almost therapeutic for some.

"Between the speakers and the breakout sessions, it was so good to be reminded of what we are called to and know that we were all in it together," said Connie Oltmanns of Abundant Harvest Church of the Nazarene. "It was good to hear from those serving in lay ministry and discuss our individual struggles and strategies."

Powell hopes to do more of these conferences because he sees lay leaders as a key part of a revival of the church in America.

"In the new revival that we're starting to see burgeon across the United States, there is a need for the laity to rise and say, 'We take responsibility for the ministry,'" Powell said.

He added that reaching new people is not just about inviting them to church anymore; it's about getting them involved and creating ownership of their role in the church's ministry. Especially so for the younger generations.

"The blessing of our younger generations, both millennial and Gen Z, is they really want authentic relationships," Powell said. "But they also are only going to get involved in things that are really impacting. So, if you've talked to them and say, 'Help us do this,' they're on board. Otherwise, you're just asking them to verify whether or not they think you're doing it right."