Conference Lay Leader (left) leads yesterday’s Laity Gathering at The Pacific Northwest Annual Conference Sessions.
We Are Changed: The Laity Gathering
By Ellen Johanson | Photos by Amy Pazan with Jesse N. Love
The Laity Gathering opened Annual Conference 2013 in Wenatchee with a bumpy start.
As keyboardist, Todd Shively, was playing “This is a Day of New Beginnings”, Board of Laity member Pete Olds was working to solve the problem of why the song lyrics weren’t showing up on the projector screens. “I know how to call my son and he has the answer,” said Olds. Sure enough after a brief call to his son Tyrone, the problem was remedied. As another board of laity member remarked, technical glitches like this show how we church people carry-on in spite of difficulties or plans that change midstream; our spirit can’t be stopped.
Conference Lay Leader, Joan Holms, welcomed participants and presented this year’s Annual Conference theme, “Disciple is a Verb” before the group. Laity shared personal stories and identified distinctive qualities about their faith communities. Two questions were presented: 1) How does your church live into the phrase “Disciple is a Verb” and 2) What are the ministries that invite you to be a disciple?” After discussing these questions Noriko Lao, Puget Sound District lay leader asked everyone to reflect on how this work has transformed us individually or has transformed our churches.
The spirit of the PNW Conference Laity is certainly alive and well, ready to meet the spiritual needs of our communities. “We like to think we are doing good things for others and making positive changes in their lives – but the people we’re in ministry with and serving, change us,” said Joan Holms.
What are the ministries that invite YOU to be a disciple?
Check out MORE PHOTOS from Day 1 of #pnwac13!
Ellen Johanson serves as the manager for the Regional Media Center.
