Empowering Lay Leaders: Curated Resources for Meaningful Ministry

This curated collection of resources is tailored for lay leaders, lay ministry, and lay people alike. In this carefully selected compilation, you'll find an array of tools and materials designed to empower, inspire, and equip individuals who play vital roles in the life of the church outside of ordained ministry.

From insightful articles and practical guides to engaging activities and thought-provoking reflections, these resources are crafted to support lay leaders in their journey of faith and service. Whether you're a seasoned lay leader, a newly appointed ministry volunteer, or simply someone seeking to deepen your spiritual engagement within the community, we invite you to explore these offerings and discover valuable insights to enrich your path of ministry and discipleship.​

Online Resources

Titles for Lay Ministry Available to Borrow from the KRC

Laypeople are increasingly called to serve congregations and are preaching regularly. But often they do not have immediate, reliable, or trusted access to homiletical instruction or support for their preaching. As a result, these church leaders—feeling called to ministry and to preach, and affirmed by denominational leaders to do so—are left on their own to figure out how to preach. In A Lay Preacher's Guide, Lewis gives this unique subset of preachers the foundations of biblical preaching, so they can preach faithfully in their unique contexts. She lays out in a concise and clear format the steps to preaching a faithful sermon, a process that can be immediately applied to weekly sermon preparation. This book is a go-to resource for lay preachers, providing a basic course for faithful preaching.

The purpose of Crazy Talk, says author Rolf Jacobson, is to render the heart of our Christian theology in a form that is accessible and appealing to everyone. The format of the book is similar to that of a dictionary of theological terms- but with a twist of humor! Each entry includes the name of the theological term, an ironic definition of the term, and a short humorous essay offering a fuller explanation of the term. In making the term understandable, Jacobson concentrates on the big theological issue that is at stake in the term - and why it matters. Includes over 50 black and white illustrations.

Clear, Calm, and Connected is an excellent leadership training tool for boards, committees, or teams. Each chapter addresses one challenging issue, and chapters may be read in any order. Readers are encouraged to explore topics when anxiety is low, so when challenges arise and anxiety is higher, they have already practiced how to respond rather than react. It is an especially valuable resource for leaders working to discern mission, define roles, and respond to conflict.

Contains basic information to help council members and committee chairs carry out their leadership roles: the biblical and theological foundations for leadership, how congregations function, the role of the larger church, strategies for effective leadership, the decision-making process, enlisting and encouraging volunteers, dealing with conflict, and maintaining spiritual foundations. The book includes a short course in small group communication.

In this comprehensive Christian training manual for church leaders, author Leroy Howe presents a program that will help local church leaders empower and equip their congregations in developing pastoral care ministries.

Church councils and leadership groups will discover ten helpful devotional reflections and discussion starters for a three-year cycle, focusing on the task of serving from a biblical and theological perspective. Insights from family systems theory provide a framework for the reflections. Through discussion of theory and by encountering and responding to real-life situations, participants will ponder aspects of what they are called to do together.