Book excerpt: "God calls you to a life of servanthood as a disciple of Jesus Christ. …Lay Servant Ministries is the first step for many laypersons toward their faith journey as they strive for a closer relationship with the Lord," the authors write in the introduction. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church. It explores personal spiritual gifts servant leadership each leader's role in developing future leaders the importance of consistent spiritual practices the core ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating and much more. The Basic Course can be used for both adults and youth. Consisting of five two-hour sessions, it may serve as a short-term study for small groups, Sunday school classes, and new member classes. NOTE: This book replaces the Lay Speaking Ministries Basic Course, DR551. The Leader's Guide is also available here.