Laity Sunday, Oct. 21, observed annually on the third Sunday of October, celebrates the ministry of all lay Christians in “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” You can learn about this special Sunday and find worship resources that might be helpful to you at umcdiscipleship.
During the Wesleyan Movement’s early days, Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury, both Englishmen sent by John Wesley to America, carried on the Wesleyan legacy of equipping and empowering laity to be in ministry. Through the ministry of the laity, more and more people made a commitment to Christ, were nurtured in the faith, were equipped for ministry, and were sent out to be in ministry with others.
A suggested theme for this day is “Offering Christ,” or “Offer Them Christ” from the words John Wesley spoke to his emissary Thomas Coke as Coke set sail to America in 1784 to ordain Francis Asbury a bishop and help him establish Methodism in the newly independent United States of America. Download Laity Sunday brochure (pdf)