On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Living Waters District invites you to our 2nd Annual EMPOWER District Training Event at Crenshaw UMC in Blackstone from 9 am – 3 pm. This isn't just another training—it's an equipping movement for leaders who refuse to let the world shape them, but instead choose to shape the world around them for Christ.
We've designed this day with one purpose: to give you some resources, knowledge, and hopefully confidence to transform your congregation and community. You'll choose from twelve powerful sessions:
Staff-Parish Relations
Become confident and effective in supporting and nurturing the pastor and staff, conducting annual performance evaluations, reviewing salaries, and helping to define job descriptions and ministry priorities.
Trustees
Elevate your knowledge for the supervision, care, and maintenance of the church's property, physical assets, and how they are used in ministry.
Disaster Preparedness in Your Community
Discover the importance of being prepared and having the resources to respond to disasters when they hit your community. As the church, it is your responsibility to be ready to help. Are you?
Nominations/Leadership Development
Acquire the knowledge and steps to identify the spiritual gifts and skills of individuals within the congregation, and help them develop these gifts for leadership.
Simplified Accountable Structure
Grasp how to streamline a church's leadership and decision-making processes, making it more efficient and mission-focused.
Lay Servant
Imagine being trained to provide leadership in worship, lead small groups, offer pastoral care, and teach about faith in your UMC. Come listen to the possibilities and learn about opportunities.
Worship Arts: Preparing to Lead Worship
Feel empowered to help lead worship through reading scripture, creating prayers, choosing music, and much more.
Worship Arts: Preparing the Worship Space
Embrace your creative side to build beautifully meaningful altars and areas for worship and special services throughout the year.
District Youth Resources
Propel the vision forward as you learn about the new district strategy for youth ministry and how your passion, energy, and effort for our youth will help transform Southside Virginia.
Finance: Apportionments
Digest how we accomplish goals that are beyond our individual abilities, such as global mission work, church administration, clergy education, and support for disaster relief, all with this vital Conference giving.
Finance: Audits
Absorb the importance of an annual independent evaluation of a local church's financial records to ensure reliability, safeguard assets, and verify compliance with church policies and donor intent.
Finance: Finance Committee
Focus on the group effort needed for: responsible stewardship of congregational funds by managing budgets, overseeing financial policies, and providing oversight for the church's mission and ministries.
Finance: Internal Controls
Establish measures that safeguard assets, prevent fraud, ensure accurate reporting, and maintain donor trust by establishing clear processes for handling church funds.
Why does this matter? Because when we're trained, we don't just survive—we thrive. We live fully into our United Methodist vision to Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously. We stop reacting to our circumstances and start transforming them.