Help from the Navy (et alia, with lay persons leading worship)

I was telling a colleague-friend of some Navy resources I’ve found that might make a good basis for equipping and training lay worship leaders and assistants (there are so many names for this ministry, I scarcely know where to begin) and I thought I’d share them here, too.

On the other hand, I love to read about “rigging” for worship, rather than “setting up.” It should be noted that the training for Navy lay leaders is rather brief. Most references to training imply two to four hours, or in one case, two days.

Enjoy.

Links:

Lay Leader Handbook and Resource Guide, Director for Operational Ministries, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. (786k PDF file; right-click to download)

Lay Leader’s Handbook (NAVMC 26 10-AH) is a delightfully, ahem, aged document, from the Marine Corps, but I’m not sure if it is as useful for unarmed, noncombatent congregations. (434k PDF file; right-click to download)

Lay Leaders pages from COMSUBPAC. (If anyone needed lay leaders, it would be submariners.) 29 April 2006. Link changed to Internet Archive version of page; original page is down.

While I’m on the subject, the Episcopal Church’s Bishop to the Armed Forces adds training points for Episcopalians so led to service.

And what of the Unitarians Universalists? Try Naples. (See bottom of page. Archival page from 2004.)

And lastly, read “SPIRITUAL DEPTH: Lay Leaders Support the Religious Community at Sea”, an article in Undersea Warfare. (Might be good to print out to inspire lay worship leaders at home, too.)

Spare a prayer for the members of the armed forces, too.