Get your bags packed and board the Connectional Lay Council nonstop express train and “Come with Us to Christ.” Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the “City of Arts and Innovation” and North Carolina’s “Twin City,” is the site of the Thirteenth Quadrennial Connectional Lay Council Convention of the Freedom Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, July 26 – 31, 2025. Our theme, “Onward Christian Laity: Showing Up Strong with Purpose, Preparation and Practice” will unfold a plethora of engaging opportunities through access to high-quality speakers with impactful presentations, community engagement, recognitions of achievement, productive business sessions, and the election of officers. Purpose refers to our intentions, goal- setting behavior, and a feeling of determination. Preparation is our action and strategies for improving readiness for service, and Practice is the use of ideas, beliefs, and methods to improve our skills and proficiency as an organization. Join us in looking forward with great anticipation, as we continue to expose our objectives and purposes, and enjoy all that you will experience to “Secure Our Future.”