The word lay derives from the Anglo-French lai (from Late Latin laicus, from the Greek λαϊκός, laikos, of the people, from λαός, laos, the people at large).
wikipdedia: Laity

The internet domain laityonline.com was registered (along with a few others) with the vauge and nagging sensation that something was needed.

At first it seemed that there was a simple need - that the "unordained", if such a thing can be said to exist, need to be able to express themselves in the way reserved for "the man at the front". So it was founded with the idea that we all have a sermon to give.

A very early tradition of preaching in the Wesleyan / Methodist churches was for a Lay Preacher to be appointed to lead services of worship and preach in a group (called a 'circuit') of meeting places or churches. The lay preacher walked or rode on horseback in a prescribed circuit of the preaching places according to an agreed pattern and timing, and people came to the meetings. After the appointment of ministers and pastors, this lay preaching tradition continued with these people being appointed by individual churches, and in turn approved and invited by nearby churches, as an adjunct to the minister or during their planned absences.
wikipdedia: Laity

This idea has never really gone away but has grown small in comparison to a greater idea that is emerging. The laity are the people of God. We are priests and Jesus is our High Priest. If we, the laity, are to fulfill our role as priests then clearly the something that must be done is the empowerment of the laity.

In short, it is time for the laity to assume appropriate leadership over the direction of our churches.
anglicanlaity.net

We must become ready to speak the truth of the power of the cross with our lives in a religiouse environment that may not recognise the validity of our calling.

For generations we have divided ourselves into camps: Protestants and Catholics, high church and low, clergy and laity, social activists and personal piety, liberals and conservatives, sacred and secular, instructional and underground.
Ian Mobsby on Is there a distinctive approach to theologising for the emerging church?

We need to bring light into the darkness and we need to bring sight to those blinded by bad teaching, tradition or pride.

If there is blindness in the church, it centers around this issue. Most churches continue to lay the foundations of repentance of sins, over and over completely missing the point of the attonement. This ignornance of the purpose and power of the Cross locks people into an unwinnable battle with personal sin. It lowers our heads. It continually widens the gap between "clergy" and "laity".
Don Francisco, "Singing The Real Message"

Jesus Christ came to set us free.

He chose traitors, prostitutes and regular working class guys to take the message to the world.

Who are we to say who is worthy?

How will we fully become the laity - the people (of God)?

How will we find ways to do as the Holy Spirit directs?

We do not have these answers yet but it is sure that we are not alone. Surely there will be resistence and at those times we must simply trust God that he knows what he is doing.

God has given his people gifts and he expects us to use them. Listen to the story of the three servants. Thier master trusted them with his wealth and then he left. When he returned two servants had increased the wealth but one had done nothing with it - not even putting it in a bank account.

That servant was cast out.

Let that not be us.

Unlike the megachurch and church growth movements of the 1980s and ‘90s, emerging churches resist models and templates -- the franchising of church life. Instead they tend to emphasize the particular gifts of the local community and the creative involvement of the laity.
Scott Bader-Saye, A New Kind of Church?