Exploring Lay Ministry
What is Lay Ministry?
You may already be fulfilling your lay ministry in your work life. The diocese recognises that this work is building God’s Kingdom. You may also feel called to work within the Church. Lay ministry within the Church includes a huge variety of types of ministry: youth and children’s work, ministry with older people, visiting people at home, supporting those preparing for baptism or marriage, running Bible study groups, welcoming newcomers to church, mission and evangelism… In fact, the list is as endless as the passions and skills of the people fulfilling this work.
If you are already offering your time and skills to contribute to the Kingdom in any way, you are already doing lay ministry! However, many people feel a sense of calling to do something more, or something different, and need some guidance to discern what this might be.
What should I do next?
Hannah Mears, Vocations Development Officer
If there is a role within the Church, or a need within your community, that you think you have a calling towards, talk to a church leader.
If you need some help deciding what your calling to lay ministry might be, and would value the opportunity to talk this over with a vocations adviser, email Hannah or call 01392 294923. Hannah will put you in contact with a Vocations Adviser in your area.
Exploring Vocations Days
Throughout the year Hannah runs Exploring Vocation days – see events page or contact Hannah for more details.
Grow Learning Courses
Grow is an exciting new series of courses designed to enable people to grow in their faith and service to God and the church. Each course equips us to better serve in the area we feel called to, whether that be in leading worship, offering administrative support, pastoral care, digital mission, sharing our faith and much more. Find out more.
Anna Chaplaincy
Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry undertaken by volunteers in communities to provide support to older people in their own homes, sheltered housing or care homes. Anna chaplains are named after Anna, the prophetess, in the Bible (Luke 2). Find out more about Anna Chaplaincy here.
Foundations course
Foundations is the introductory Christian ministry course previously run by SWMTC, now organised by the Mission and Ministry team and led by a brilliant team of tutors.
The course will run termly, with new intakes running from September to November, January to March and April to June. The course will rotate around Devon, occurring in the West, North and East. The locations for each cohort in 2024 and 2025 are to be confirmed soon.
The plan is for each course to run in a hybrid nature. There will be in-person sessions spread over 3 Saturdays, and 4 weekdays (daytime or evening depends on learners availability, and in conversation with tutors), with study undertaken in advance of discussion and tutorial sessions with the aid of videos and worksheets.
This course is required for anyone hoping to undertake a Licensed or Commissioned role, but also provides a really useful introduction to The Bible, Theology, Spirituality, Mission and Ministry.
There is no assessed work as part of this course, but you will need to expect to spend 4-6 hours per week either in sessions, or watching or reading material.
There is a nominal fee of £25 to cover expenses and administration. Guidance will be given around this at the time of signing up.
We are working hard to finalise the details, but your patience is appreciated. We aim to have dates and locations available by the end of May.
If you’d like to either sign up, or be alerted when details are finalised, please fill in the form below:
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, click here to email Jon Curtis
Mike Jefferies lives in Tavistock. He and his wife Annie completed the SWMTC Foundations in Ministry course in 2016. Here, he talks about the experience and what the course has given him.
Creating Space: THE PASTORAL ENCOUNTER: run by The NHS Chaplaincy Team, Derriford Hospital. Five sessions. Cost: £50. Please email derriford.chaplaincy@nhs.net for further details.
For more details on the ministry of Lay Readership, visit the Exploring Reader Ministry page.
You may feel called to assist with the distribution of Communion. Details of the 2016 Diocesan Regulations for Eucharistic Assistants, the new regulation which allow children to assist, can be downloaded here.
