Lay Ministry Formation

All baptized persons are ministers and confirmation further commits people to ministry. Ministry is anything that is done in the name of Jesus, from an act of kindness to preaching.

In a parish, particular ministries become more organized. A person may be mandated or authorized to carry out the ministry in the name of the parish and the parish accepts responsibility for the formation of that person’s ministry. Lay ministry formation can be described as screening and appointment, training, and supervision.

Screening and Appointment

The Pastor, Church Wardens, Parish Council or Vestry, depending on the position, appoints or elects the person to a position. The term normally is from one September Vestry meeting to the next. The annual appointment allows for people to recommit or withdraw from a position.

The screening and appointment process involves establishing mutual expectations involved in a particular appointment. Position descriptions and parish policies describe the work and the things that must be done or not done.

The screening process will vary with the position. Positions with a greater degree of risk to the parish will have more stringent screening criteria. Screening could involve references, vulnerable sector check and/or minimum time in the parish.

Training

Training is specific to each position.

Supervision

Each position is accountable to someone, who is named as the supervisor. The supervisor will provide feed back on performance with the purpose of helping a person grow.