Vision

The ‘Common Purpose’ of ministry in the Diocese of Guildford is summed up by Bishop Christopher under three headings: 

1. Spiritual maturity
2. Numerical growth
3. Community engagement

Our mission in Jesus’ words is to ‘make disciples’.

It is our vision that as Readers in this Diocese we will increasingly exercise our ministry as ‘Licensed Lay Ministers’ in these three fields, and that as whole-life disciples we will engage with the community in our localities and workplaces, bringing people to know the power of the gospel in their lives, and guiding them to greater spiritual maturity. In so doing we will play our part in the Common Purpose of the Diocese, and fulfil Jesus’ commission to make disciples.

An important aspect of this vision is that it will expand our ministry from being mostly based in the church to one that includes service in and to the community, from a Sunday ministry to an every-day ministry. As Licensed Lay Ministers, Readers have the unique combination of authority as licensed ministers on the one hand, and being lay ministers on the other hand, called as trained lay people to serve the gospel. In this way, Readers embody the ministry and priesthood of all believers; they bridge the sacred-secular divide, showing the Kingdom of God at work in the world at large.

This is an exciting vision for Reader Ministry, and we hope that you will be inspired to explore this vision with us as our journey unfolds.

You may discover more of the thinking behind this vision in ‘Licensed Lay Ministry – Vision’

• Introduction
• Teams
  • Administration
  • Communities Engagement
  • Discipleship, Vocation and Ministry
    • Clergy Conference
    • Clergy Couples
    • Communion Assistant Training
    • Conduct of Clergy
    • Continuing Ministerial Training
    • DVM Council
    • Faith and Spirituality
    • Faith4Living
    • Forthcoming Events
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    • LLMs
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      • Becoming an LLM
      • Events
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      • Organisation and Contacts
      • Resources (downloads and archive)
      • Resources (links)
      • Review and Appraisal
      • Towards Retirement
      • Vision
    • LMP Training
    • Ministry Review
    • Moor Park College
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    • Pastoral Assistants
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    • Spiritual Direction
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    • Vocations
    • Worship Committee
  • Parish Development and Evangelism
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• Bishops and Senior Staff
• Bishop of Guildford's Foundation
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• Diocesan Common Purpose
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• Resources for Clergy
• Surrey Church Major Incident Plan
• Synod Governance
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• What's On
• Who's Who in the Diocese
• Guildford Diocesan Accounts
• THE WEY - Newspaper