Having just celebrated our latest ordained ministers, this weekend we’ll be celebrating over 35 Lay Ministers at a special service at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 5 July.
The first cohort of 28 Lay Associate Ministers (LAMs), from the Diocese’s Foundations in Ministry (FiM) programme, will be joining our two new Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs), together with other LLMs, at the first Diocesan Lay Ministry Celebration.
The service will be led by the Rt Revd Andrew Watson, the Bishop of Guildford, and will see the 28 LAMs blessed, having completed their two-year course, training them in foundational theology and practical skills in their chosen ministry area.
The part-time programme, based on a robust theological framework, creates a supportive community for lay leaders, who have been appointed from their local churches, to explore what leadership may look like in their contexts and grow in confidence. The first year of the course sees students train in theology and the second year then focuses on their specialist skills.
Students on FiM have said: “It has been a really positive experience for me! I feel my knowledge base in theology has grown and the course encouraged me to read and further my studies. The team have been very supportive and I have made some lovely new friends.”
And: “A great opportunity to explore for the laity what it means to serve God locally in these exciting but challenging times that we are living through. History is being made all around us.”
Alongside blessing the LAMs, Bishop Andrew will also be admitting and licensing two new LLM candidates, licensing one LLM into a new parish, and relicensing five other LLMs.
The role of an LLM is an officially licensed role that allows them to minister in the Church as well as beyond the traditional boundaries of the Church. Often, LLMs will still be in full-time work outside of the Church alongside fulfilling their LLM duties. Jo and Sara, our soon-to-be new LLMs, will be doing just that and continuing in their jobs as a University Lecturer and Bookkeeper, respectively, whilst serving their church and local communities.
“I will be continuing my full-time job at the University of Surrey, where I oversee backstage training at Guildford School of Acting”, says Jo Franklin, one of the LLM candidates who will be serving at Emmanuel Church in Stoughton. “I’ll also be continuing to lead and preach as our church moves into a new phase of Parish Life.”
Sara Holland, our other new LLM candidate who will be serving in St Mary the Virgin in Ewell, says, “By day, I’m a self-employed Bookkeeper, working with a variety of clients. I have a passion for craft and will be launching Craft Church in the autumn, intentionally combining creativity and faith.”
The journey to become an LLM has been one that has seen both Jo and Sara serve in many roles in their churches before getting the ‘prod’ from God to explore the next step.
“Eleven years ago, I was authorised as a Pastoral Assistant. Even then, I sensed God was calling me to something more”, shares Sara. “At the end of the [COVID] lockdowns, I was invited to attend the Occasional Preachers’ Course, which opened new doors in my ministry journey.”
Jo shares, “I’ve been involved in many church roles over the years, including being Churchwarden and youth work. During a vacancy period, our youth worker asked me to help lead a service. I really enjoyed this and was encouraged to continue, as well as trying preaching. Stepping forward to be an LLM seemed the obvious next thing to do to serve the church, and our new vicar pointed me in the direction of the Guildford Local Ministry Programme.”
You can celebrate with Jo, Sara and their fellow Lay Ministers this Saturday 5 July at Guildford Cathedral at 10.30am.
If you would like to explore FiM or other Lay Ministry training opportunities, please visit our Formation and Training page.
Applications for next year’s FiM close this month, so do act quickly to avoid disappointment. You can find all the entry requirements and the application form here.