Ministry

Every Christian is called into ministry of some form or another. Some of these ministries are exercised in the local church, and some in the local community. Others are national or international. Whatever our calling, we are more likely to thrive in ministry if we are supported well both through the ongoing support of our ministry teams and in our training.

Many of us will receive training and ongoing support through our local church. However, sometimes our local churches need others to provide support and training. These pages outline the provision made by the Diocese of Oxford for training and ongoing support in ministry.

Ministries for all Christians 

Everyone in the people of God is called to ministry. Normally, we work out what these ministries are with our church leaders and other members of our church. The church commissions us locally to exercise our ministries in the church or the community. The locally commissioned ministry pages point you to training which you might take, or your church leader might recommend, to support you in your ministry. (Sometimes this is called ‘lay ministry’, coming from a New Testament Greek word for the people, laos, of God.)

Over the centuries, the church has put safeguards around certain forms of ministry so that people exercise them capably and safely. In the Church of England, these are known as licensed and authorised ministries. You can find out more about these ministries on the licensed lay ministry (or Reader ministry) and authorised ministry (authorised preaching, leading Holy Communion by extension, and lay funeral ministry) pages. They describe the application process and training for these ministries, which start in each case with a conversation with your church leaders.

Ordained ministry

Some people are called to serve as deacons, priests, and bishops. If you want to find out more about these ministries, you will need to start by talking with your church leader. To find out more, you may also wish to read the Called to Ordained Ministry and Ordained Ministry pages.

Ongoing support for all involved in ministry

Whether you are called into lay or ordained ministry, support and opportunities for further training are available to you. For a helpful guide to thriving in ministry, you might read Flourishing in Ministry. For information about the grants, study leave, sabbatical, continuing training, and other forms of support available to different kinds of ministers, please visit the Continuing Ministerial Development page. For a helpful overview of support available for ordained ministers, visit the Clergy Handbook page. 

If you are wondering what kind of ministry God might be calling you into, then please visit the Exploring your Vocation page.