All Are Called

"The young are called; the elderly are called. There is no retirement from the Christian pilgrimage … Women are called, and men are called … God ‘has no favourites’ ….We are all called no matter what our occupations may be. There is no special status in the Kingdom for those in ‘top jobs’ or ‘important responsibilities’ " from 'All Are Called'

The Christian faith inspires people to grow as followers of Jesus Christ (discipleship) and to use the gifts and talents that God has entrusted to us in his service and for his glory (ministry). God has given a rich variety of gifts to His people to enable them to exercise a great variety of ministries. This was one of the great discoveries of the early Christians and was an oft repeated theme of St Paul. A calling from God, or vocation to ministry is not the privilege of a select few. It is the experience of every Christian.

Every Christian (irrespective of age) is called by God as a minister and ambassador as a consequence of their baptism. For most, this calling is in the everyday world of work, school, home and leisure. Christians are also called to contribute, in some way, to the life of their local worshipping congregation. Some will be called additionally to serve the church and the world as an authorised minister – lay or ordained. All vocations, although different, are of equal value and all need to be nurtured.

It is therefore the challenge for every Christian to discover the ministry to which God may be calling them and God’s call comes afresh at different stages of our lives. In every congregation, members should be challenged and encouraged to explore their vocation from God. There are also various resources to help us with this. In each Deanery of the Diocese of Chelmsford, the Bishops have appointed a Vocations Adviser, who is available to talk with anyone who wants help in exploring their vocation. They are not just concerned with people thinking about lay or ordained ministry but ministry in its widest sense. They are not part of any formal selection process but are simply available to offer advice.

In the Diocese of Chelmsford people have been selected, trained and licensed for Reader ministry for many years and now the Diocese is offering training for Pastoral Assistants and Evangelists. Reader ministry is ‘a ministry of preaching and teaching in the pastoral context’. The ministry of Pastoral Assistant is ‘a ministry of pastoral care in the church and wider community’. The ministry of Evangelist is ‘a ministry of communicating the Christian faith by word and action’. The diocese is committed to supporting the local church in encouraging each person in their growth and development and does this by offering a range of opportunities for education and training across the diocese.

The Bishop's Certificate in Children's Ministry is a new course run by the Diocese. It offers a quality training programme to encourage, equip, and enthuse those who work with children as part of the ministry of the local church. Equipping is the equivalent course for those involved in youth work. The Mission-shaped Ministry course has a particular focus on the development of individuals and teams for practices of mission that engage those outside the reach of church as it is: initiating, growing and sustaining fresh expression of church. The Course in Christian Studies is a two year course exploring the Christian Faith with others, delivered weekly in local centres around the diocese. CCS has a foundational first year and a more flexible second year and leads to the Bishop’s Certificate.

Exploring these options might well begin with another new Diocesan course Your SHAPE for God’s Service which aims to enable church members to understand the unique SHAPE God has made them, the gifts he has given them and how he might want to use them. This is so that God’s Kingdom may be built up as each person finds the ministry to which God is calling them in the Church and in the world.

Working together by using our different gifts and skills for ministry and mission is to be a hallmark of Christian witness, service and life. This requires valuing experiences, insights and gifts different from our own and being prepared to work across social boundaries whether of nation, race, creed and language or across ecclesiastical boundaries of parish, deanery, diocese, denomination and tradition. Cooperation internationally, ecumenically and locally can build up all aspects of church life and fuel mission effectiveness. In future, we hope to explore collaborative working in a new way at St John’s by thinking about the possibility of developing a Ministry Leadership Team.

Discussion of all of the above is a feature of Stewardship Month this September at St John's Seven Kings and, in particular, a Vocations Sunday service this Sunday where everyone will have the opportunity to explore ideas and opportunities for ministry at home, in the community, in the workplace and in and through this church. Hopefully, as we each reflect and respond to God’s call on our lives, this will enable us to live and serve with more joy, satisfaction and fruitfulness continuing to build a healthy growing church, and will also affect the way each of us engages with our family, friends, job, local community, and voluntary / leisure activities.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Flyleaf - Fully Alive.