‘whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Col: 3.17).
As a diocese, we want to honour all ministry: formal and informal; clergy and lay; paid and unpaid. Shared local ministry is part of our diocesan vision for sharing in leadership and ministry.
We aim for every parish to have an identified shape of ministry, shared between clergy and lay ministers, that fits the local context, serving the local church and wider community. Working together, they will be focal points for a genuinely local Christian presence.
Shared local ministry is core to our diocesan strategy that seeks to enable people to share in leadership and ministry. We are committed to learning together what it means to encourage a rich diversity of ministry roles, and encourage the growth of a culture of shared ministry throughout the diocese.
Shared local ministry will take a different shape in each place. However, it is helpful to think about the characteristics of shared local ministry, and what you would expect to see where it is thriving: