Lay Ministry

In the Book of Common Prayer, all people are called to “take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church” (p. 855). Baptism into the Covenant Community of Jesus Christ is the primary prerequisite for any ministry in the Church, and the Book of Common Prayer defines four orders of ministers: lay persons, deacons, priests and bishops, priests.

Discerning a Call

People discern and respond to calls from God in various ways. You may indicate to your priest the desire to serve in a particular ministry or share a sense of calling. In other cases, clergy may seek out and recruit lay leaders.

“In all service, the entire Christian assembly participates in such a way that the members of each order within the Church, lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons, fulfill the functions proper to their respective orders, as set forth in the rubric directions for each service.”

~BCP, p. 13

The Church offers many rich and varied opportunities for you to use your gifts in lay ministry. These include:

Worship Ministries

You may discern a call to serve in the choir or as a lector, altar guild member, acolyte, or usher.

Outreach Ministries

Perhaps your passion is for social justice and serving marginalized people. Examples of outreach ministries include feeding ministries, care of creation, Laundry Love, hosting support groups, leading a Sacred Ground dialogue circle, and more.

Prayer Ministries

Your gifts may include holding and raising up people in prayer. Prayer ministries include card-writing, being a member of a congregational prayer team, or joining a chapter of the Daughters of the King.

Formation

You may feel called to teach or mentor young people during formation classes or at special events like youth retreats or vacation Bible school.

Pastoral Care

Your gifts may include the gift of listening, nurture, and caring for others. Pastoral care ministries may include preparing or delivering meals to individuals or families, helping people get to church, or making visits to individuals unable to attend worship. Often pastoral care ministries requires a level of specialized training.

Licensed Lay Ministry in the Episcopal Church in Colorado

In addition to the lay ministries listed above, you may discern a call to become a licensed lay minister for your congregation.

All ministry is relational and the call to licensed lay ministries typically begins with a relationship with local parish leaders, either clergy or lay. This starting point recognizes simply that the work of Jesus Christ is done in community and the call to a particular ministry is ultimately the call of the church to individuals asking them to share their gifts.

These licensed ministries provide accountability within the church and our common mission. Those who have leadership positions are part of the community and subject to its direction. Once licensed you act under the authority of the rubrics the Book of Common Prayer and within the faith and tradition of The Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church in Colorado trains and licenses the following lay ministries.

• Eucharistic Minister:  A Eucharistic Minister is a lay person authorized to administer the chalice at a Celebration of Holy Eucharist.  The parish priest provides training for a parish Eucharistic Minister.  No special license needs to be obtained from the Office of the Bishop.
• Eucharistic Visitor:  A Eucharistic Visitor is a lay person authorized to take the consecrated elements in a timely manner following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration. Eucharistic Visitors are licensed by the Bishop. Hybrid (entirely online) training is available from the Office of the Bishop every other month. In-person trainings can be coordinated with the Bishop’s office. Please contact Tracy Methe if you are interested in hosting an in-person training. Upcoming Eucharistic Visitor Trainings >
• Pastoral Leaders: A pastoral leader is a lay person authorized to exercise pastoral or administrative responsibility in a congregation under special circumstances, as defined by the Bishop. For more information about the application, training, and licensing process for Pastoral Leaders, please see Becoming a Pastoral Leader in the Episcopal Church in Colorado.

Continuing Education
According to the Canons, people engaged in licensed lay ministries need to participate in continuing education opportunities. Rectors should encourage individuals to participate in various continuing education opportunities such as reading materials in the Licensed Lay Ministries bibliography, discussion directed by the rector, conferences, workshops, or retreats.

Commissioning, Licensing, and Terms
After training requirements have been met, the rector will submit an application on behalf of the lay ministry candidate to the Office of the Bishop. The Office of the Bishop will then issue the appropriate license.

Licenses are valid for a period of three or four years (depending on ministry) within a named congregation or partnership.