Every person has a calling from God, who calls each of us by name (Isaiah 43:1). The heart of vocation is to be the unique person God calls you to be. We respond best to God’s call when we let God serve others through us. This is ministry. Jesus demonstrated ministry in his self-giving life, and he called disciples to share in his work. He still does, and there are many ways to respond.

The whole Church, the body of baptised Christians, is called to follow Christ and to bear witness to God's love. The first place to do that is in daily life. For some, their job will be their special vocation; for others, their deepest response to God’s call will be unpaid.

God calls some people to specific public ministries in the church, such as that of Churchwarden. God also calls people to ministry which is commissioned, licensed or ordained by the Bishop. In the Diocese of Southwark such public ministries include:

• Southwark Pastoral Auxiliaries (SPAs) are ministers of pastoral care, often among those with little or no church connection;
• Readers are ministers of preaching and teaching, though Readers may also lead services;
• Clergy are ordained ministers who lead God’s people in worship and in proclaiming the good news of God’s love, though prayer and pastoral care, preaching and celebrating the sacraments.

In the following pages, you will find information about deciding what your ministry might be, about Christian education and about training for ministry. Go to Exploring your Call to find out more about specific ministries.