Celebration of Lay Ministries

Celebration of Lay Ministries 2025

This year, we are celebrating our Lay Ministers at Candlemas on Sunday 2 February. We are delighted that so many people are involved in sharing God’s good news with those around them and working with others in their churches and communities to show God’s love to all.

We want to encourage as many parishes as possible to celebrate the work of work of Lay Ministers in their parish – whether on this Sunday or another dedicated Sunday throughout the year. The Celebration will help to raise awareness of the role of Lay Ministers in the parish and show how they contribute to the life of the parish. We hope that it will encourage others to want to explore Lay Ministry, too.

To help you to make the celebration a special event in your parish and to help you to thank your Lay Ministers and volunteers, we have put together resource material for you to use, which are available to download below. Watch out for some short videos we’ll also be sharing with people involved in lay ministry, hearing their stories of finding their vocations and how it feels to be involved in ministry. We are also providing people who can preach at your church at Candlemas or on a Sunday near to it. If you would like a preacher to join you, please Contact Helen Medland via [email protected]. You can can also make use of last year’s resources, if you prefer (see further down the page).

Ideas for celebrating Lay Ministries in a special service

Let people know it’s happening – you can find some suggested notices for parish newssheets here
Invite a member of the Discipleship and Ministry Team, or a Licensed lay Minister to come to preach and speak about their ministry and wider lay ministry. This does not have to be on the Celebration of Lay Ministries Sunday. Members of the Team are happy to come out at any stage.
Use the readings for Candlemas. Ensure the homily/sermon and intercessions carry the themes of baptism, ministry, service and relationship to Jesus. Consider focussing the homily on Lay Leadership, emphasising our baptismal call to serve, and to share our gifts with the church community and with those around us – and encouraging others to do the same.
Ask Lay Ministers serving in your parish to come forward. Call them to the altar by name, making sure to mention their ministry. When all are assembled around the altar use the recommitment pledge (see below) and blessing for the work that they do for the parish and community.
Consider giving each Lay Minister a small token of appreciation (for example a pin badge or prayer book mark).
After service, offer refreshments to continue the celebration in their honour.
Set up a table at the back of the church with resource materials on the Lay Ministries and training available in our diocese.
Make sure to include intercessions for Lay Ministry in the prayers.
Set up a display on Lay Ministry for the entrance or coffee area.

Liturgical & worship resources

Season of Lay Ministries 2024 resources

Each pdf contains sermon notes, readings and hymn suggestions. The sermons have been recorded, and are now available to watch on YouTube.

The Royal School of Church Music have released a resource called Hymnpact – a subscription-based resource for primary schools and churches, providing hymns and songs that are appealing to children and adults alike. You can use this resource at anytime during the Season of Lay Ministries. If your school or parish use Hympact, do get in touch and let us know.

Find out more here.

Types of lay ministry

In the Diocese of Southwark we are committed to encouraging more lay ministry and vocations and have a wide range of recognised lay ministries. But, whether lay or ordained, Christians are called to work together to carry out God’s mission both within the Church and in the wider world. Find out more about our affirmed, commissioned and licensed ministries below.

Affirmed ministries

Affirmed ministries are locally driven and respond to local need. They often involve partner organisations in the community. They are discerned within the local context and training takes place locally. Sometimes this is a day-long course and sometimes the course lasts for a few weeks. People taking on this kind of ministry are then blessed or affirmed at Area, deanery or parish level.

Examples of affirmed ministry include:

people in pastoral ministry such as Street Pastors, Volunteer Lay Chaplains in hospitals, or leaders of food banks, overnight shelters and local Christian charities
people working with children and young people (CYP) as church representatives on school, college, and university governing bodies, or those teaching CYP
worship leaders
people facilitating roles in new monastic communities
workplace ambassadors.

Commissioned ministries

Commissioned ministries operate Diocese-wide and are discerned at Diocesan level. The Diocese provides training, which usually takes two years part-time. Once trained, people undertaking this kind of ministry are commissioned by the Diocesan Bishop.

Examples of commissioned ministries include:

Southwark Pastoral Auxiliaries (SPAs)
Commissioned Lay Pioneers
Commissioned Youth and Children’s Ministers.

Licensed ministries

Licensed ministries are nationally recognised. People undertaking this kind of ministry are discerned at Diocesan level and the Diocese provides training to national standards (Level 4 or equivalent, which usually means two years’ part-time academic study plus two years ‘on the job’).

After training, people are licensed by the Diocesan Bishop. They may transfer their licence to another Diocese.

Examples of licensed lay ministers include:

Readers
Licensed Lay Pioneers
Licensed Lay Ministers (Youth and Children)
Licensed Lay Ministers (Pastoral)
Church Army Evangelists.

Download a brochure on Lay Ministry