My garden is looking a little dismal at the moment. The daffodils have yet to come up, the brambles seem to have taken over the area where I usually see snowdrops, and a tangle of dried nasturtium stems covers my vegetable beds. But there are tiny yellow flowers on the winter jasmine, the honeysuckle is looking healthy, and of course the green alkanet (weed) is, as always, doing splendidly.
In 2020, a report to General Synod described lay ministry as being like a garden:
“If the context of lay ministries in the Church of England is like a garden, it is one of extraordinary abundance, with a multitude of plants of different varieties. In different areas of the garden things may look a little different to each other. Varying conditions enable a range of plants to flourish and indeed need different plants to make the best of the conditions they have. There are some plants which crop up in all the areas, and some might be unique to a very particular type of soil, but the overall variety is vital.”
A Vision for Lay Ministries, GSMisc 1265
Even in January, there is life in my garden, and the promise of much more as Spring approaches. And so it is in the church. People engage in ministry in many different ways, both within our churches and in the wider community.
Here in Southwark, it is beginning to feel like Spring is at hand, with the budding of new lay ministries. Lay pioneers are already at work, sharing the Gospel in the Japanese community, using social media to reach out to people in estates, and opening the doors for people who are “spiritual but not religious.” Pastoral ministers (SPAs) visit people in prisons and hospital, offer practical care for people on the street, and support refugees. Readers are leading prayer walks, learning new technology for online services, and leading collective worship in schools. And we have (at last count) 23 people training for commissioned or licensed lay ministry, and another dozen or so in the discernment process.
But they are not the only people doing ministry. We have parishioners who run food co-ops and offer hospitality through night shelters. They lead bible studies and sing in choirs and share their faith with children and youth. They weed gardens and talk with mums at the school gate. We have teenagers training as Street Doctors, learning how to provide emergency care for victims of stabbings before the ambulance arrives. I’m sure you can think of many more.
All these are like plants in the ministry garden. And like plants, they need care. Some need to be pruned, so they grow stronger, or trained on a trellis. Some need to be allowed to die back for a time, so they can store energy for future growth. Some even need to be dug up and moved to a place where they will flourish. And all need to be watered, and fed.
As you think about lay ministry where you are, I wonder what kind of plant you are? And what plants you see around you? How might you support them, and help them to grow and flourish?
Find out more at southwark.anglican.org/layministries.
