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 Before you start talking to the Church of England about
ministry, you'll need to explore within
yourself whether you really feel called. There are lots of signs, but these four
are particularly important:
DO YOU FEEL A PERSISTENT
SENSE OF CALLING?
Everyone's experience of calling is unique. It can start with anything
from a nagging feeling to a complete bolt from the blue. It may or may
not come as a surprise! But a real sense of calling is persistent; it
won't go away.
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DO OTHER PEOPLE RECOGNISE
YOUR CALLING?
It's a good idea to share any sense of calling with people you trust -
your vicar or chaplain, your family and friends. This can be helpful in
checking whether other people see God's calling in you. Hopefully, they
will be honest enough to tell you. They may even have spotted your
calling before you did! |
IS YOUR SENSE OF CALLING
REALISTIC?
We all have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses: have you got what
it takes for ministry? Answering that will take you on a candid journey
of self-assessment; one on which you may need some help. Whilst God
doesn't call us into roles which are beyond us, sometimes he calls us
and then helps us to grow into that role. So you might be surprised by
what you can do with God's grace and in his strength. |
IS YOUR SENSE OF CALLING
WELL-INFORMED?
In other words, do you know what you might be letting yourself in for? A
life in ministry is full of exciting surprises, but it's still good to
know what it might entail! For example, you'll need to have some
understanding of what's involved in mission and ministry in a changing
world, and what sort of tasks you may need to undertake. |
If your answer to most of
these questions is 'yes', this might be the right time to ask for help in
discerning whether Christian ministry is right for you
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We’ve collected together some prayers
relating to vocation.
Visit the Church of
England website
Explore your ministry by serving a church for a year on an Encounter
team.
Remind yourself of some of the very different people who were
called to service in the Bible...
Join us without obligation & spend a weekend
learning about life as a priest
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