Recognising that far-reaching changes were taking place in Church and society, the Diocese of Hereford adopted Local Ministry as part of its strategy for the future.
This means recognising that 'the ministry of the local church' involves everyone, not just the Vicar. Many lay people already work hard for the church in practical ways, but often not all the gifts for mission and pastoral care, leading worship and strategic thinking are being used.
Local Ministry Roles
The Diocese of Hereford has developed a range of Local Ministry roles to enable people with all sorts of gifts to work as part of a team which offers worship, pastoral care and mission activities in church and in the wider community. These roles are supervised by the parish priest and work alongside other lay and ordained ministers.
- Local Ministry leaflet
- Local Minister leaflet and application form
- Local Worship Leader leaflet and application form
- Local Pastoral Visitor leaflet and application form
- Local Missioner leaflet and application form
There is a Working Agreement template (between a Local Minister and their incumbent) and template role descriptions for each role: Local Minister; Local Worship Leader; Local Pastoral Visitor and Local Missioner.
If you would like to know more about Local Ministry please contact Elizabeth Wild, Director of Mission and Ministry and Diocesan Director of Vocations and Ordinands.
Local Ministry Training
Local ministry training is flexible and can be offered in parishes and deaneries, but we also have a one year Introduction to Christian Ministry Course available which is suitable training for the Local Minister role.
And new for 2024-25 is the Childrens, Youth and Families Ministry pathway course
There is also a 'do it yourself course' from "Transforming Worship" (formally Praxis) by Helen Bent. This course is ideal for lay people who are embarking on planning and leading worship and includes 3 short videos with handouts that can be downloaded for free training-course-for-lay-worship-leaders-by-helen-bent
Eucharistic Ministers
Worship Resources for lay leaders (from the Diocesan Liturgical Group)
- Christingle
- Christingle Risk Assessment
- Ash Wednesday
- Ash Wednesday hymns
- Good Friday
- Ascension
- Pentecost
- Harvest
- Animal Blessing Service
- New Academic Year Service template (otherwise known as "The Blessing of the Backpacks")
- Celebrating Thomas Traherne on 10th October
An LMDG is made up of the Incumbent plus various others - usually a specially formed group based on nominations by the congregation.
An LMDG:
- acts as a focus and a catalyst for mission and ministry in the local church;
- is not meant to do all the work but rather to foster the ministries of all God's people as together they share in God's mission.
An LMDG is useful because it provides:
- a way of taking forward ideas which otherwise might remain on the shelf;
- a range of complimentary gifts, rather than the strengths (and weaknesses) of individuals on their own;
- a coordinating point for the benefice's mission; an expression of the ownership of the Church's future by all God's people; a way of realising people's gifts, within and beyond the LMDG.
Local Ministry can be spotted by looking out for the following marks:
- local communities of faith discerning God's call to mission over the years ahead and obeying that call;
- all Christians being enabled to realise their gifts as they share in discipleship and ministry;
- lay people and clergy sharing leadership as local churches take responsibility for being signs of God's Kingdom.
Downloads
- Local Ministry Review Report (2016)