Brian Pearson writes

Might This Work For You?

It’s that time of year; annual meetings, swearing in church wardens, appointing PCC secretaries and treasurers.  Some have agreed (again) to do ‘just one more year’, others have been coaxed, goaded, bribed (surely not) or begged (more likely) to take on roles for which they feel inadequately prepared and are short on time to fulfil. 

This is church as we know it, and for better or worse local congregations have lived with this for years (if not decades or centuries).  But there is another way of ‘doing essential ministry’ that, while not new, is slowing emerging to become a welcomed norm in a growing number of places.

But there is a difference.  These strands of ministry play ‘the long game’, given that they focus on providing a long-term complementary and supportive role to the ordained ministry, especially in places where resources are really stretched. 

One such example is that of Lay Worship Assistants and a recent conversation with Rev Tristram Rae Smith provided me with an intriguing insight into how they are becoming woven into the fabric of local ministry by offering an authentic and valuable contribution to worshipping communities.

Tristram brought together about a dozen folk who went on to explore and then commit to training as LWAs.  For some the starting point had been an evening designed to identify individual gifts.  Interestingly, not everyone present identified an obvious fit between gifts and (traditional) tasks but on closer examination leading worship seemed as if it might be the answer.  

Another, more ‘proactive’ approach yielded further candidates.  Tristarm’s is not the only benefice facing the reality of fewer stipendiary clergy being available in the multi parish setting. The hard choice for many small rural churches had lain between having relatively infrequent services led by a clergy person and more frequent services some of which need to be led by local appropriately trained lay people. 

Faced with this it was heartening to find more candidates emerging who were primarily motivated by the desire to help their local church retain as regular a service pattern as possible. In terms of the ‘long game’, Tristram saw the need to adopt a long-term view, taking maybe five years or more to identify, prepare and equip the right people to become LWAs.  He also acknowledges that ‘acceptance’ of LWAs is not a ‘given’.  There may be fewer stipendiary clergy to go round but some churches retain the strong desire (and even unrealistic expectation) that ‘their’ priest will preside at a service, (ideally Eucharistic), at their church every Sunday.  At the same time the clergy (when not clocking up vast mileage as they dash around their multi-parish benefices) are asking themselves the taxing question: “How are we going to sustain appropriate patterns of worship?”

Inevitably, with the shift that comes by establishing LWAs in their roles, it will take time before some will acknowledge the benefits rather than dwelling on the ‘loss’.  In fairness, a great deal will depend on the LWAs themselves proving their worth and value but this in itself is dependent largely upon providing a sound, comprehensive and thorough form of structured training – and Tristram (who has run the training course) sees in the School of Formation’s provision precisely the right vehicle to achieve this.

Currently, we are well short of the 5+ years that Tristram has marked out and by his own admission the benefice is “feeling its way with these posts”.  The LWAs themselves are gathering experience and their own sense of being valued and fulfilled is increasing.  Of course, for them and the churches involved, this is very much a ‘work-in-progress’ but as a model it is arousing interest in other parts of the diocese – hence Tristram accepting an invitation to speak at Exmoor Deanery.  

My guess is that what has now begun is likely to spread, with churches applying and adapting the concept to meet local needs.  And if the role of LWA is something you as either an individual or church leader wish to explore, then the School of Formation staff would be very pleased to hear from you. 

 

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