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Exploring further your Licensed Ministry here in       St. Edmundsbury & Ipswich

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Exploring further your Licensed Ministry here in       St. Edmundsbury & Ipswich

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God creates each of us for a purpose and gives us a unique place in the world. Christians describe this as our calling or 'vocation'. Vocation is about the whole of human life, not just what we do in church.

We offer a range of authorised ministries that serve the ministry and mission of the whole church and work collaboratively at all levels. Discovering what God is calling us to be and to do is a life-long process, as we grow individually and the needs around us change. Prayer, reflection, Bible study and conversation with your parish priest or other Christian friends can all help us to listen to what God is asking of us.

In this diocese we offer training for different ministries.

Please download the leaflet below for an overview or visit the different ministries' pages in this section of the website - see the menu bar on the right hand side.

Exploring your ministry leaflet | PDF

Key dates | weblink

To find out more, you can visit the different ministries' pages in this section of the website (see the menu bar on the right hand side) or if you would like help and support from a member of our team please contact the relevant person below:

The Revd Stuart Batten, Diocesan Director of Ordinands

Contact for: Ordination training

Email | 01473 298510

The Revd Phil Dykes, Diocesan Mission Enabler

Contact for: Vocations

Email | 01473 298500

Archdeacon Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Mission

Contact for:Lightwave and Pioneer training

Email | 07446 933129

Andrew Payne CA, Evangelist Adviser

Contact for:Evangelist training

Email | 01473 601438

Further resources

The Church of England website 'Exploring a call to ministry or religious life' offers a comprehensive overview of vocation and includes guidance on selection and training:

Church of England Exploring Vocation | Weblink

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Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich | powered by Church Edit

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God creates each of us for a purpose and gives us a unique place in the world. Christians describe this as our calling or 'vocation'. Vocation is about the whole of human life, not just what we do in church.

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Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich | powered by Church Edit

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A link to our training booking platform Eventbrite

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Step Forward.. and consider Ordained Ministry in the Anglican Church

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Step Forward.. and consider Ordained Ministry in the Anglican Church

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A day for anyone aged 18 to 30 considering ordained ministry in the Church of England. Saturday 4th February 2017 - Bishopthorpe Palace, York YO23 2GE

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Telling stories of vocation to ordained and licensed ministry in Suffolk, from the Church of England's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. If you would like to talk to someone about exploring a possible call to ordination yourself, please be in touch with the vocations team and we will be pleased to talk!

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jutta@bewith.community

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Vocation Information from the National Church Offices

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Our mission is to be a Christian presence in every community.

God calls people to a wide range of ministries, lay and ordained, in our church and in our everyday lives. Youth and children's ministers, evangelists, missionaries, Readers, pioneers, and community workers are generally lay ministers, though some may be ordained.

Some roles are the same across the whole church, like Readers, deacons and priests. There also some lay roles which vary by diocese, so have a look at your diocesan website to find out what's local to you.

Scroll down to explore further or contact your vicar or diocese to begin the process of discerning what God might be calling you to. If you are disabled or have concerns about a cognitive or physical condition that may affect your discernment or training please contact your Diocesan Disability Advisor. And if you are from UKME/Global majority heritage you may want to contact your Diocesan Minority Ethnic Champion.

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Our mission is to be a Christian presence in every community. God calls people to a wide range of ministries, lay and ordained, in our church and in our everyday lives. Youth and children's ministers, evangelists, missionaries, Readers, pioneers, and community workers are generally lay ministers, though some may be ordained.

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Young Vocations Adviser
Feel free to email with any questions you may have
youngvocation@cofesuffolk.org

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A vocational call emerges through prayerful relationship with God, is tempered by Christian experience and develops with others who discern and encourage.

Growing Vocations is about fostering a culture in which the vocation of each member of the Church can be identified, nurtured and celebrated so the whole Church can grow and flourish.

For some, this will be a specific calling to ministry, whether lay or ordained.

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Growing Vocations | The Church of England

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A vocational call emerges through prayerful relationship with God, is tempered by Christian experience and develops with others who discern and encourage. Growing Vocations is about fostering a culture in which the vocation of each member of the Church can be identified, nurtured and celebrated so the whole Church can grow and flourish.

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You will have the opportunity to explore your calling and learn more about yourself, whilst gaining experience of Christian ministry and developing your leadership skills. It is free to do, with accommodation and living expenses provided.

Local schemes are based in different dioceses across the Church of England. Please visit the scheme map page to see where you could go and what you could be doing.

Below you can read personal stories of previous MES participants from Sharon (Europe), Selwyn (London), Ash (Norwich) and Ash (Worcester). You can also find stories, past and present, across the Church of England's social media channels. Please follow #M ESyear.

At the bottom of this page is a form you can use to contact a local scheme to find out more.

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The Ministry Experience Scheme | The Church of England

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You will have the opportunity to explore your calling and learn more about yourself, whilst gaining experience of Christian ministry and developing your leadership skills. It is free to do, with accommodation and living expenses provided. Local schemes are based in different dioceses across the Church of England.

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This resource is for those at any stage on the journey towards lay or ordained ministerial vocations, who might feel that they would like to have a knowledgeable friend, who is like them, to accompany them along the way.

All the mentors are volunteers who are passionate about supporting people from underrepresented groups on their vocational journey. Your mentor will not be making decisions on your process or be your advocate.

You and your mentor decide when, how, and how often to meet and they will walk with you for as long as you need them to.

More mentors will be added as we get more volunteers.
"Exploring vocation is a journey that we always take with others, because discerning vocation is the task of the church, not just individuals. Coming alongside someone seeking to discern where God is at work in their lives and where God is leading, is a huge privilege. Being a mentor will be a rich experience and a blessing: the blessing of seeing the God of love at work in the life of his people."

Look at our list of mentors below. Click on any of the pictures to read more about them and then use the message form on each mentor's page to get in touch. with them.

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Mentor Directory | The Church of England

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This resource is for those at any stage on the journey towards lay or ordained ministerial vocations, who might feel that they would like to have a knowledgeable friend, who is like them, to accompany them along the way. All the mentors are volunteers who are passionate about supporting people from underrepresented groups on their vocational journey.