Formation

Licensed Ministry and Lay Micro-Certification

How is God calling you to serve?

Pathways

of

Lay Ministry

As we’ve said, all of the baptized are ministers, and your ministry to spread God’s love can be expressed through whatever roles you have outside of the church, just as all of your gifts, skills, and talents can be expressed in creative ways inside of the church.

And…there are also some specific roles of lay ministry within the church, which are necessary and needed for our congregations to thrive and flourish.

Licensed Ministry, however, is not simply about performing tasks associated with specific roles. Licensed Ministry is formational work. Preaching, worship, catechism, evangelism, and Eucharistic ministry are not tasks to be completed mindlessly, mechanistically, or legalistically. Licensed Ministry is about equipping and empowering the people of the church to do the work of the church: ministry to the WHOLE person, which includes soul work.

As Jesus commands us, we are to love God, neighbors, and self with our whole self: mind, body, heart, and soul. Licensed Ministry is precisely about forming our whole self into the shape of Jesus’s life by building the capacity of our people, all of our people, to do the whollistic soul work of helping our world to come alive.

In their every day humdrum lives of busy-ness, consumerism, and distraction, our work as Licensed Ministers is to bring people back to life through the Way and teachings of Jesus.

Licensed Ministry Pathways

Licensed Ministries requiring a 10-month certificate from the Iona School for Ministry. Currently, only the Preaching Certificate at the Iona School is offered in English and in Spanish.

Worship Leader

A Lay Licensed Minister of Worship who regularly leads public worship and assists in the planning of worship within their congregation

Catechist

A Lay Licensed Minister of Formation who is authorized to prepare parishioners for Baptism, Confirmation,  Reception, and the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows within their congregation

Preacher

A Lay Licensed Minister of Preaching who is authorized to preach on a regular basis within their congregation

Evangelist

A Lay Licensed Minister of Evangelism who presents the good news of Jesus Crist in such a way that people are led to receive Christ as Savior and follow Christ as Lord in the fellowship of the Church. An Evangelist assists with the community’s ministry of evangelism 

Eucharistic Ministry

Licensed Eucharistic Ministries requiring an online formational course (or comparable formational offering). These formational opportunities are available in English or in Spanish.

Eucharistic Ministry is a vital ministry of pastoral care within the church. Either as a LEM or a LEV, your decision to pursue Eucharistic Ministry as a Licensed Minister means that you are pursuing a calling to live a sacramental, Eucharistic way of life that you believe is important and vital to the journey of Christian faith. You are expressing a sacred calling that signals to others your desire to become a more skillful faith practitioner through a deeper knowledge and practice of Holy Communion. Eucharistic Ministry is a sacred calling to deeper formational work.

In this role, you are expressing a desire to serve as a mentor to others and to live your life as a Eucharistic model for others to follow. It will also be your responsibility to more carefully educate others about a Eucharistic way of life, to listen to others as they bring their questions and concerns to you, to welcome newcomers into your community and make sure they feel at home by compassionately guiding them through Eucharistic practice, and to offer pastoral care through a ministry of presence to those who are isolated and lonely.

Eucharistic Minister

A Licensed Eucharistic Minister is authorized to administer the consecrated Elements at the Celebration of Holy Eucharist within their congregation

Eucharistic Visitor

A Licensed Eucharistic Visitor is authorized to take the consecrated Elements in a timely manner following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration

Lay Micro-Certification

Lay Micro-Certifications require an online formational course. Currently, only the Daily Office Leader online course is available in English and in Spanish.

Daily Office Leader

A Lay Leader who feels called to lead Morning or Evening prayer during Sunday Worship on an occasional, as needed basis

Proclamation of the Word

A Lay Leader who feels called to deliver approved sermons written by clergy during Sunday Worship on an occasional, as needed basis

These micro-certifications are intended to function as deeper formational opportunities to equip and empower lay leadership within the congregation by enhancing the ministry of any lay person who feels called to assist occasionally on an as needed basis with leading the Daily Office during Worship and/or the Proclamation of the Word during Worship.

These micro-certifications are alternate options to licensing. They ARE NOT the same as licensing and do not replace licensing.

We hope you have found this page helpful for your discernment journey, and we encourage you to continue discerning in prayer, in conversation with trusted friends and family, in conversation with your Rector/Vicar/HOC, and in conversation with your church community. 

Consider these questions as you continue on your journey…

What are your gifts, skills, and talents that bring you life and bring life to your community?

How might these connect to the specific ministry roles outlined above?

How is God calling you to serve?

What Are My Next Steps?