Vocations and Discernment
What is God calling you to?
Vocation is about discovering what God is calling you to be and do. Whatever your journey, everyone has a vocation. What is yours?
For all of us, our vocation will mean serving God through faithful discipleship in everyday life and using our God-given talents and abilities in our family, workplace or community. Alongside this, for some this calling also leads to those talents and abilities being used for ministry within the Church.
God calls people to a wide variety of ministries, both lay and ordained. In the Church in Wales, these include, for example, pastoral visitors, worship leaders, evangelists, licensed lay ministers (Readers), pioneers, deacons, and priests.
If you are exploring a calling to a particular ministry, take time to:
- Pray – listen to what God is calling you to.
- Talk – talk to your friends, family, and your church leaders about your calling.
- Act – explore the links below and ask your church leaders to put you in touch with the vocations team in your diocese.
Ministry within the Church in Wales generally falls into four categories: Recognised, Commissioned, Lay Licensed, and Ordained.
Recognised lay ministry
There are various recognised ministries within your local ministry/mission area. These roles may include church warden, safeguarding officer, home group leader, Sunday School teacher, or youth minister. Or it may be that you are someone who provides prayer and listening or helps to grow the church in a specific way.
Commissioned lay ministry
The Church in Wales affirms forms of accredited, public lay ministry known as commissioned ministries. At the moment, there are three forms of commissioned ministry: Worship Leader, Pastoral Assistant, and Catechist.
Licensed lay ministry
Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs) are licensed by the bishops of the Church in Wales for public representative ministry. They play a vital role in the life of the Church in Wales, serving alongside clergy to nurture faith and enable mission. They are lay people who are trained and licensed by their bishop to carry out their ministry.
Ordained ministry
The Church in Wales ordains people as deacons and priests to nurture disciples and grow God’s kingdom. The Church is committed to helping people from all walks of life explore and discern their calling to ordained ministry. This could be to the distinctive diaconate or to the priesthood.
Discern your call in your diocese
Visit your diocesan website to explore ministry in your diocese and to begin discerning what God might be calling you to: