Volunteers offered key roles in ministry

From leading worship to visiting sick and housebound people, volunteers are being invited to take on key roles in their church’s ministry.

The Church in Wales is relaunching three “commissioned ministry” roles to encourage people to play a bigger part in helping their churches serve the community.

Volunteers, who will have an active commitment to faith, will be supported and trained by their ministry area and diocese, and will work closely with clergy and other licensed ministers.

The three commissioned ministry roles are Worship Leader, Pastoral Assistant and Catechist:

• Worship Leaders: helping to lead or assist at church services
• Pastoral Assistants: praying and visiting people in need if they are sick, suffering or housebound.
• Catechists: helping people deepen their faith through study and reflection.

The categories are intended to be broad, containing core elements for training but allowing for individual specialisations. Volunteers may work within a lay team or as individuals with a wider ministry team.

We are blessed in the Church with so many volunteers

Leaflets outlining each commissioned ministry will be launched at the meeting of the Church’s Governing Body in September. They explain what each role entails, what volunteers would be expected to do, their training and what the next steps to taking on the role would be.

The Bishop of Monmouth, Cherry Vann, who is the bishop holding the ministry portfolio, says, “Many people are under the wrong impression that church ministry can only be done by the vicar. While there are certain tasks that only clergy can do, there are many other forms of ministry which are shared by everyone, making the most of all our many gifts and talents. Many congregations will already have had lay pastoral visitors or worship leaders or perhaps even catechists over the years. This relaunch will hopefully re-energise them while inspiring others to put themselves forward to bring new life to communities through these important ministries.”

Canon Dr Trystan Owain Hughes, Director of Ministry Development, says, “We are blessed in the Church with so many volunteers who help look after our buildings, run children and youth groups, raise important funds, and keep our churches flourishing. These commissioned ministries provide a wonderful opportunity to be even more involved in the worship and care we offer.”

• Download the leaflets here

From singing in the choir to leading Sunday School, Val Jones has been a very active member of Christ Church, Roath Park, Cardiff, for 20 years. For the past six years, she has also been a Pastoral Assistant, working alongside a core team of five, the clergy team, and a wide circle of others who join when called on.

Val devotes anything from one to three hours or more a week to visiting parishioners in times of need – whether they are at home, in residential care or in hospital. She also keeps in touch with and supports their families, particularly at times of bereavement. Val and others from Christ Church host monthly Get Togethers - afternoons of friendship, fellowship, food and fun, for everyone from Christ Church and the wider community.

“We are one large church family that merges into our community,” says Val, who had a long career in teaching and lecturing in Cardiff and Newport. “The people I visit are important to me and their families know there are other people who care and who are supporting them.

“It’s a role I find very fulfilling - the people I care for give as much to me as I give to them. It keeps me busy and gives me a sense of being part of another extended family.”

During the Covid lockdown years, the team set up a larger group who committed to regular phone calls with other parishioners. “It is a delight that many of these relationships continue to this day, even when we can now meet freely,” says Val.

Val received initial training as a Pastoral Assistant which was organised for several local churches. She has since completed other courses, including the Care For The Family’s Bereavement Care Awareness and Dementia Training by the Alzheimer’s Society, which have helped equip her to be a supportive pastoral visitor and church friend. The skills for the job, she says, are patience, empathy, kindness, as well as the ability to care, encourage, listen and comfort.

“I feel very privileged to serve my church in this role because it allows me opportunities to give support and assistance to people who find themselves in need through age, illness or life’s circumstances,” says Val.