Valuing Lay Ministry 

There are few things that I enjoy more as a bishop than the opportunity to visit schools. Not only is spending time with children and young people rejuvenating for me, but in most schools there is a palpable sense of God at work.

My recent visit to a particular secondary school in Leicestershire was the first time the church had any contact with the school. They agreed to a Q&A with Y7s and so I found myself face to face with 150 teenagers in the school hall. I'm not sure who was more nervous, me or them.

I overheard one of them say to a teacher as he was coming in, 'have I really got to spend the next hour sat here listening to someone go on about religion!' Forty-five minutes later(we deliberately kept it under an hour!) he was still listening and engaged as question after question explored life, faith, mental health, sex, world religions, and the killer question 'is the church radical enough?'

The contrast with so many church meetings was start (killer question : 'will we get a new vicar?') These young people wanted to talk about faith and were full of questions.

I don't claim to be a specialist when it comes to working with young people. I know something about the importance of simply being honest and authentic in answering their questions, and I'm experienced enough to let nothing phase me. But, I also know, that the real work with young people is done by adults who commit to spending time with them one-to-one and in small groups. Relationships are everything.

And this is why I believe that one of the key tasks of the church is to equip people for everyday faith conversations. Whether in the school, the workplace, in our social networks and online, we are interacting all the time with people who have questions about faith (take a look at the latest Talking Jesus research).

And this is also why I am so passionate about lay ministry. Sure, people are intrigued when a bishop turns up in their school, but it is youth workers, Christian teachers and support staff, and family friends who have the real, lasting impact. The problem is that we have so undervalued this ministry, and made out that ordination is all important.

The clearest sign of this is in terms and conditions of employment. Most clergy receive a stipend (the amount deemed necessary to live comfortably without having to seek other income). We also receive a house (minimum three bedrooms and with a study downstairs), and we receive a decent pension and various other benefits. Yet, when I commissioned Ali Campbell to undertake some research a few years ago, we discovered that very few employed children's, youth and family ministers received anything like a basic clergy package. Most are expected to live on far less and funding is nearly always short term. Little surprise then, that many specialist workers consider ordination as a route to sustain ministry over the long term.

However, I am pleased to report that things are beginning to change. The national church has now released significant funding to support work with young people, in line with its vision to become a 'younger and more diverse' church. And many diocese are developing new strategies for lay ministry. As I write, I'm involved in conversations about how the national money might be used most effectively. Here's a few obvious starting points :

• All employed lay ministry posts should have a minimum package equivalent to that of clergy. This includes funding for at least seven years (the average length most clergy stay in one post) and training for those involved in supervision and employment.
• Dioceses and theological colleges need to offer flexible training and support for lay ministers. As well as short courses, we need a system of mentoring and coaching, and a system of small group (community) formation, with a focus on character and values rather than just skills and knowledge.
• We need safe spaces for people to explore vocation in a way which doesn't assume that vocation equals ordination. God gives a variety of gifts and calls people to a variety of roles in church, society, family and household. Ordination is important but its only one way of serving.
• We need to see schools as core to our mission, every bit as important as our churches. Personally, I see as much if not more Christian learning taking place in schools as in churches. This is not about indoctrination or inappropriate use of government funding. This is about Christians living out their everyday faith in a context where Christian values are respected and encouraged (witness the number of parents wanting to send their children to church schools).
• We need to learn to have faith conversations in church so that we are confident to have faith conversations in the workplace and in the pub or coffee shop. This requires a really creative approach to church life where we take every opportunity to weave prayer and questions about faith into existing activities rather than feeling we must do more.

None of this is radically new or innovative. Much of it has been talked about for years. But our situation requires a willingness to act with boldness and humility. And perhaps in this way, when students ask me, 'is the church radical enough?' I can reply with a little more certainty, 'yes, we are going back to our roots (radix-root) and learning from Christ.'
 

Rt Revd. Martyn Snow is the Bishop of Leicester and the Lead Bishop for Lay Ministry in the Church of England, taking a proactive role in the development of and championing a wide range of ministry from licensed roles such as Readers and Pioneers to youth and children and families ministers. +Martyn is the Chair of Trustees for Paraklesis.