Seeking direction?

The vocations team

The Bishop of St Albans has appointed six vocations officers to encourage and nourish vocation across the diocese. They work with Canon Michael Sansom, Director of Ordinands and the Revd Becky Totterdell, Assistant Director of Ordinands and Bishop's Officer for Women in Ministry.  They are a mixed team of Readers, ordained and lay people.

The six are the Revd Dr Joan Crossley and Mr Roger Collor (Bedford Archdeaconry), The Revd Sally Davenport and Mr Paul Cobb (Hertford Archdeaconry) and the Revd Lynne Fawns and Mr Rus Westmacott (St Albans Archdeaconry).

The role has two aspects:

• To encourage and resource vocations work in the deaneries and parishes through, for example, roadshows, parish events, facilitating involvement of parishes in careers conventions or schools work and providing materials or a preacher for a regular Sunday service. 
• To work with people of any age who want to think through what God might be calling them to do with their lives or how best to make use of their gifts.  They are also the first port of call for anyone who is considering a vocation to public ministry, for example, to train as a Reader or for ordination.  

If you would like to explore your vocation please contact an officer from your archdeaconry. Contact details are at the bottom of the page.

Resources and courses

The Ministry Development Team have a dedicated website for lay and ordained ministers and Readers which you may find useful...more

For information on the wide range of ministerial opportunities in the Church of England, click here

For more information about ministry as a Reader in the Church of England, click here

Courses and conferences, directed at specific kinds of ministry, are also organised. For example: 

• Seeking the Way is a course for lay-people seeking to know better how and where to serve God and his Church
• God Calling? is holding a vocations conference 12th - 14th September 2008, at St Stephens House, Oxford. Application forms via their website
• Taking the Next Step is a conference for people considering ordination, Friday 29th August - Sunday 31st August 2008, at St Chad's College, Durham
• The Church Pastoral Aid Society runs weekend courses for people considering ordination; 
• The Church Army has a 'First Contact' project inviting people to spend a year with them;
• Prophecy in the Old Testament – an ICES course in Preston, near Hitchin. Starting mid-May. We meet as a small group fortnightly on Wednesday mornings and there is some homework in between from the course book. Why not phone and find out more today? Meta Reeves tel. 01462-456567 or visit the website www.ices.uk.net

For details of courses in the Eastern Region why not visit the website of the Eastern Region Training Partnership here

The Eastern Region Ministry Course can be found here

News

Vocations update, Spring 2008...more

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