Licensed Lay Ministry (Reader)

Spiritus delivers part-time training to prepare students to become Licensed Lay Minister (LLM) Readers i the Dioceses of Exeter and Truro. The two-year training programme normally follows completion of the one-year Foundations course, which is an introductory course for everyone, delivered by the Dioceses of Exeter and Truro (for more information on the Foundations courses click the links).

 

The taught commitment for each year is seven study days (Saturdays) at Marjon University, Plymouth, seven online classes and seven formation group sessions.  Students are supported through their studies by Spiritus staff, their incumbent, and a Journal Tutor.

For the student to develop the necessary skills in leading corporate acts of worship, in formal and informal contexts; preaching; pastoral care, including ministering to the bereaved; leading discussion groups; engaging in the church's mission in the local forms this takes; collaborative and team working.

 

For these skills to be grounded in sound understanding if the Bible, Christian Theology, Doctrine and Ethics (studied to Certificate of Higher Education level); the Church of England, the wider contemporary church, and ecumenical and inter-faith considerations; contemporary society as the context for ministry and mission.

 

For the stufent's ministry to be rooted in a strong faith; to flow for his/her personal spirituality (whilst also affirming those with a different spirituality); to come from an understanding of how their gifts and vocation fit in the wider church; to be flexible and adaptable to context and to changes in the church and society; to be aided by skills of personal and theological reflection.

The training has three dimensions:

1. Academic study of the Bible, Doctrine, and Theology.

2. Skills in ministry, consisting of training in leading worship, preachig, teaching, mission and pastoral skills.

3. Personal spiritual formation, involving growth in the student's understanding of the nature of ministry, of the self, and of God as the source of all.

 

Student Placements:

Our students have the opportunity to undertake two placements during training.

Year 1. A home parish placement, which includes preaching, leading worship, and parish analysis.

Year 2. Over the summer a placement in a church of a different tradition or setting.

Fees for this course are met by a student's diocese

If you are considering training for LLM (Reader) ministry, your home minister should be the first point of contact.  If this is not possible, you may wish to contact:

 

In the Diocese of Exeter, the Assistant Warden of LLMs (Readers) is Carol Price.  In the Diocese of Truro, the Deputy Warden is Rev. Canon Paul Arthur.  

"I'd like to thank you and all the Spiritus staff for all that thay have done to help me reach my licensing as a probationary Lay Reader last Saturday.  You've all been amazing, patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, caring and... great fun."

"Readers are called to serve the Church of God and to work together with clergy and other ministers.  They are to lead public worship, to preach and teach the Word of God, to assist at the Eucharist and to share in pastoral and evangelistic work.  As authorised lay ministers, they are to encourage the ministries of God's people, as the Spirit distributes gifts among us all.  They are called to help the whole Church to participate in God's mission to the world"

From the Reader Licensing Service, Common Worship, 2000