It's hard these days to work out who are the ministers in a church. Gone are the days when the minister was the guy with the clerical collar and the "Rev' at the front of his name. Now, it seems, anyone can be a minister in a church, and it's difficult to tell them apart from the rest of the congregation.
This ambiguity creates genuine problems. It is good for us to pray in church for those who shepherd us, but if we're all in the ministry, then for whom should we pray? Only those people who are paid? But what if someone volunteers their time for a day a week for children's ministry in the parish? Is he or she now "on staff'? Should his or her name appear on the back of the church bulletin under the heading, "Our Ministers?'
Whether we like it or not, this is a good problem for us to deal with. The New Testament transformation of priesthood and laity breaks down a great dividing wall between these two groups.
Gone are the Old (Testament) days when God set aside a sub group of people for the mediatorial role of priest. Now, Jesus is our priest (Heb 8:1-2), and that makes every Christian a lay person. Yet, on the other hand, as people blessed by God to be a blessing to the nations, all Christians are now priests to the world (cf. Rev. 1:6.)
So, in many ways, our modern usage of the titles "priest' (or the Latin-based equivalent "clergy') and "laity' to describe servants of Christ is at best redundant, and at worst, erroneous.
Nonetheless, we continue to use the label "laity' to loosely describe people who don't do ministry as their "job,' whether paid or not"”although even this definition is a bit simplistic!
In Sydney, we have a long and valuable tradition of providing excellent training to people who minister God's word as their main occupation (as opposed to driving a bus, or selling real estate, or cutting hair.)
But, we must be very careful to ensure that the training needs for those in the so-called "laity' are not overlooked. It is for this reason that the third of the Fourfold Policy of our Diocesan Mission states as its aim, "to multiply the number of well-trained persons (ordained, lay, full time, part time, voluntary)" "
In many ways, it's pretty obvious how we should train "ordained" and "full time" gospel workers. But how should we train "lay" and "voluntary" ministers?
Obvious sources of "lay' training include leadership conferences. These include the conferences run by Katoomba Christian Convention, such as the January KYLC (youth leadership), and the October KC Plus (leadership training for those a bit older than KYLC delegates.) Also, the Youthworks leadership conferences, such as LiT (for leaders in school years 10 to 12) and the upcoming December Youth Ministry Conference and the annual TWIST Music Conference are great for training lay ministers.
In addition to these annual conferences, many part-time courses are available. Mary Andrews College and Youthworks College offer a Diploma of Theology, with flexible delivery. Moore College and Youthworks also offer great external studies options, from the PTC (Preliminary Theological Certificate) through to Youth and Children's Ministry certificates.
But what about full-time training for "lay' ministers? Well, until recently, the full-time "lay' training options have been limited. Some people have chosen to join the "clergy' for a year of theological study. Whilst this training has been generic, it lacked specific reflection and teaching on the place and function of "lay' ministry.
However did you know that in 2006, both Moore and Youthworks College created new lay-focused full-time courses? Both are designed for people who want to invest a year "training for life."
The Moore College course is the new one year full-time (or two year part-time) Diploma of Bible and Lay Ministry, which equips men and women with a biblical foundation for lay ministry in a congregation or Christian setting.
The Youthworks College course is the new "Year 13' gap year course, which gives HSC school leavers a year to prepare them for a life of ministry, whether as "lay' or maybe eventually as "clergy.' Students study four Diploma of Theology subjects, including the "Theology for Everyday Life' lay ministry course. They also travel to Africa for a month to serve and see the world, as well as many other opportunities to serve in their local church and/or school.
Every Christian in our congregation needs training to help them better know God and themselves. How are you going to train for the Christian life? Can you afford not to take a year out to learn to live?
The Reverend Jodie McNeill is a lay minister who serves at Youthworks College as Director of the Year 13 program. Visit his website at [url=http://www.jodiemcneill.com]http://www.jodiemcneill.com[/url]
