September School

Learning should continue throughout human life. A person who thinks they have nothing more to learn must believe themselves to be a god, or else fear they are too stupid to be able to learn. And those who have lost the joy of making new discoveries have neglected one of God’s most wonderful gifts. But apart from giving satisfaction and amusement, are knowledge and understanding any use ? Yes. These are the ties which bind human beings together to help each other and improve the surrounding world.

Each September the Church offers fresh opportunities for people of any age to enrich their Christian lives through new thoughts of God and faith. This year Rochester Diocese is arranging ‘Arrival Days’ where courses can be considered and possibilities of their future usefulness can be explained. The courses are open to anyone just for general interest, but they may also lead to a special role in the parish or a formal ministry in the Church.

There are many ministries in the Church of England. The most well-known ministers are the clergy : bishops (who must first be priests), priests and deacons. Only those who have been ordained as clergy and who are therefore ‘in Holy Orders’ can be entitled ‘The Reverend’, and only priests have been granted the sacramental grace to give God’s blessing or the assurance of absolution from sin. Before ordination clergy have followed demanding courses of study and they are also expected to continue studying throughout their ministries as well as praying and reading the Bible regularly.

Readers are sometimes called Lay Readers to stress that they are not clergy and have not been ordained. A Reader’s licence gives permission for the person to assist in a parish under the direction of the Vicar. They should have completed a special course of study before they are licensed, and they must continue with study, Bible reading, public worship and private prayer.

Parishes also need other, more informal and flexible ministries. Pastoral assistants are faithful members of the Church who have gifts of understanding, sympathy, kindness and patience. They are expected to be accepting, willing listeners who calmly and quietly encourage all that is good. Their training does not usually include much study as it concentrates on the practical skills of being prayerful, objective, quiet, calm and undemanding.

Parish evangelists are a valuable asset to any church congregation. They increase the ability of churchgoers to express and demonstrate faith, and they bring the Christian faith to others in the parish with a new certainty.

Each Christian person should frequently be asking themselves, “What more can I do for God, and what more can I let God do for me ?” Perhaps the answer to this question for you is to begin a fresh course of training about the Bible, the Christian faith or the practices of the Church, maybe just for your own interest, or maybe so that you can help others more. If you would like to talk about this, do contact me or attend one of the ‘Arrival Days’ - this may give you a new fulfilment and fellowship with God.

With every blessing,

Ann