Towards Ministry
Feeling a Call to Ministry?
So, you are feeling a call to ministry, or you might be but you're really not sure! The Towards Ministry team is here to help.
Check out the first steps you can take to respond to that sense that God might be trying to attract your attention.
Daunted? That's not surprising, but we are here to support you.
For many, this may be their first articulation of many months or years of a deep and complex stirring within – and the questions start to mount up "Can God really be calling me?", "To what?", "What will that mean for me, my family, my job, my mortgage?".
There are shades of some of the biblical characters who sensed God's calling: Abram, Samuel, Gideon even Mary, the mother of Jesus, each called to respond and serve in different ways. For some, like the young rich ruler, the costs will be too much; for many it is the beginning of a sacrificial yet supremely fulfilling way of life, faith and service.
The Towards Ministry team want to provide reassurance that they will be:
Supportive
Those taking the first steps towards ministry are often expressing their feelings for the first time. Emotions may have been buried for years. Often people suffer from a form of imposter syndrome: who are they that God should call them?
Transparent
A time of inner searching is also a time for honesty and candour for both the applicant and the process. We serve no-one by withholding the realities of the challenge ahead. Entering discernment and/or the training requires both a vulnerability and strength. It requires a sensitivity from all those involved. While this may be towards a nationally-recognised ministry, increasingly the decision to fulfil that calling within a more localised context is equally important.
Coming to us means that you should expect that we respond timeously and truthfully, that you know where in the process you are; receive copies of reports compiled about yourself that are evidenced from what you have submitted, said or done, supplemented by reflections of our mentors and assessors that seek to help you find the calling God is asking of you.
Consistent
While we cannot avoid taking very human judgements, we have a set of agreed Indicators of Assessment. Together with transparency, it is important that our processes are consistent, that an enquirer/applicant, no matter their age or background is treated with fairness, impartiality and respect. That the rules and guidelines are applied equally, and that any exemptions or waiving e.g. the three-year rule can be evidenced.
Application and Assessment Process
Talking Ministry
Each month, the Church of Scotland's ‘Talking Ministry' series shares a personal story from those serving in Christian ministry, along with resources filled with questions, prayers and reflections to help encourage reflection on how God might be calling you at this time.
I began to feel there was something quite significant missing."
Recognised Ministries in the Church
Ministry within the Church of Scotland takes a variety of forms. It includes ministers ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament, Ordained Local Ministry, deacons, and readers.
Find out more about your calling
Here are some questions we are asked most often.