Ministries
Ministry Options | Diocesan Lay Ministry Brochure | Mission
There is no better way to grow into the Christian way than by doing ministry. By definition, an active Christian is a minister of Christ. The ordained Christian or the church staff worker has designated ministry responsibilities, including oversight of the ministries of the people of God. But all have responsibility to minister as they work out their faith in God.
At St Mary's, we firmly believe in and promote the ministries of the whole people of God. There is a place for you to minister in this church. We look forward to discovering where that place is for you.
Why do we assert this so strongly? There are various scriptures in the New Testament where Christians are challenged to be ministers, utilising the gifts of the holy Spirit they have been given.
St Mary's, as does the Wellington Anglican Diocese, takes seriously the challenge to equip church members by training them for ministry. A diocesan lay ministry brochure asks, and seeks to answer, key questions about how this might happen. For instance:
- What is lay ministry?
- Where does it fit?
- How parishes/churches can foster it?
Our 9:30am services on Sundays invite us to adore our God. They are not performances, rather the offerings of the whole people of God. While St Mary's priest and pastor leads and co-ordinates these services, they give the congregation various opportunities to help present our worship to God.
Please talk with Paul Carey or Pastor Terry if you would like to explore the opportunity to be on the presenting roster. It does not need to be onerous, you choose how often and which of the following presenting options you would like to be involved in:
- Sunday Services Presenting Roster Options
- Welcoming and Serving at the Door
- Audio - Visual (Data Projector, Sound, Video, DVD etc.)
- Music Ministry (Instrumental and Singing)
- Reading Scripture Publicly
- Offering Prayers (Intercessions)
- Liturgical Leader - Helping to Introduce the Service
- Prayer Ministry (Before and After the Service)
- Flower Provision and/or Arranging
- Crèche Supervision
- Children's Church (Leader/Helper)
- Intermediate Church (Leader/Helper)
- Morning Tea Provision and Serving
Many and various other opportunities to serve God in the other ministries of St Mary's are indicated below. The list is not exhaustive. You may feel called to offer a ministry that is not currently provided. Normally this would be run past the Wardens and/or the Pastor before you take it further.
- Other Ministry Options
- Prayer group/s and meetings
- Prayer Chain
- Pastoral Care
- Visiting
- Community Outreach Service Activities
- Home Group Involvement/Leadership
- Cleaning St Mary's
- Cursillo Group
- ALPHA
- Inter-Church Men's Breakfast Attend/Help
- Office work
- Maintenance
- Lawnmowing
- Glenbrook Home
- Marsden Services
- Children's & Youth
- Ministry
- Outreach within NZ & Beyond
- Fundraising - catering, wallpaper rolling, promoting Entertainment Books...
- etc.
As you will notice, the list is quite extensive. We are concerned to share the
load around. Please be pro-active in offering to serve in one or more of these
capacities. That way no one will be over-burdened. Training will be provided, as
mentioned above.
Finally, newcomers are especially welcome (indeed encouraged) to join the
Sunday service "presenting team" and/or the other ministries that flow out of St
Mary's.