Welcome!

I'm the senior minister in an Anglican church where I am the only paid minister. I have been in paid ministry since 2000, when I graduated from Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. I've worked in Sydney Diocese, Melbourne Diocese, the Diocese of Gippsland in Victoria, and now the Diocese of Grafton in NSW; and I've led services ranging from an average of 8, up to four hundred or so. If you want to know how to lead congregations of a thousand or more, this is probably not the blog for you!

I love teaching and training; love passing on the joy of being engaged in (organised) ministry, whether it's what you do in the hours you have free from family and work commitment, or it's your life's work; love seeing people take the first few tentative steps, then gather confidence, and then out-strip anything I could teach them.

In my last church there were quite a few keen beans who wanted to learn how to lead services, and I started this blog to encourage them - and others that I believed would be gifted leaders - to give it a go. Now I'm eager to encourage members of my current church to grow as leaders or discover their gifting, and I'm bubbling over with things to pass on from the past 19 and more years.

So I'm writing this as a living growing library of service leading principles, advice, and practicalities, that I can modify and update as I get wiser, and continue to learn from my own experience and other people. I plan to use it as a training resource for the people I am leading, but at the same time, I'd love it to be a resource for people I've never met, who want to have a go at leading services in their churches, Anglican or otherwise.

If there's anything on this blog that you'd like to copy and paste, feel free; if you want to print something, click on its title, then scroll to the bottom, where a 'print' button should have magically appeared.

Training Program for a Lay Preacher

Training Program for a Lay Preacher

Please note, I have aimed to be fairly thorough;  you do not need all of these skills
to be a very proficient service-leader!

Ready to add a new component
Achieved competency
Practical Skill

NA
Attend & observe the service you are going to lead, preferably observing a number of different service leaders.

Take notes – because different leaders take quite different approaches, and organise the service differently.  Depending on your church, there may be clear expectations about things like:

·    use of books / printed service sheets / data projector
·    involvement of different people in the service – is it a one-person gig, or do lots of people contribute?
·    preparation – is it clear that careful planning has taken place, or is there a lot of room for unplanned things to happen – and is that the aim, or is it accidental?
·    the repertoire of songs/hymns you use, how are they are chosen, and by whom?
·    who leads prayer, what is their style, what topics do they include (and omit), does the congregation join in and if so how?
·    the flow of energy in the service, what does the service leader indicate to the congregation is expected at each point - do they emphasise quiet, praise, meditation, response, learning, etc.?
·    use of technology – is there a data projector, and how fully are its functions utilised?  Do people follow the readings on their smart phones? Is there a microphone, and do people know how to use it?



Use of the microphone
·     different kinds of microphone
·     distance, posture, volume, direction
·     sharing microphones
·     working with a PA desk and PA operator


Prepare and lead intercessory prayers:
·    how to use the prayer book to prepare prayers
·    different ‘shaped’ prayers
·    extempore prayers
·    prepared prayers
·    including others in prayer


Prepare and lead the service, including intercessory prayers (excluding choice of songs):
·   using the Prayer Book to prepare a service
·   finding the sentence and collect/prayer for the day
·   using options
·   use of additional material


Prepare and use congregational aids for a service:
·   printed sheets
·   prayer book / excerpt booklets
·   hymn books / song booklets
·   data projector


Choose music:
·   music and the pattern of energy through the service
·   music and worship
·   music and learning
·   appropriate song choice for topic, demographic, musicians
·   negotiating song choice with musicians


Prepare and deliver sermon:
1.   Prepare Bible passage and discuss with coach
2.   Prepare sermon outline and discuss with coach
3.   Prepare sermon and present to coach, and/or to coach plus trusted small group
4.   Edit sermon and run it by coach
5.   Preach sermon (with someone else leading the service)

NB: sermon practice could take place in a couple of ways;  you might negotiate which week you are going to preach, say a month ahead, then gradually prepare that sermon over a period of two or three weeks leading up to the actual sermon;  or you might like to start by doing initial prep. (points 1 and 2) for the sermon the following Sunday for a few weeks, and comparing it with what the preacher does with it, then have a stab at preparing your own outline and preaching (points 3-5)


Prepare and lead service and sermon


Apply for lay preacher’s licence


Attend lay preacher’s training day
And now you are a top-notch lay preacher!


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