Discussion paper on "encouraging local lay leadership in mission" as it applies to HTC

The Deanery Synod asked the PCC of our church to discuss the following questions and respond: How do we encourage local lay leadership in mission with the following sub-topics: Where is this issue sharpest in our local mission?; What help could we ask for from the Deanery?; What help could we offer?; What help could we do with from outside the Deanery?

Were we to discuss this item at a PCC meeting then we would find it very hard to allot the time and leisure to give the subject the attention it deserves, so we are taking a different route which gives more opportunity for considered debate. Here is a discussion paper: comments on this blog-piece are welcome. Responses will be noted at the PCC at October’s meeting before forwarding to the Deanery Synod.

"Encouraging local lay leadership in mission"
as it applies to HTC

Context: there is a wide variety of local lay leadership active in HTC. Examples: Sunday 0930 service is largely lay-led (though strictly and rigorously accountable to the vicar). Week-day welcome deals with numerically the largest part of our mission in terms of greeting newcomers to the church. Our mid-week services. Substantial lay leadership at 1100 when interpreted in widest sense (leadership of vergers, choir, congregational pastor). Alpha is lay-led (and marriage course?). Prayer Ministry team. Most of the activity in Sunday Club and youth ministry. Involvement of teenagers in Spark in The Park. Engagement of church members in leadership roles in (for example) Coffee Tots, International Student Ministry, and other charitable activity. (I am sure this list could be extended; it is a range of examples, rather than a list of absolutely everything.)

Issues: Some might object that quite a lot of this activity is focussed on church services "and so isn't mission at all". I think this objection is misleading. Someone who preaches a sermon on Sunday, or leads a service, or exercises pastoral care, by that very action is learning to take personal responsibility for witnessing to their faith in a public context. As this experience goes well, so it gives them confidence to speak of their Christian experience at work, or with their family. Moreover, within an environment where one is encouraged in a friendly way to speak coherently, confidently, briefly, plainly, so this enables people to be coherent, confident, brief, and plain-spoken on the occasions when they find themselves in the hot-seat at work or wherever. Does this assertion match other peoples' experience?

Some might point out that people have very busy lives, and "local lay leadership" is a way of taking people out of their contexts in work and family and confining them within a church context. Certainly this will happen if we over-commit ourselves, so care is needed. On the other hand, candidly, when I look around it is not obvious that taking on responsibility within church is inevitably linked to the same people avoiding responsibility at work (for example); in fact the reverse seems to be true - responsibility in one area often (though not invariably) promotes responsibility in another. What do people think?

They say that the best form of learning is by doing. I have found that sharing in the responsibility of conducting public worship has really sharpened up my appreciation of what public worship can mean; the act of trying to explain a passage of scripture can illuminate God's word for me intensely and leads me to seek to listen to others with greater sympathy and understanding; trying to do a good Alpha talk or lead an Alpha discussion teaches me rigorously what are the questions ordinary people are asking (and so affects my witness at work). Do other people have similar experiences?

If we are serious about involving people in local lay leadership then we have to recognize people are different. For some, the best possible preparation is in the context of formal training (hence HTC takes up the opportunities of the Bishop's Certificate with enthusiasm). Others have to fit their Christian service into limited periods of available time, and may learn best in a hands-on, learn-on-the-job experience, with sympathetic informal mentoring. (That seems to have been the way Jesus taught and trained His disciples.) Others yet again won't be up-front people, but serve in roles which are absolutely crucial (PA, IT, finance, ...) and which also make strenuous demands on leadership and responsibility. Do people feel that HTC makes sufficient allowance for our diversity in this respect?

Some will worry about whether lay leadership erodes the role of the clergy and especially of the vicar. However if a group exercises shared leadership then it becomes even more important for that group of leaders itself to be led - and this is vested in the clergy (albeit to some extent shared with the wardens and with the PCC). I have learned in a work context that it is a demanding and challenging task to lead leaders, but it is also hugely rewarding and effective in terms of the mission of an organization. My experience in working with the 0930 and with Alpha is that clergy and lay leadership are vitally complementary; both are needed if our mission is to prosper. Do others share this view, or are some people concerned about whether the clergy are given a sufficiently central role at HTC?

Here are notes on the Deanery Synod questions:

1. Where is this issue sharpest in our local mission?

Example answer: In our local mission, it seems to me the big issue is that we learn to work together rather than as a disconnected group of individuals. How do we learn to coordinate instinctively, as a first thought rather than as an after-thought?

2. What help could we ask for from the Deanery?

Example answer: On the whole, as a large church, I'd expect we should be giving rather than taking. However, we are short (for example) of appropriate musical talent to help lead 0930 and Kids Praise worship. Nexus help is very valuable, but time-limited. Is there another church where there are more of that ilk of musician than there are opportunities to play? Collaboration with other churches is always welcome: eg the “Growing Healthy Leaders” project about to commence in collaboration with the Cathedral.

3. What help could we offer?

Example answer: In some ways we have an over-abundance of supply: thus I am told that the 0930 probably has more capable lay-preachers than opportunities to preach. Might there be some way of capitalizing on this at Deanery level? (While of course it is possible to meet this by Readership training, that itself is probably too lengthy and time-demanding for some of our busy professionals, who nevertheless might be very helpful in giving Alpha talks ...)

4. What help could we do with from outside the Deanery?

Example answer: I think we should say we really do value the opportunities offered by the Bishop's Certificate.