Vocations
Vocation means discovering what God has called you to be and do, asking the question:
What is God’s plan for my life?
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives.
To discover more about what this might mean for you, please see our Everyday Faith page.
To begin a conversation about what this might look like for you, we recommend you speak first to your vicar or chaplain.
Do I have a specific vocation?
Alongside our everyday faith, some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry.
You can find out more about some of these ministries in our vocations videos:
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You can also find more information about vocations and calling here:
If you would like to explore a potential vocation to a specific ministry with someone from the diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a priest or deacon?
The process of exploring a potential call to ordination in the Church of England is explored and assessed locally and by the national church.
It is a two-stage process which includes regular meetings with a member of the DDO team locally, exploring the qualities required and the areas which will be assessed nationally at Stage 1 (online mini-interviews) and then at Stage 2 panel (2 days of assessments and interviews; often residential).
More information can be found here: Understanding Discernment | The Church of England
And if you want to begin a conversation about ordination, with the Diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a licensed lay minister (LLM)?
The process of exploring a potential call to licensed lay ministry (sometimes called a lay reader) is explored and assessed locally.
It involves meeting regularly with a vocations adviser, and attending our LLM(R) course, during which the qualities required and the areas which will be assessed at interview at the end of the first year of the course are explored.
More information about the course can be found here: Discipleship-Training at the Diocese of Derby
To begin a conversation about licensed lay ministry, with the diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a foundation governor?
Foundation governors are usually nominated by the related PCC. Speak to your vicar, existing foundation governors, and PCC about what the role might entail.
You can also find out more, including a role description, here: Foundation Governor Appointments – Derby Diocesan Board of Education (derbydbe.org)
Am I called to be a churchwarden?
Churchwardens are elected annually under the provisions of the Churchwardens Measure 2001 by the Annual Meeting of Parishioners. Speak to your vicar, existing church wardens, and PCC, about what the role entails.
You can find out more here: Churchwardens - Roles and responsibilities - Diocese of Derby (anglican.org)
See also: Can I be a churchwarden?
Chris says God called him to being a churchwarden because of his love of helping other people.
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives, and some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry or role.
- Five things you need to know about being a churchwarden
- The role and responsibilities of being a churchwarden
If you feel a sense of calling, a nagging voice inside your head, see our Vocations page for information about how to explore what God is calling you to do.
Chris, a church foundation governor at a Derbyshire primary school, tells us about his calling and his involvement with the school.
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives, and some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry or role.
If you feel a sense of calling, a nagging voice inside your head, see our Vocations page for information about how to explore what God is calling you to do.
Ian, a vicar in the north of Derbyshire, shares his faith journey and reveals that he never thought he 'had what it takes' to become ordained!
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives, and some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry or role.
If you feel a sense of calling, a nagging voice inside your head, see our Vocations page for information about how to explore what God is calling you to do.
Mina, a priest in Derby, reveals that she had a couple of false starts before understanding what she was being called to do.
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives, and some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry or role.
If you feel a sense of calling, a nagging voice inside your head, see our Vocations page for information about how to explore what God is calling you to do.
National Sports Sunday aims to both encourage people to engage with sport and to become sports chaplains.
Is being a sports chaplain something you could consider?
Here are the thoughts of Revd Sarah Watson, herself a sports chaplain - and a recreational tennis player!
When people think of a sports chaplain, they may imagine the chaplain of a professional football club, and although some work with elite sportswomen and men, many serve at a much more grass-roots level serving all members in the club regardless of playing ability or role.
A sports chaplain's role will vary from club to club and sport to sport, and my role is as chaplain to Derbyshire Tennis and I am there to offer support, pastoral and spiritual care.
As a priest in the Church of England of course I am passionate about my Christian faith and the Gospel being good news to all, but I always operate by permission and I am always inclusive. I am not just there for the Christians but to serve the whole tennis community, irrespective of beliefs or lifestyle.
I am passionate about sport; I love participating and watching. It has always played a big part of my life and is unsurprisingly a big part of discipleship and ministry.
Jesus said he came to bring life in all its fullness. This is a holistic view of well-being, including both the physical and spiritual, of all involved in the community of sport to which chaplaincy has something to offer.
Most of the time I would describe my role as "holy loitering", spending time around the Derbyshire tennis world getting to know people, being a Christian presence.
Essentially I am there to serve and not be served, seeking to follow the model of Jesus.
Being a sports chaplain is both an honour and privilege.
Find out more at: https://sportschaplaincy.org.uk/
What is a vocation?
Do you feel you are being pulled in a certain direction? Do you have a strong and overwhelming urge to do a particular job, be involved with a particular group of people or to use your skills to help others in a certain way?
It may be that you feel pulled in a new direction, or it may be that what you do already is your vocation.
We all possess some God-given gifts, some skills and some talents. But often we don’t fully recognise how gifted we are because these gifts have been with us for a long time and it is easy to take them for granted.
Or they may have been hidden in the shadows for some time. But there is in all of us something that people recognise and come to us for.
And their desire to do this is acknowledgement that we have something special that they don’t see in others. Read more here.
Explore Your Calling
This PDF will help you take time to reflect and pray on how God is calling you.
↓ Download the accompanying booklet
Use the booklet to record your reflections as you are prompted by the questions.
This is something that you can work through in your own time and at your own pace.
You may want to respond to the questions and record your responses and then revisit it a few months later and reflect on how you’ve changed and developed.
Are you interested in exploring ministry further?
The Diocese of Derby wants to encourage gifted people - just like you - to consider where God is calling you.
We hold Vocational Reflection Days several times a year- you can spend time with others who are exploring how God might be calling them.
Could you be a Church Leader of the future? If you feel a sense of calling, whether to ordination or lay ministry, we will help you explore that and consider what to do next.
What to do next - contact the Vocations Team
We have a wonderful team of vocations advisers who are always willing to offer you some time to talk and think about what God may be calling you to do with your life.
This is a great opportunity to have an informal conversation about how God is calling you with "no strings attached".
Please use this form to talk to us about exploring your vocation and working with one of our advisers.
We look forward to hearing from you!
More information
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All are called to serve in God’s world, and we strive to be inclusive of all in vocational discernment.
The Church of England supports inclusive discernment through its extensive network of mentors throughout the country.
