Lucy Harrison
Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers) are not ordained, but are licenced by the bishop to lead worship, helping to enable people to recognise Christ's presence in every community.
They do this both inside and outside the existing Church by:
- Explaining the Christian faith
- Responding pastorally to need
- Being role models for, and fellow disciples with, people seeking to live out the Christian gospel in today’s world
The role is often described as ‘theologically educated and culturally engaged.’
Readers were first used in the 19th Century, when there was a massive increase in the population of England.
In response the Victorians built lots of churches and then had to work out how to respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the people who flocked to them, as well as their expectations for well-led services.
Part of the answer was to licence a group of lay people to work with the clergy.
They were called “Readers” because one of their more obvious jobs was to read out loud Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, so that congregations could join in.
Readers come from all walks of life.
There are currently around 130 readers (licenced and with Permission to Officiate) involved in mission and ministry around the Diocese of Derby.
Some are involved in chaplaincy in schools, prisons, workplaces and hospitals, some are involved in community development work and some are involved in teaching in the parish and leading worship.
All Readers in the diocese are licenced to a parish or benefice to enable them to have direct relationships of accountability and support.
However, this doesn’t mean that they are restricted to working within one parish or the work that the parish or benefice is already doing.
Many readers initiate new pieces of work and projects formed out of their relationships with ordinary people going about their everyday lives.
To support and enable LLM (Readers) in mission and ministry, the Diocese provides pastoral support and care for them, email update, a programme of learning opportunities and various social events.
More information can be found on the Central Readers Council Website, Transforming Ministry: Home - Transforming Ministry Magazine
Anyone can get in touch with a church to find about having their child Christened.
During a Christening your child will be baptized with water.
It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family.
A christening, or baptism, is a special service where we give thanks to God for someone.
It's also a service where promises are made to follow God, either by the person being baptised or, if they're too young, by godparents on their behalf.
It costs nothing to get christened in the Church of England, and it's a wonderful way to start a journey of faith.
For further information about the services, or to enquire about Confirmation, please contact your parish directly.
You can find out more about christening and baptism on this Church of England website.
Baptisms are a key part of every church's life, and are often a time of joy and celebration.
The Church of England also offers a separate thanksgiving service as a way of giving thanks to God for a child.
These can suit those who want to give thanks for a new child without wanting to go as far as a baptism, or can be used in addition to the christening service.
For more information on baptism in the Church of England: https://churchofenglandchristenings.org
I was born in Retford in Nottinghamshire, but moved to Kettering in Northamptonshire aged 5. I worked for may years in the newspaper industry in Northamptonshire and then in Suffolk, before moving to Nottinghamshire 10 years ago. Since then I have completed a degree, masters degree and trained to become a secondary school teacher and I now work at Queen Elizabeth's Academy in Mansfield where I teach Health and Social Care, Child Development, Sociology and RE. I will be continuing to work full time following ordination.
I will be serving at St Mary and St Laurence in Bolsover. 'I am looking forward to my new role as curate and working with Rev Rachel Gouldthorpe and immersing myself into the life and work of the church.
In my spare time I enjoy long walks with my black labrador, Basil.
I’m Carla Vicencio Prior. I’m 44, I’m married to Nick and we have two children. I’m Portuguese, but moved to the UK in 1985 and have lived here (on and off) ever since. Before training for ministry, most of my working life was spent in a business context, mostly marketing and market research and running my own small business.
I was born and brought up in Brighton, and moved to Solihull in the West Midlands in 1980, and then on to Lincolnshire in 2000. In 2009 I remarried, and moved onto my wife’s farm in Derbyshire in 2009. I have a son who lives in Bristol with his family, his wife Fiona and their children Isabella 3, and Charles (Charlie) born on 14th April this year. I have retired from paid employment and I keep myself busy by pottering around the family farm, getting more involved in church work and driving as a volunteer for Community Transport. Before I retired I worked formerly as an Internal Auditor and latterly in resident involvement making sure that tenants of Local Authorities and Housing Associations have a voice in the organisations that they are tenants of.
Black Sheep and Crooked Spires
Hilary Moore, is to be ordained as a Self-Supporting Pioneer deacon at a service in Ashbourne on Sunday July 5th. She will serve her curacy at the Order of the Black Sheep in Chesterfield with a secondary placement at St Mark’s and SS Augustine’s, also of Chesterfield.
Alan Griggs, 43 is to be a self- supporting Curate at St Barnabas, Derby after being ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Dr Alistair Redfurn , at a service in St Oswalds Church, Ashbourne on Sunday 5th July at 10.45am.
Marian Brookes, a former Reader, is to be ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Derby,
Alastair Redfern, at a service in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne on Sunday July
5th. (10.45am) Marian will serve her curacy as a self-supporting LOM in the Parish of All Saints Church, Ripley.
Marian lives in Ripley with her husband Jim. They have two married daughters and four lovely grandchildren who make them laugh and keep them in touch with the ever changing culture of our time! Both Marian and Jim have retired from careers in education.
A lifelong Christian, I grew up just outside Glasgow with my parents, brother and sister. By my mid teens, I was immersed in Christian groups, leading Bible studies, giving talks at my school Scripture Union group, which I chaired for my last two years there, and helping lead various children’s holiday clubs and camps. Since then, I have been involved in leading children’s clubs and youth groups fairly regularly, though there has been a gradual switch to leading adult groups over time.
In responce to some recent lead and silver thefts from churches, Derbyshire police have issued the following guidence notes.
Church Security Advice Note - B Division
