We welcome the ministry of lay people in the life of the Church. God calls all his people to serve and the diocese recognises and rejoices that for many people this will be in some form of ministry, licensed by the bishop. There are a number of distinct forms of Licensed Lay Ministry (LLM) which might include evangelism, pastoral work, leading worship, youth ministry or many other callings.
All those who wish to hold a form of licensed lay ministry train for two years. They are then licensed to become Lay Ministers in their parishes by the bishop at a special service in the Cathedral. Some may continue training for an additional year and are then admitted as Readers by one of the bishops in the parishes where they will serve. Licensed Lay Ministers generally serve in the parishes of group of parishes where they live, however Readers are able to serve in other parishes in the diocese as well.
LLM's not only have the support of their parish or benefice and incumbent, but also the Wardens of Lay Ministry. For those in the Oakham Archdeaconry this is Mark Lucas and Carolyn Brawn and in the Northampton Archdeaconry Sue Pinington and Paul McLeod.
If you feel called to serve as a lay minister, the best place to start is by talking to your parish priest. They will be able to help you discern which form of ministry might be best for you. You might be interested in attending a day to help you explore what type of ministry you are being called to. Details of these are here, as are contact details for the lay vocations officers. The Lay Ministry Training section of this website explains more about the training offered..