Middle Way Spotlight – Taking Lay Ministry Seriously w/ Special Guest Heidi Carter

On page 855 of the Book of Common Prayer, the Catechism states that the ministers of the Church are “lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons” and that the ministry of the laity “is to represent Christ and his Church;… and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world.” Now that seems like a pretty big calling for people that are frequently neglected by dioceses in the work of discernment and vocation. Frequently, discernment of a call to ministry in Christ’s Church becomes a “pass/fail” judgment regarding ordination to the diaconate or priesthood, rarely an exploration of how lay people are equipped to live out their calling in our parishes. This month, Heidi Carter, who has served as an associate for ministry at multiple Episcopal parishes, will join us to explore what an empowered laity actually looks like and how we can claim our positions as ministers in the Church.