How to Start an Ordination Ministry
Ordination is the process by which new ministers are recognized by their faith communities and commissioned to serve. The process confirms the call of the minister, often through laying on of hands and an extensive preparation process. If your church or organization feels called to help people explore their vocation and calling, you might consider starting an ordination ministry. In your ministry, people would learn to listen for God's call on their lives and pursue it, with some of them entering into ordained ministry.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Formulate a mission and vision statement for your ministry. You might state you are a church that aims to help people under age 30, to discern their call to ordained ministry and enter into the seminary. Or perhaps your mission is to welcome second-career adults into an environment where they can discern God's nudging for the next direction in their life.
-
2
Find a group of peers to help with organizing the ordination ministry. They should have experience in discerning God's call in their own lives and desire to help others do the same. You might invite ministers, chaplains, seminary students and college religion majors to participate in getting the ministry up and running.
-
-
3
Meet with your organizational group on a regular basis in order to discuss how you are going to carry out your mission. Each person in the group should have tangible assignments. One week, a student would be responsible for looking into funding options, while a minister writes Bible studies that will help guide program participants through the exploration of vocation process.
-
4
Find funding to help get your ministry. If you are part of a church or community group, appeal to them for help first. Universities may be eligible for grants from the Lilly Endowment designed especially for helping young people in the process of exploring vocation.
-
5
Spread the word about your ministry--be easily accessible with a website, email address, phone number and meeting space. You will need paid or volunteer staff to coordinate all of the ministry activities.
-
6
Ask program participants to complete regular reviews of their experience with your ministry. You can use their feedback in order to continually strengthen and improve your ministry.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Only denominational bodies can ordain people, and each denomination has its own process. As an ordination ministry, your goal is to help people discern their call and point them toward the proper ordaining body, supporting them through their denomination's unique ordination process.
