Dictionary

Words on this page

Diocese

‘Diocese’ refers to the geographical territory in which a bishop exercises oversight. The Church in Wales is divided into six dioceses each with its own cathedral in which is housed the cathedra (the bishop’s ‘chair’ or ‘throne’).

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Priest

‘Priest’ comes from the Greek word for ‘elder’. Priests in the Church in Wales are those authorised specifically to proclaim forgiveness of sins, preside at the Eucharist and bless God’s people, as well as other responsibilities.

Theological

‘Theology’ means literally ‘words about God’. Christian theology involves our trying to understand and explain what God has revealed about himself through Scripture. This work is aided by the writings of past and present theologians and human reason.

Home Prayer Vocations

Vocations

Each one of us is created by God with a mixture of gifts, skills, experience and personality that is unique to us. Throughout our lives, from our earliest days, God invites us to delight in what he has blessed us with and use it in his service; the service of love.

God calls us to reflect on our vocation. This is something that will make use of all that God has gifted to us. Growing into that vocation will be a life’s work and will be shaped by our life experience.

Discovering with others what God’s vocation for you might be is exciting, daunting and life-giving and is part of us fulfilling the wonderful potential that God has placed within us all.

All of us need other people to encourage and help us discern our vocation. The Holy Spirit uses all sorts of people and ways to help us on our journey. Sometimes that help is as simple as the relative or friend who encourages us towards something we are good at. Sometimes it needs a good conversation with a wise person who has travelled the road before us to discover how to move forward. Sometimes that help might even be in the door that closes a direction we thought we were going in.

Some will sense a vocation to ministry and leadership in the Church. That can be an exciting and awe-inspiring prospect, though often we are the last people to recognise that this is what God is inviting us into. The possible roles are many and varied. In addition to the more traditional roles of priest and licensed lay minister, they include many other roles. We hope you will take time to pray about, think about and talk about where God may be leading you.

Next steps...

As part of thinking about where God may be leading you, some people have found it helpful to consider looking at theology in a bit more depth and St Padarn’s (the Church in Wales theological College) run a course, ‘Theology for Life’. For more details about this, take a look at : https://www.stpadarns.ac.uk/en/courses/theology-life/

If you would like to think more about where God might be calling you, speak first to one of the clergy in your ministry area. They will be able to refer you to our diocesan vocations team, which includes a team of vocations advisers, led by :

Revd Dr William Ingle-Gillis, Diocesan Director of Vocations

Mrs Wendy Matthews, Assistant Director of Vocations (with special responsibility for lay ministry)