Date: 22 January 2022
Each year the diocese holds the Local Ministry Programme (LMP) Awards to celebrate and recognise the achievements of its students, and award them with their qualification certificates.
The programme is part of the Discipleship, Vocation and Ministry Team, who train Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs) and Ordained Local Ministers (OLMs) for services in parishes around the diocese. This is done on a three-year part-time course accredited by the Ministry Division of the Church of England and validated by Durham University, with the course being a blend of practical ministry related subjects and ongoing study.
Due to restrictions the last couple of awards evenings have been held online. Although most would prefer to be in person, this has allowed supporters from further afield to join in and cheer on the students. This year over 90 participants, including LMP tutors, staff, students and supporters, as well as Bishop Jo and the Archdeacons of Dorking and Surrey, joined the Zoom call to see this year’s students being honoured and receiving their graduation certificates.
Steve Summers, Principal of the LMP, hosted the evening, and you could see the delight on his and the other tutor’s faces as Bishop Jo presented (virtually) the well-deserving students with their qualifications. Eight of the ten students received a DipHe with two receiving a BA (Hons). Steve commented that ‘The LMP staff are proud of the achievements of this cohort, they come from very different academic backgrounds and abilities, yet they all spoke of how much they learned from the ministry training and learning process.’
As they were presented their honours, each student was given the opportunity to share a reflection during their time on the course. Many reflected on specific essays that helped expand their theological knowledge and outlook, others on the variety of different traditions within the Anglican communion and the respect they have gained through their experience whilst on placement.
A lot of the students also reflected on the relationships they built during their time studying. This is something that Bishop Jo also spoke about in her address to those attending as she reflected on her own studies, saying that it was the relationships with tutors and fellow students that spurred her on!
The final message Bishop Jo had for everyone at the Awards Evening was to, ‘join in the game of pass the parcel! We are part of a gigantic game of pass the parcel, we get to pass the gift on whilst keeping a layer of wrapping, a piece of it, for ourselves. God’s gift is not for the church, but it’s to the church, through the church, for the world.’