An update from Simon Chesters, Director of Ministry:
Our next 4-week course for those training to be Occasional Worship Leaders starts in Crewe on 17th June 2025. There will also be a course in Stalybridge in September/October.
The OWLs course is for those who find themselves leading worship on an occasional basis, (no more than once a month) and do not feel called to licensed or ordained ministry. The 4-week course in Leading Public Worship is part of the process of becoming a locally authorised Occasional Worship Leader. The course works for people who have been leading worship for years as well as people who are starting out.
People who have trained as OWLs so far include those planning and leading worship in specific regular services (for example, monthly café church, Taize, Iona, etc), those who occasionally lead Morning or Evening Prayer on Sundays, or Churchwardens and others leading services during a vacancy.
Click here for more information on OWLs and what’s involved in the training
Click here for a video interview with Jerry and Sue Marshall from Weaverham talking about how useful they found the training.
St Peter's Community Hall, Middlewich Road, Crewe CW1 4RD
Tuesdays: 17 and 24 June, and 1 and 8 July 2025
7.15pm to 9pm
Click here to book
St Paul's Church, Huddersfield Road, Stalybridge SK15 2PT
Wednesdays: 17 September, 1, 8 and 15 October 2025
7.15pm to 9pm
Click here to book
OWLs are discerned and authorised locally in the parish, but the Diocesan Ministry Team are providing a structure and set of resources to help parishes in the discernment, equipping and support of OWLs, including areas such as safer recruitment, appropriate safeguarding certification and training, accountability, support and review.
If you would like to know more about becoming authorised as an OWL, or if you are an incumbent with people you think could be trained and authorised as an OWL, please email ministry@chester.anglican.org including your name and parish. Unless your parish is in vacancy, please make sure you have sought the agreement of your incumbent or equivalent first.
