Have you thought of becoming a Reader?
Jan received her Reader's licence from Bishop Dominic on 14 June. She is serving in the parish of Llandogo and Tintern.
Over the past two years I have studied at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, to become a Reader, and gain the Certificate in Practical Theology, through the University of Wales.
It sounds like a lot of work and it is not easy, but neither is it unattainable. You have to be prepared to attend the college each Wednesday evening during term time, as well as one weekend per module and a study week during the two year period. At the end of each module you are expected to submit pieces of work, the mark contributes to the certificate. Happily there is no examination at the end of the course.
The course is well-structured and each module is taught by lecturers assigned to their particular subject. Modules ranged from looking at church communities, which meant visiting the different denominations around the Cardiff area, to the History of the Church and also Pastoral Care. All lectures were extremely interesting and certainly helped me to gain a greater insight into church life and how Readers fit into it.
We were expected to give a number of sermons, in our own church as well as placement churches. These were assessed and we were given feedback. They are also reviewed by the college. Students also give comments as to how they thought the sermon was received and where changes could be made for future addresses.
Students have a personal tutor, which I found extremely useful; we could discuss any concerns about the course, help with finding relevant information or just have a general discussion about the work/life balance of the course. The personal tutor also gives a yearly assessment of students’ progress.
Over these two years, I have gained the confidence to undertake the role of Reader. I have made many friends from Monmouth and throughout Wales. We all had
differing parish lives, so we could exchange experiences and gain support from one another.
I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of becoming a Reader. Yes there are times when everything seems too much and you are on information overload. BUT I have to say that if the course was a ‘walk in the park’ then it would not achieve what it is obviously intending to do which is to find people who are going to be good leaders in the church and who the parish will have confidence in. I think this course has helped me to examine myself and my faith and it will help me to communicate with people.
Jan Pain