"... from a woven basket of shared ministry, flow seeds of life."
A way of structuring ministry so that the local church is responsible for establishing priorities for mission and ministry.
Local Shared Ministry (LSM) is the term used to describe a particular theology and structure for being church within the Diocese of Auckland. The emphasis is on being a ‘ministering community’ which intentionally finds ways to involve the full variety of God’s gifts in the members who are part of a local community.
A Ministry Support Team, who are licensed by the bishop, share the ministry responsibilities in a ministry unit and a council is elected at the AGM to oversee property, finance, polices and maintenance. A Diocesan Ministry Enabler is appointed by the bishop to ensure that there is ongoing training, support and supervision of members in the Ministry Support Team and other licensed members, as well as providing training and resources for all members of the congregation.
Under the LSM structure, members of the Ministry Support Team are ‘called’ from within the congregation and have specific roles. Typically, these roles include coordinators of administration, pastoral care, preaching, and worship, along with those called to be deacons and priests to ensure the provision of sacramental ministry. The coordinators are to work within dedicated teams in the various areas of ministry.
Over the past two decades the Local Shared Ministry model has made it possible for Anglican mission and ministry to continue a local presence.
Image: Artwork by Jacynthia Murphy