Challenges to our Ministry
While marriage and family relationships are under pressure from many directions nowadays, the church is active in many places with ministry to encourage, support and deepen family life.
There are a huge variety of organisations, courses, books and other resources available, to help clergy and laypeople with this ministry in their churches and local communities. Lists of resources are available from one source and another. To help get to grips with them, the following pages describe some that may be of particular interest to people in the Diocese of Chichester. You may already have come across some of them. Others may be new to you.
You might like to look through them - then explore some of their websites, or call their contact numbers, to learn more about them. Then you could choose resources that appeal to you and plan some initiatives for your area, perhaps in collaboration with other parishes or churches.
You might like to consider:
- giving some teaching on relationships for teenagers, or young singles, or for the whole congregation;
- refreshing the marriage preparation your parish offers, for couples marrying in church or in secular venues;
- arranging a marriage enrichment course for couples in the church and the wider community;
- hosting some events where married couples may celebrate the joy of their relationship or renew their marriage vows;
- organising a group to help parents reflect on and develop their parenting skills;
- offering support for people whose relationships are under particular strain or are broken;
- supporting those who live alone or who have been bereaved.
You will no doubt want to involve other individuals and couples in this thinking, and may consider appointing someone to oversee the local church’s ministry to marriage and family life.