Lizzie’s Route to Ordination

Lizzie is serving her curacy at All Saints Church, Hoole, but her journey to ordained ministry was far from straightforward. While working as a care home chaplain during the pandemic, she began to sense God calling her towards ordination. Rather than feeling excited, her first reaction was disbelief.

“I decided that it was a terrible idea and God must have got it awfully, awfully wrong,” she recalls.

Yet the sense of calling refused to go away. After months of wrestling with the idea, she spoke to her curate, who encouraged her to explore it further. Three years of training later, Lizzie arrived at All Saints, where she is now putting that calling into practice.

For Lizzie, ministry is about much more than leading services on a Sunday. She is passionate about getting to know people where they are, becoming part of the life of the community and sharing everyday moments with those around her.

“For me, it’s like mirroring what Jesus did when he came down to earth and lived in a community, rooted in a place with people,” she says.

That means being a familiar face around Hoole, whether she's travelling by bike, meeting local residents, helping out, listening, or simply sharing a laugh.

It's this kind of grassroots, relational ministry that gives her the greatest joy.

Although arriving at a church with around 150 people on a Sunday was initially daunting, particularly when it came to learning everyone's names, Lizzie describes the warm welcome she received as a blessing.

And while sermons and services are an important part of her role, she says some of the most meaningful moments happen in ordinary conversations.

“It’s just this moment of being able to witness to Jesus in a new place,” she says. “It’s really special.”