Trusted and Encouraged

Revd Martin Stephens, Rector of St Michael and All Angels, Macclesfield

St Michael and All Angels, right in the heart of Macclesfield, is a prominent and respected parish church — very much in the centre of town and in the life of the community. We’re what you might call middle-of-the-road Anglican: rooted in tradition, but open and relaxed in style.

Our Sunday mornings alternate between Holy Communion and a Service of the Word. Midweek, we hold a quiet Book of Common Prayer service, sometimes Morning Prayer, sometimes Holy Communion. Once a month, we celebrate Choral Evensong, beautifully led by our multi-generational robed choir.

When I was asked to speak about helping people become commissioned as OWLs — Occasional Worship Leaders — I realised that the starting point wasn’t really them at all. It was me, and my own story of being invited, encouraged, and trusted many years ago.

My first experience of leading worship came almost forty years ago, in a Methodist church I attended while living away from home for a few months. I wasn’t on placement, just worshipping there. The minister invited anyone interested to join a small group to help plan the Sunday services. I joined in, and one day he said, “Would you like to speak this week?”

My first reaction was, Goodness, no! But I did, and that gentle encouragement made a lasting difference.

Later, in a small rural parish in Staffordshire, we had communion once a month and another service that the priest couldn’t attend. So, a friend and I would lead together. I look back now and wince a little at those early attempts — and sometimes at more recent ones too — but I was trusted and supported, and that helped me grow in faith and discipleship.

That’s really why I now invite others to lead worship. I know from experience that it’s one of the best ways people grow. And, if I’m honest, I also know my own limits! I wouldn’t want to lead every Sunday myself — I’d tire of my own voice, so why should anyone else have to?

Over 24 years of ordained ministry, I’ve tried to include and empower others. When preparing this reflection, I asked our OWLs if they wanted to add anything. One replied:

“It’s the incumbent who sets the tone within the church community. Your generosity of spirit and your willingness to empower others allow worship to flourish. You don’t seem to have that fear of losing control that sometimes comes with sharing responsibility.”

That meant a lot to me. Because that’s the heart of it: being comfortable with who we are, what God has given us (and not given us), and helping others to find and use their gifts.

I remember one man in a previous parish, desperate to preach. But his real gift was in preparing the church for worship — setting up, arranging the space, sorting the PowerPoint. When I told him, “Shaun, that is your ministry,” a light came on for him. He realised he was already serving in a vital way.

The Blessing of Disruption

Recently, listening to Yaroslav Pyzh speak at the Clergy Gathering about disruption — and how God uses it for growth — I realised how much that word describes our story at St Michael’s.

There have been several key “disruptions” in our journey to having a flourishing OWLs team.

First, it began simply with a desire to include more voices in worship. I invited people — not ordained, not licensed — to lead parts of services: prayers, introductions, readings. I’ve always made a distinction between speaking and preaching (partly for my own self-preservation!), but it showed the congregation that you don’t have to be qualified — just called and encouraged.

Second, of course, came the major disruption: the pandemic.

For all its challenges, it also revealed unexpected gifts in our community. Macclesfield is a professional town, with many people able to transfer their workplace skills into church life. We moved swiftly to hybrid worship, and that made it easy to invite others to join in. Leading worship from home — without robes or formalities — helped people like Sue, Heike, and Paul take part naturally. And when we returned to church, they carried on.

Third, when schools reopened in September 2021, we rethought our Sunday pattern. Before, we’d had two congregations — a “godly play” group for young families and a main parish service. We decided instead to have one all-age service every Sunday. That increased the challenge, but it brought the whole church family together and built on what we’d learned through the pandemic.

Then, when the diocese offered the OWLs training, I thought, I’ll see if two or three people might go. Before I’d even sent the invitation, one person volunteered. When I did send it out, nine signed up! (One, I confess, was my wife — who kindly agreed so others might feel confident to come along.) This year a tenth joined, and one of the nine has since completed Reader training and been licensed.

Growth, Challenge, and Joy

Of course, there were challenges. Our existing Readers wondered where they fitted in. They weren’t being replaced, but the dynamic was changing — others were now leading too. I reassured them that this was about growth, not competition. They had trained in an earlier, more hierarchical model of ministry; this is more collaborative.

Now our challenge is to give the OWLs enough opportunities. Some want to lead often; others prefer just a couple of times a year, perhaps for special services. A few feel drawn to the traditional Book of Common Prayer or choral worship. And that’s fine. Each has their place.

When I asked Paul why he’d joined the training, he said: “I was asked — and could think of no good reason why not. It’s challenged me to examine my own faith.”

And that, really, is the heart of it. Someone asked; he said yes; and in that simple step, he grew.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this, it’s that ministry flourishes when we trust, invite, and encourage. God uses those small acts of invitation to bring unexpected growth — both in others and in ourselves.

So, my prayer for all of us is this:
May we be brave enough to ask, humble enough to share, and faithful enough to trust what God will do next.