Authorised Lay Ministers (ALMs) are lay people active in church life, who have been identified by their parish as having a particular gifting, vocation or calling to lay leadership, i.e. those called to work collaboratively alongside their incumbent and wider ministry teams with a distinct focus on growing, nurturing and serving the wider parish community.
ALMs are nominated by their incumbent and PCC for training in line with their parish Mission Action Plan (MAP) and diocesan selection criteria. Once trained they are authorised by the Bishop of Manchester to carry out a mutually agreed ministry role back within their local parish context. An ALMs authorisation lasts for three years after which time it can be reviewed, updated and renewed.
WHAT DOES THE TRAINING INVOLVE?
ALM training begins each January with an 8-session Core Leadership Module followed by a 12-session Ministry Training Elective. There are currently eleven electives available. For further information on the training and what each course covers please see the ALM Course Prospectus 2023.
Children & Families
Community Outreach & Social Action
Digital Church & Online Media
Ecology & Creation
Evangelism & Mission
Parish Admin, Finance & Governance
Pastoral Outreach & Listening
Prayer & Spirituality
Urban & Estates
Worship & Liturgy
Youth Work
IS BEING AN ALM THE ONLY WAY TO ACCESS LAY MINISTRY TRAINING?
All eleven of the courses offered on the ALM pathway are also open as stand-alone courses to any lay people wanting to develop their call and gifting to Christian ministry and service. For more information on this please see our section on General Lay Courses.
HOW CAN I APPLY?
Applications for new ALMs are now closed for our 2023 courses. The next set of courses will begin again in January 2024 with more information available in the Autumn.
However, applications for current ALMs wanting to do further training remain open until Sunday 12 March, 2023.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
For more details about Authorised Lay Ministry please see the sections below or feel free to contact our Local Ministry Officer, Jamie Mackenzie.
GENERAL INFORMATION
ALM Handbook for Clergy and PCCs
ALM Handbook Promo Video
ALM FAQs
General ALM Promo Video
YOUR ALM CHAPLAINS
ALM Chaplains are available to provide spiritual care and pastoral support for all Authorised Lay Ministerss. For more information and contact details, click here.