"I feel more confident to recognise God at work"
Sue Lane is a pastoral visitor and local worship leader in the parish of Llanfair Waterdine in the Clun Deanery. It is part of the Middle Marches Benefice straddling the glorious borderlands between Wales and Shropshire, about a 45 minute drive west of Ludlow. With the benefice in vacancy, Sue and the churchwardens agreed that she needed training to continue helping to lead worship. After a conversation with the Diocesan Director of Vocations and Ordinations, the Rev’d Dr Elizabeth Wild, Sue enrolled on the Introduction to Christian ministry course run by Cuddesdon Gloucester & Hereford (CGH) in Ludlow, a part-time, local pathway from Ripon College, Cuddesdon.
“I had been away from the Church of England for some years” says Sue “so I was ready for a refresher. This part of Shropshire is deeply rural and very beautiful but it’s easy to feel isolated in a small church, especially during a vacancy. The course enabled me to connect with the diocese and learn about other contexts, other perspectives and what’s working elsewhere. It was also reassuring to hear from other students whose churches have similar challenges to ours. I have made some great new friends in the process.
“I loved the class discussions with our tutors and the reading – that’s what I got the most out of. Writing the essays took a lot of time. I don’t have a degree. I trained as a nurse, so it took me longer to learn how to structure the work, but I passed everything and that’s good enough for me,” says Sue.
Looking towards the next steps and how to take the learning back to her church, Sue says, “I will continue to deliver worship once a month and I’m praying about what to do in the future, in consultation with local church leadership. Through the course, I feel more grounded in biblical foundations. Being part of the wider church network has given me confidence and opportunity to discuss new ideas and learn from the experience of others. As a result, I feel more confident to recognise God at work in many different places and people, outside the church as much as in. The interconnection between the divine, nature, others and ourselves, which we discussed during the course, is something that I would like to explore further, in consultation with others.”
Sue is a full-time carer, so finding time for the course was a challenge, but she says, “It was time for myself too which was really beneficial. While it did impact on the time I had available for others, I feel stronger for having done it. I’m not planning to continue formal study but have joined the 3 Saints Fellowship (3SF) at the diocese, which has recently started. It’s helping me to stay connected to the wider church body. I highly recommend both the course and 3SF.”
Resources:
The deadline for applications to the ICM course is 31st July, 2026. The course runs for an academic year starting in the autumn, at the Ludlow Mascall Centre, on Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays. For further information, please email the Diocesan Director of Vocations and Ordinations, The Rev’d Dr Elizabeth Wild.
You can learn about the 3 Saints Fellowship here: 3SF|Hereford Diocese.
There is more information about all our local ministry roles here: Local Ministry | Diocese of Hereford.
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