Here are some Frequently Asked Questions for ministrynet (chichester). If you have any other questions then please email us at admin@ministrynet.org.uk

Q: Can anybody join ministrynet (chichester)?
A: The website is intended primarily for lay people who attend a Church of England church in the diocese of Chichester, but clergy are welcome to register for and contribute to ministrynet. However, in a spirit of parity as co-workers for the Kingdom of God, we would ask clergy and others not to use titles like Revd to identify themselves but simply use first and last names on the site.

Q: What if I attend the C of E in another diocese?
A: The Chichester site is the first diocesan site that Ministry Net has launched and we hope to launch a national site in 2024 and possibly other diocese based sites, depending on demand and resources.

Q: What is the connection between Ministry Net and the Church of England?
A: Ministry Net is an independent charity and is not controlled or funded by the Church of England. However, Ministry Net sees itself as part of the wider Church of England family and seeks to cooperate with the Church of England and its dioceses as partners in developing the ministry of Church of England laity (licensed, authorised or locally recognised).

Q: What are the three categories of lay ministry in the Church of England?
A: 1. Licensed lay ministries represent the church in a public, representative or leadership role. Examples of licensed lay ministers include Readers, licensed lay ministers, Church Army evangelists, lay workers and some lay pioneers.
2. Authorised ministers represent the church in the wider community. Their authorisation (which might be called Commissioning) is from the bishop, and it may be time limited or reviewed regularly. Examples of authorised ministry includes pastoral assistants, worship leaders, preachers, and assistant youth and children’s ministers. 
3. Recognised lay ministries happen in the local parish, benefice, chaplaincy or fresh expression. Examples of recognised ministry include leading a home group, pastoral care, assisting with children and youth ministry, offering prayer and listening, acting as a chaplaincy assistant or exploring growing church locally.
(See the Church of England website)

Q: Is ministrynet (chichester) free?
A: Yes, no charge is made for those joining and using the website. However, Ministry Net is dependent on donations from its supporters (we believe that whoever pays the piper, calls the tune), so please do consider making a donation to our costs at the Donations Page.

Q: Can I sign up for as many Ministry Categories and Special Interest Groups as I like?
A: Yes, apart from 'News and Comment' and 'Discipleship', which are core categories, you can join or leave any category or group whenever you like. However, if you sign up for everything, you may find that your personalised home page becomes a bit overloaded!

Q: What is the purpose of a 'Discussion Forum'?
A: For you and our other members to get most value from ministrynet, the website has been designed to be as participative as possible, rather than just passive reading material. Each ministry category and special interest group has its own discussion forum which you automatically join when you join the category/group. This allows you to interact with other members by posting questions, suggesting discussion topics, and responding to the 'posts' of others.

Q: Can I submit an article or book review of my own?
A: Yes, by all means, if you want to submit an article or book review or suggest a suitable article by somebody else, please contact the Editor at admin@ministrynet.org.uk .  Ministry Net reserves the right to reject or suggest amendments to articles and, of course, all articles (and other posts and comments) need to be written in a constructive way that aims to build up and encourage others rather than to provide a partisan view on a controversial subject - those can be found easily on the rest of the Internet!

Q: Can I start or suggest a new Special Interest Group?
A: Yes, we hope that members will suggest new groups that reflect their own areas of ministerial interest. However, we need to believe there will be a reasonable number of other members interested in the topic to make the group viable. Again, please contact the Editor at admin@ministrynet.org.uk in the first instance.

Q: Can I get in touch with other members of ministrynet (chichester)?
A: If you wish to send a message to all members of a group you can do this via the relevant discussion forum. You can also make comments on articles or respond to those of others. We are currently working on an improved way of being able to communicate directly with other members (subject to suitable privacy protocols) but, in the meantime, please contact the Editor who may be able to put you in touch with a particular member or contributor.

Q: Can I offer to help with the work of Ministry Net?
A: By all means. Ministry Net is staffed by unpaid volunteers giving generously of their time and talents. If you can offer your help that would be wonderful. In any event, word of mouth is the best way of telling people about ministrynet, so please do encourage others to join.

Q: Can I find out more about Ministry Net and its structure and finances?
A: Yes. Ministry Net is a registered UK charity and details can be found on the Charity Commission website, here.