What is a Vocation

God has a plan and a purpose just for you, fulfilling your gifts and talents, that will bless you and others. The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely has said:

At the heart of the gospel is Jesus' invitation to abundant life, and as a diocese we are committed to being a people fully alive. To respond to Jesus' invitation is about discovering our real life (our vocation) in God.

Take courage then to explore what God might have in store for you, and through you. The Vocations team are here to help you to discover it and then support you in it.

What is a 'vocation'?

Vocation is about who you are across all areas of your life, not just about where you work or 'being a vicar'. In Romans 12:1-5, St Paul explains how the Christian vocation is to be worked out.

here's what I want you to do, God helping you. Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life - and place it before God.... (The Message Bible).

St Paul then explains that as we do this, and fix our attention on God, we will increasingly be attuned to the will of God for our lives; we will have a growing ability to accept who we are, without aspiring to be someone or something we are not. 

Paul then goes on to talk about the different gifts and ministries which are given by God to each of His followers, and the importance of working together. 

This gives us a pattern for the journey of discovering our vocation. It starts with a surrender of our life to God, in the light of His love and sacrifice for us. Through His working in us, we begin to be transformed into the people He wants us to be, not in isolation, but part of a community. From there, we seek to understand our particular gifts and talents, and the place of service into which we are being called.

For most, the place of service will be in the workplace, and at home, with friends and family and in our spare time activities.

How to start exploring your vocation

Begin by talk it through with friends and family. Also talk it through with your minister.

If you're fairly new to the Christian faith but feel you are being drawn closer to church life and are thinking about working or volunteering for your church, you might like to consider a course that helps you develop your personal faith. These are some examples:-

• Alpha / Emmaus
• Growing as a Disciple, offered through the Diocese of Ely
• Lent courses
• Church offered courses

Contact the Vocations Team via: vocations@elydiocese.org

Church vocations

A few people have a more definite sense that their vocation will be through the Church, as public (representative) ministers, Licensed Lay Minister and Ordained Minister. If you think this applies to you, visit the page all about Developing a church vocation.