Published on: 03/03/2026
Confidence. A quick google search shows me that there are a lot of perfumes and fragrances simply called ‘Confidence’ – imagine if it were that easy! Two quick spritzes and you suddenly have the courage and ability to calmly and effortlessly accomplish all that lies in front you. People who cross your path comment on how nice you smell, and how capable you are…
In reality we can spend much of our time in ministry feeling a distinct lack of confidence in ourselves. Especially near to the start of a new phase of ministry, we can be painfully aware of how much we don’t know, the gaps in our knowledge and experience. We may then question our calling – can I really do it? Did God make a mistake in choosing me for this task? Have I got it wrong?
Thankfully the Bible gives us a whole heap of examples of people who God called who weren’t confident in the beginning. Moses was reluctant, Gideon felt insignificant, Jeremiah felt inadequate… the reality is that our confidence is not based on our ability but on the One who calls us.
The word ‘Confidence’ comes from the Latin ‘Confidere’ which means “to have full trust”. We can have confidence in the Lord, we have full trust in the One who is perfectly trustworthy. And then, as so often happens with God, a beautiful exchange can take place. Our fears can be replaced by perfect love, and we can receive a gift of faith and boldness, to do the things that God is asking us to do and shaping us for. You may have heard it said that “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called”. So if you feel like you are lacking the experience, the skill, the knowledge – don’t worry. He will equip you!
One of the questions we ask Focal Ministers before they are authorised into their roles, is “At the beginning of this new stage of ministry, how confident do you feel?” And then every year when Focal Ministers meet with their Oversight Minister for an annual review, we ask for another number as a gauge of their confidence. We see that as they gain experience in the role their confidence grows.
So if you know someone (it might be you!) who doesn’t feel that they are confident enough to step into lay ministry, please encourage them that:
- They can place their full trust in the God who calls them.
- Plenty of other people feel the same as them, and we have evidence that people grow in confidence as they set out along a journey of lay ministry.
- If they would like to find out more about a particular area of ministry and speak to people who are in those roles already, they can get in touch (layministry@sheffield.anglican.org) with the lay ministry team in the Diocese and we’d be happy to help!
This week’s Blog post was written by Beth Burras, Lead Lay Ministry Enabler