Starting the discernment process in the CofE

[MrsTulip]

For a few years now God has been telling me he wants more from me, but that's all he's saying. He hasn't yet revealed what more is, then over the last 18 months a few friends and people I know from currently serving in children's ministry have mentioned I should consider ordination. Strangely this hasn't freaked me out like I thought it would but I do have a lot of questions and uncertainties about it, I feel this may be the way God wants me to go.
For a short while I did think it might be a call to reader ministry and I asked the vicar at a school I'm connected to (not my vicar or my child's school) a few questions about it.
I've also spoke to my own vicar about a placement in another church but have said I want this to hep me develop my current role.
I don't know why but I'm finding it hard to be totally honest with those around me and say outright I think God wants me to start the formal discernment process. Other than praying (cause I'm already doing tonnes of that) has anyone any advice of how to approach my vicar? I also for reasons that would be too outing don't want to talk my church warden. Thanks

I am a churchwarden, and in my tenure, have had three ordination candidates go through. I have not been asked to provide a reference. I have given a reference for our curate to be signed off, and also for other ministers' annual reviews.

As far as I am aware you can chose who the reference goes to. It needs to be a person who knows you well so it could be a house group leader or someone on the PCC.

Hopefully if I need one our other warden will do it

Appointment with DDO moved to zoom on Tuesday evening as he's got covid. So off into town for a child free coffee it is then!

Thanks to everyone for all your support and prayers whilst I have been on my discernment journey so far. Had a practice run for stage 1 tonight and went well (two things that I need to be mindful off ) so just got to pray and wait for next Wednesday (18th) now.

Take your time Tulip, slow and steady wins the race.
Praying for you and your journey. Keep us up dated. It’s fascinating.

Prayers for tomorrow @MrsTulip 🙏🏼

Thank you it doesn’t start until 10am but been up since 6 so plenty of time for praying and getting ready at my leisure

I hope it went well yesterday. This thread reminds me of supporting my good friend through the discernment and vocations process, including writing a reference. She has now been ordained about 7 years. The whole thing was an eye opener for me, it's very different from what I'm used to in the Catholic Church.

Good luck with your journey.

Thanks .I think it went ok, it's hard to tell. I will update the thread when I know how I got on.

So it's only been three days and the waiting is already starting to get to me, it feels like the longest three days ever!
Due to circumstances beyond my control I have to wait an extra week (most people will find out by Friday at the latest) to find out how I did.
It's half term this week and DS wants a chill out week, so any ideas of how to keep myself busy and mind occupied would be gratefully received.

The waiting is so hard, I had to wait an extra week too due to half term and my DDO not wanting to give me my report over the phone. All you can do is keep yourself busy, if you are having a quiet week at home use it to read or tidy the cupboards that have needed sorting for years. I found myself gutting my children's playroom waiting for my stage 2!

Yes I'm in a similar situation of waiting an extra week due to half term and people being on holiday. Gutting the house seems like a good plan. I brought some work home from school (usually don't in half terms) to keep me busy but I did all that yesterday.

I've just found this helpful thread as I've just finished the lengthy ministry selection process in another denomination. The waiting between stages seemed unbearably hard but a friend who is ordained in the CofE pointed out that my nerves/desperation to know are GOOD things and are just reaffirming my calling and that I basically can't see myself doing anything else. If I was 'meh' then I was absolutely definitely doing the wrong thing.

I found that really helpful especially on the days when church life is political and hard and grinding me down. I know I am where I am meant to be because I went through such a rigorous testing process.

I don't understand exactly where you're up to in the journey (the language in our tradition is different) but it sounds like you're on an exciting path.

Ok so still waiting on the result and have now ran out of things to do to keep my mind occupied, starting to get irritable and tearful now.

Write a Christmas presents list?
Pull some clothes together for a hospital's clothes bank?
Clean all your kitchen cupboard handles?
Polish all the mirrors in the house?
Go a walk?

Thanks for the suggestions but I did all this earlier in the week.
I watched a couple of episodes of Rev on BBCiplayer and have done some ironing (those who know me well know I only iron my DS (9) school trousers and nothing else -ever!)

It seems to be a very long process. RC friends who have gone to seminary, had meetings with the vocations director, the bishop. I think they did some psychometric tests and they they were sent off the following September. However they all had less ties.

That's kind of the end stages. Before that, RC potential seminarians are often asked to spend a year getting some pastoral experience, sometimes as a full-time post. And they might be asked to make other commitments, depending on the individual and the diocese (e.g. joining a diocesan vocation group, engaging with a spiritual director, several informal meetings with the Vications Director). And there's the propadeutical year (e.g. in Valladolid) before full seminary. If they want to enter an order, there will be visits to several of the houses, votes within the community etc. For both there are references needed from the man's parish priest and others, both professional and personal. Medical as well as psychological reports.

@Fink oh yes. Forgot about that bit! I know several people who went and they never mentioned anything about placements etc. I was including the year at Valladolid. I couldn't see how an acquaintance of mine could make it through seminary. But he came back from Valladolid a different person.

The placements depend both on the Bishop's preference/diocesan policy, and on the experience of the potential seminarian. Older candidates with more professional experience are less likely to be sent on a placement, particularly if they are cradle Catholics and have always been reasonably involved in the Church. Young, less experienced, and newer converts/reverts are more likely.

Why not. Just waiting for eyebrows.

Ignore that! Was answering a message at the same time!

I now have a date in the diary for a couple of weeks time, but hoping I can bring it forward or at least view the report online before then.

The report has been available for me to read online earlier today and it's all good and as I expected. Thanks for everyones support and prayers xxx