Rev. Robert and Diane Figley Ministries
All Faiths Church of the Pacific Northwest
Wedding Ministries
(360)
693-8562
What Exactly is a "Wedding Ministry," Anyway?
This is a question we hear quite a bit. And it's a good one at that!
What is a "Wedding Ministry" and how does it differ from traditional
ministries or churches? And what kinds of ministers are they?
To begin with, we must talk about what it is that makes a person
want to become a minister in the first place. At it's very base, the call
to ministry is the desire for the soul of the individual to serve God.
All ministers, regardless of their particular religious denomination,
are fulfilling a desire to serve God to their best ability.
But just as a medical student must one day decide on a specialty
or a law student decide which branch of law to practice in, a person
called to ministry must soon decide just what kind of minister they
want to be or what kind of ministry they wish to be involved in.
There are, in reality, four basic areas of ministry from which to choose.
Church Ministry, Evangelism, Scholarly/Education, and Pastoral Care.
Church Ministry is what it sounds like. The active operation of a church
and congregation. Church Ministries will usually have within them some
elements of the other three, (offering Pastoral Care, maintaining Missions, etc.),
but the primary focus of the leaders and staff is the day to day workings
of the church proper, as well as assuring it's long term operation.
Scholarly/Education is the teaching arm of all religious bodies. The training
ground for the future teachers and writers of faith. The spiritual classes
we offer to students, the future teachers themselves.
Evangelism is the active outreach ministry. Missions, Soup Kitchens, Revivals,
anything that will promote an active one-to-one relationship from which to
serve the Lord.
And then there is Pastoral Care. Ministers involved in Pastoral Care are the
offerers of "Ministerial Services" within their faith. Funerals, Christenings,
Blessings and Wedding and Commitment Ceremonies are their calling.
Pastoral Care Ministers are usually not involved in church functions such as
Sunday services, take part in budget decisions or sit on the church board.
Their focus is working with the family or couple who are in need of a particular
ceremony or celebration.
Wedding Ministry, then, is a branch of Pastoral Care. Wedding Ministers are
traditionally specialists in ceremony crafting, people who can work with others
during stressful times and moments, and who are comfortable as public speakers.
Couples who are looking for the services of a Wedding Minister should feel free
to ask questions about the ministers background, their training, their beliefs.
The couple should also ask if the Wedding Minister is inter-denominational,
that is, will they serve as the Officiant to a wedding ceremony that unites
a couple from differing religious backgrounds, or if the Wedding Minister has a
particular denominational point of view that they express during the ceremony.
Also important is weather the Wedding Minister requires any type of pre-marital
counseling or classes.
You are free to ask Rev. Rob and Diane any question you may have about our
Wedding Ministry! We are pleased you taken a moment to join us!
Thank you!
Rev. Rob and Diane Figley
Rev. Robert Figley Rev. Diane Figley
Our Links Page All Faiths Church
Copyright 2006
RedRaccoon1
All
Rights Reserved
And
More Fine Print Stuff...