The "Life and Service" Course

Exploring Ministry and Priesthood in the Anglican Tradition

"Life and Service" is the in-house course for ordinands to be immersed in the Anglican patterns of church and ministry. It has a strong practical emphasis and is a required course for Westcott ordinands.

The Life and Service course explores Anglican identity and heritage in relation to life and mission in today's church. It covers topics in ecclesiology (how we understand the church theologically), polity (how the Anglican church is structured and governed), history, and spirituality (participation in the life of God through prayer and worship). We devote considerable time to Anglican Homiletics. It also explores our mission as an established church faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet representing faith in the life of a pluralist nation and our strong tradition of political responsibility.

Life and Service for students in their final year explores mission and leadership in today's culture, with particular focus on the parish as a centre for mission and witness. We examine contemporary Anglican liturgy in practical and theological detail in the context of sacramental nurture, pastoral care and mission outreach.