Advancement within the Church

[Patorikku85]

I’m not sure where this question belongs, so I’m adding it here.

Income from a Church of Christ background and am in the process of becoming Catholic. I am married with 5 kids. How far am I allowed to advance when it comes to service within the Church?

 

[Padres1969]

I’m not sure where this question belongs, so I’m adding it here.

Income from a Church of Christ background and am in the process of becoming Catholic. I am married with 5 kids. How far am I allowed to advance when it comes to service within the Church?

Probably depends on what kind of service you’re referring to.

 

[phil19034]

I’m not sure where this question belongs, so I’m adding it here.

Income from a Church of Christ background and am in the process of becoming Catholic. I am married with 5 kids. How far am I allowed to advance when it comes to service within the Church?

What do you mean by “advancement within the Church”?

 

[jmcrae]

I’m not sure where this question belongs, so I’m adding it here.

Income from a Church of Christ background and am in the process of becoming Catholic. I am married with 5 kids. How far am I allowed to advance when it comes to service within the Church?

Depending on your interests and education, you can do pretty much anything other than be a priest or Bishop. Once your kids are old enough to look after themselves at home a bit, you can apply to become a permanent Deacon, if you’re a man. Women can take a variety of administrative and teaching roles.

 

[Usige]

Once your kids are old enough to look after themselves at home a bit, you can apply to become a permanent Deacon, if you’re a man.

That varies from diocese to diocese. Of the 20 men in my formation class, atleast 4 of us have kids under 5. One of our candidates is 31 and will only make the canonical age of 35 by a couple months. Many diocese are actively recruiting younher men with young familes.

To the OP, not sure what you mean by advance in the Church. The diaconate is not an advancement in power. Heck most deacons have less “power” than the parish secretary. Perhaps you can be more specific about what you mean with regard to advancement.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I’m not sure where this question belongs, so I’m adding it here.

Income from a Church of Christ background and am in the process of becoming Catholic. I am married with 5 kids. How far am I allowed to advance when it comes to service within the Church?

In the Catholic Church we don’t speak of advancement. We speak of service. We try to use the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us to the best of our ability for the good of the Church and according to the will of God. The purpose of any position in the Church is to serve God.

If you find you have a particular gift you are welcome to develop and use it. For instance, If I have a gift of teaching, I can take courses and become a teacher of religion for the parish. If I have the gift of music I can train to become a musician. If I have the gift of prayer, I can spend time praying for the needs of the Church and people.

Welcome home. I know you will find how God wants you serve in the Church. Pray to the Holy Spirit about it.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

The Coming Home Network specializes in helping Protestants with the journey to the RCC. They have A LOT of good information and people to speak to.

chnetwork.org/

As well, if your question is about Ordination, if there is an Anglican Ordinariate parish near you, I’m sure the Priest there would be happy to speak with you. Ordinariate Priests / Deacons have a dispensation from celibacy if married when they enter the process (as long as they remain married to that wife).

ordinariate.net/

Good luck on your journey!

 

[GLam8833]

Since Vatican II, the Laity and their contributions
to the Faith-Life of the Church is stressed more
than EVER BEFORE, so join a charismatic
prayer meeting, volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul,
and/or become a Knight of Columbus… there
are numerous ways of SERVING in a parish,
use your imagination!!

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

For what it’s worth, I entered the Church from a Church of Christ background 20 years ago, where I was on the “advancement” track. I was a younger, single man then. I soon found myself discussing priesthood with the Archbishop. Ultimately, I discerned that was not where the Lord intended me to be at that time.

Now, married with children, I’m in a new and different discernment process for the Order of Deacon, but thus far, the Spirit is simply saying “wait”.

Meanwhile, I have served the Church in every capacity possible. Volunteer, paid staff, committees, ministries, pew-sitter, you name it.

Please let me know if I may be of help with your particular journey, since we may share similarities.

 

[Padres1969]

For what it’s worth, I entered the Church from a Church of Christ background 20 years ago, where I was on the “advancement” track. I was a younger, single man then. I soon found myself discussing priesthood with the Archbishop. Ultimately, I discerned that was not where the Lord intended me to be at that time.

Now, married with children, I’m in a new and different discernment process for the Order of Deacon, but thus far, the Spirit is simply saying “wait”.

Meanwhile, I have served the Church in every capacity possible. Volunteer, paid staff, committees, ministries, pew-sitter, you name it.

Please let me know if I may be of help with your particular journey, since we may share similarities.

I’m unfamiliar with “advancement” in relation to the Church of Christ. Could you elaborate?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I’m unfamiliar with “advancement” in relation to the Church of Christ. Could you elaborate?

It’s not a formal thing at all. It’s simply a matter of the leadership of a congregation choosing a handful of young men and grooming them to serve in various capacities (leading prayer or song, ushering, teaching classes, etc.) with the thought that they may eventually rise to church leadership, the highest levels being those of Deacon and Elder. At least, that’s the practice around here. The local churches have struggled to hang on to their young men, and they are dependent upon that for succession of the local congregation.

 

[Padres1969]

It’s not a formal thing at all. It’s simply a matter of the leadership of a congregation choosing a handful of young men and grooming them to serve in various capacities (leading prayer or song, ushering, teaching classes, etc.) with the thought that they may eventually rise to church leadership, the highest levels being those of Deacon and Elder. At least, that’s the practice around here. The local churches have struggled to hang on to their young men, and they are dependent upon that for succession of the local congregation.

Thanks for that. I’m always curious about the leadership set up for churches that lack the more episcopal polity of my own church or say the Catholic Church.