Celebrations of New Ministry Overview

Congratulations to you and your congregation as you embark on new ministry together. It’s time to celebrate!

Celebrations of New Ministry are shaped like the cross, reaching out to embrace the entire community and reaching up to offer this fresh beginning to God. The Episcopal Church provides two distinctive rites for you to choose from: the “Celebration of New Ministry” in The Book of Common Prayer (pp. 558-65), which places greater emphasis on the newly arrived minister, and “The Renewal of Ministry with the Welcoming of a New Rector” in Enriching Our Worship 4 (Standing Liturgical Commission, 2006) which places greater emphasis on the interplay of ministries and spiritual gifts throughout the congregation. Whichever rite you follow, the words await embodiment by symbols of your local history and representatives of your larger community, as well as leaders of major ministries in your church.