The shift of perspective from Stage Two to Stage Three comes when those closest to the minister - probably regular churchgoers, but more particularly people he has previously helped - realise that he can no longer cope on his own.

So they look for ways of assisting - perhaps with running the church so that he is free to do more visiting; perhaps (if he can give them the confidence and can train them and learn to trust them) by doing some of the caring visits themselves.

Ultimate responsibility still rests with the Vicar. It is still ‘his’ ministry and he must take the blame if anything goes wrong. And, yes, the Vicar is still assumed to be male!

A Stewardship campaign (even one born out of a financial crisis) can often cause this shift to a less passive role for the churchgoer - for how can the Vicar carry on with his caring ministry if he has money worries?