Participation is a term often used in the church. The term is part of the ecclesiastical vocabulary, but is also used outside this context, with a mostly positive connotation and meaning. Participation is described as a right, something that should exist, and as a condition that is, or is not, fulfilled under given circumstances. Often it is a normative aspiration. But what does participation mean? Does one become involved by participating? How is participation expressed in the parishes' fourfold task of worshipping, teaching, carrying out welfare work, and spreading the Gospel in accordance with the church order? The purpose of this article is to examine how participation is reflected in some of the parish instructions of the Church of Sweden. The article argues for the importance of a more clear distinction between being present and being involved. The article also argues that the various aspects that a sense of involvement requires must be clarified. A greater awareness of the complexity of the concept participation can be expected to allow future evaluations of more than quantifiable targets in parish activities.