Community and Pastoral Worker

The Parish of St Helier

Full time (37.5 hours), 3-year fixed term

Salary: £30,000 (per annum)

 An exciting opportunity to join a team of Pioneer Evangelists who are discovering the ‘Good News of Jesus’ together with the community on the St Helier Estate and are providing pastoral care and support.  This new role is to assist the established services already in place in supporting the community’s spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing.  In addition, along with the team’s support, to pioneer further missional opportunities to meet the diverse needs of the community.  The role of the Community and Pastoral Worker will have a focus on families, with a particular emphasis on ministry with men and boys.

A committed Christian with a deep, whole-hearted, and secure personal relationship with Jesus (there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement that the post-holder is a committed Christian, fully in agreement with the vision and values of the Parish of St Helier).

For further details please click on the Information Pack. 

• To apply, please complete the Application-Form-PofStH.docx , and Church-of-England-Confidential-Declaration-Form-Word-Document-2023.doc
• Email to the Vicar, Tracy Marlow, [email protected] by 11.55 pm by Monday 13^th May 2024.

Interviews:                                      20^th May 2024

Start date:                                        October 2024 

Job Purpose

To join a team of Pioneer Evangelists who are discovering the ‘Good News of Jesus’ together with the people the of the St Helier Estate providing pastoral care and support. This new role is to assist the established services already in place in supporting the community’s spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, along with the team’s support, to pioneer further missional opportunities to meet the diverse needs of the community. The role of the Community and Pastoral Worker will have a focus on families, with a particular emphasis on ministry with men and boys.

Objectives:

•To find the most appropriate ways to introduce the Christian faith and nurture it as commitment grows.
•Support the Pioneer Evangelists working in collaboration with local schools, agencies and churches, to create the circumstances in which members of the community, especially those in marginalised groups are enabled and empowered to make holistic improvements to their lives.
•To support current outreach work and develop appropriate and innovative expressions of worshipping communities in response to the needs of members of the community, adults, children and young people; especially those in marginalised groups – in particular men and boys.
•To create a community in which doing, advocating, resourcing and enabling evangelism is a shared way of life.
•To establish a pattern of routine visiting across the parish and to be available to visit community members and their families at times of need.
•To provide occasional administrative and other support as required by the Lead Evangelist/ Incumbent.

Responsibilities and tasks:

1. To share ‘Good News of Jesus’ with the people of the St Helier Estate, finding the most appropriate ways to introduce the Christian faith and nurture it as commitment grows. The role of the Community and Pastoral Worker will have a particular emphasis on ministry with men and boys.
•To become a familiar and trusted presence among children, young people and families on the St Helier Estate.
•Along with the team, continue to awaken the spirituality of adults, children, young people and families in the St Helier Parish by sharing the Christian faith through words and action.
•To create opportunities for ‘fresh expressions’ of Christian community to form in ways that are appropriate to adults, children, young people and families who have had no previous engagement with church.
•To lead, coordinate and develop groups, discipling people so that their faith deepens and their confidence in expressing it to their peer groups.
•On occasion: to lead worship and speak in the churches of St Helier Parish to inspire evangelism and outreach; to help the team with administration tasks.

2. Working in collaboration with schools, agencies and churches, to create the circumstances in which children, young people and families are empowered and enabled to make holistic improvements to their lives.
•To continue to pursue and develop, alongside the Pioneer Evangelists, good working relationships with local schools, charities and supporting services to seek life-enhancing ways to serve individuals and families.
•In partnership with the team, organise activities which promote physical, social and spiritual health amongst children, young people and their families in the Parish of St Helier.
•In collaboration with the Lead Evangelist and team to continue to develop a vision for mission to children, young people, and families, that complements and extends existing work of local partner agencies.
•To identify, recruit, train and support volunteers so that they can share in and sustain this mission.

3. To support current outreach work and to develop appropriate and innovative expressions of worshipping communities in response to the needs of adults, children, young people and their families. The work
•Developing new expressions of worshipping communities appropriate to those reached on the St Helier estate; with a specific focus on reaching out to boys and men on the estate.
•To support current outreach work taking place within the church.
•Lead age-appropriate faith exploration groups for adults, children and young people who attend activities and groups within the church and find ways to connect them with the spiritual life of the church.
•To build sustainable teams that support vibrant worshipping communities.

4. To create a community in which doing, advocating, resourcing and enabling evangelism is a shared way of life.
•To meet weekly, pray, eat, learn and serve as part of the staff team of the church, with a life of such attractiveness that increasing numbers of local Christians are drawn into the mission of God.
•To inform the line manager on a regular basis of progress and developments, difficulties and risks relating to this mission.
•Work with the line manager to work out a devotional discipline that enables effective ministry, including prayer, Bible study and retreats.
•Model evangelism in a way which inspires others in the wider deanery and diocese to share faith, supporting and mentoring as appropriate.

5. To establish a pattern of routine visiting across the parish and to be available to visit community members and their families at times of significant need.
•To respond to individual needs of members of the community by offering pastoral care/support, in line with safeguarding practices and policies.
•Ensuring time each week is allocated to supporting members of the community with pastoral visits.

Safeguarding: The PCC of the Parish of St Helier of The Church of England is committed to promoting a safe environment and culture for children, young people and vulnerable adults. The individual appointed to this role will be expected to work within the policy and procedures of the relevant safeguarding policies and to attend/complete all required safeguarding training.

Further Information

Reports to: Incumbent and Line Manager.
Liaises with: Parish of St Helier PCC and Church Army Centre of Mission Evangelists.
Base: Parish of St Helier, London boroughs of Merton and Sutton.
Working hours: 37.5 hours a week (weekly working patterns to be agreed, but to include Sundays).
Holidays: 5 weeks (25 days) including up to 6 Sundays, plus Bank Holidays (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day which can be taken as ‘time off in lieu’).
Training: there will be the opportunity for the right candidate to engage with training.