Assistant Director of Discipleship

Overview

• Do you have a passion for Discipleship?

• Do you enjoy working as part of a team delivering a portfolio of varied training and support to those seeking to deepen their discipleship as followers of Christ?

Introduction

The Department of Discipleship, Ministry and Continuing Ministerial Education works in collaboration with colleagues in the Vocation team, Mission team, Pioneering team, and the Episcopal Areas to deliver the diocesan vision, and in particular to enable lay people to have confidence in what they believe, confidence in talking about what they believe to others, and confidence in living out their beliefs in everyday faith throughout each week.  It seeks to foster collaborative ministry and to develop authorised and ordained ministers as leaders for a church in mission.  The Department has a particular responsibility for Continuing Ministerial Education, both Lay and Ordained.

The Diocese of Southwark, founded in 1905, forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England and is part of the wider Church of England, in turn part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  The Diocese covers primarily the area of Greater London, which is south of the Thames, together with the eastern part of the county of Surrey.  It is one of the largest dioceses in terms of population and parishes as well as one of the most diverse.

Main Responsibilities

• Curating, and publicising, a programme of events and courses that nurtures the discipleship and spirituality of lay people of all kinds.  This includes leading the delivery of the Bishop’s Certificate in Discipleship, and recruiting and supporting the tutor team.

• Overseeing the training of Readers.

• Enabling and resourcing the contributions of volunteers and clergy as they offer ministry which complements the work that the department undertakes among lay people.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a person whose passion for discipleship is evident in their spiritual practices, their desire to learn, and their communication, who will bring enthusiasm and passion to developing discipleship and ministry in the Diocese of Southwark.

The post is open to both lay and ordained people.  The successful applicant will be:

• A person whose passion for discipleship is evident in their demeanour, their spiritual practices, their desire to learn, and their communication.
• A communicant member of the Church of England who understands and is confident to work within church structures.
• Someone with experience of lay leadership or an informed understanding of the joys and challenges of lay leadership.
• Someone with a theological education, either formal or self-taught.
• A confident speaker, preacher and/or teacher.
• A person who can move comfortably across a wide range of church traditions within the diversity of the Diocese of Southwark.
• A mature person who can manage his or her own workload efficiently and can find his or her place in a team to allow it to function well.
• Someone who is able to form good relationships with lay people, with an insight into the practicalities of everyday life in South London and East Surrey.
• A person willing to work when lay people are available for training, including evenings and weekends.
• A person who knows or is able to learn sufficient about technology to make the delivery of online events possible.

About us

The Department of Discipleship, Ministry and Continuing Ministerial Education works in collaboration with colleagues in the Vocation team, Mission team, Pioneering team, and the Episcopal Areas to deliver the diocesan vision, and in particular to enable lay people to have confidence in what they believe, confidence in talking about what they believe to others, and confidence in living out their beliefs in everyday faith throughout each week.  It seeks to foster collaborative ministry and to develop authorised and ordained ministers as leaders for a church in mission.  The Department has a particular responsibility for Continuing Ministerial Education, both Lay and Ordained.

The Diocese of Southwark, founded in 1905, forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England and is part of the wider Church of England, in turn part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  The Diocese covers primarily the area of Greater London, which is south of the Thames, together with the eastern part of the county of Surrey.  It is one of the largest dioceses in terms of population and parishes as well as one of the most diverse.