Team Rector of Netherton and Sefton Team Ministry

Overview

We are two different churches in the sense of tradition, location and facility but with one desire to share God’s love with all people across our communities. As a team, we are a work in progress; we are exploring growth but find the necessary change challenging. We work together well but could do more; we strive to be inclusive but don't always get it right. We are looking for ways to be more sustainable and working towards Eco Church awards, but our circumstances and contexts can make this difficult.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Team Rector who will be sensitive to the contexts and needs of both parishes, in terms of mission, worship and demographic. To enable the clergy to focus on mission priorities and supporting worship, members of the PCC take responsibility for administrative matters such as finance, buildings and maintenance, the church diary and preparation of materials to support services.

We are offering you a supportive and welcoming church community who will respect your time off and the need to care for your own wellbeing and that of your family.  We commit to working with you, to being open to new ways of working and helping to provide the resources you need.

The Vicarage is a four bedroomed, detached property with two bathrooms, a large garden and driveway with a garage. The property is set back from the main road, within walking distance to St Oswald’s Church and the neighbouring shops and transport links. The vicarage is a 5-10 minute drive to St. Helen’s Church.

Netherton and Sefton are close to Aintree racecourse, Switch Island retail park and cinema, Crosby beach with Antony Gormley’s Another Place as well as Liverpool city centre. It is also easy to get onto the Wirral and the north Wales coast and the Lake District or Peak district.

Closing Date: TBC

Interview Dates: TBC

For more information please contact: Ven Pete Spiers  Archdeacon of Knowsley and Sefton

Mob: 07590690780 or email: pete.spiers@liverpool.anglican.org.uk 

Main Responsibilities

We would expect you to:

• have a passion for mission in a variety of contexts and will inspire growth across the team
• value both traditional, modern and more experimental styles of worship
• facilitate further collaboration between the churches
• enable lay and ordained colleagues to work to their strengths, and inspire new ministries
• guide us through the complexities of “Fit for Mission” and into the future

The Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate will be:

• Servant hearted
• Approachable and friendly
• Passionate to see spiritual growth in others
• Confident and energetic
• Collaborative and consultative
• Compassionate and courageous
• Empathic and prayerful
• Resilient and flexible
• A people-person with a strong pastoral instinct

About us

Being part of the Clergy Team in Liverpool Diocese

For many years we have been working to achieve growth in our diocese. We have used different ways to express this but the aim and direction of travel has remained the same – consistent with the whole of the Church of England. We have articulated a vision for this growth by saying
 

          we are asking God for a bigger church so that we can make a bigger difference:

                               more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world.

In our diocesan vision we have identified four priority areas for our work in mission in this season:

Introducing people to God through Jesus Christ

Deepening discipleship, especially by means of our Rule of Life

Developing Christian leaders in every place

Working for justice

Like everyone entering a new role in the Diocese, you will accept the priority of these areas, and will measure your ministry by effectiveness in these areas. You will be supported and expected to be accountable (through the Ministerial Development Review as well as through regular meetings with your colleagues) for how they are being implemented within your area of responsibility.

In common with all clergy in the diocese, you will work together with others to:-

1. Establish a culture of invitation in evangelism within the local church.
2. Start new worshipping communities and maintain existing healthy worshipping communities that are accessible to all.
3. Establish a culture in the local church of expecting a deepening of discipleship and putting into practice the 6 disciplines of the Rule of Life. 
4. Develop prayerfully a strategy for mission and church growth and aligning it with the Diocesan strategy Fit for Mission.
5. Identify, train, release and support new Christian leaders and teams.
6. Encourage vocations by identifying the gifts of others and assisting people to seek God’s calling for their lives.
7. Develop the distinctive ministry of the local Church within the wider context of the Diocese, Deanery and local ecumenical setting by establishing and maintaining good collaborative working relationships with clergy and lay colleagues.
8. Lead your congregations both to pray for justice in the Church and the world and to recognize how, working with others, your congregations can work for more justice in the Church, your local communities, and the world.
9. Ensure that safeguarding, financial and other governance disciplines are followed.