Priest in Charge (Rector Designate), St John The Evangelist, Coulsdon

Introduction

St John The Evangelist, Old Coulsdon
‘Helping People to Meet Jesus’  

  
     
Our church

St John’s is a thriving, vibrant broadly evangelical church in the heart of Old Coulsdon helping people to meet Jesus. We are praying for a new rector to develop our worship and Bible based preaching as we proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God.We are at an exciting stage in meeting the needs of young children and families with lively and engaging Family and Pram services. We would like to develop this work further and to extend our provision to teenagers.

We want our church to grow spiritually and numerically and to be effective in sharing God’s love with the wider community. We hope to introduce services that will cater for the entire community and attract new people, while still providing the reflective Eucharistic worship that is so important to many of our congregation. We think of ourselves as a family and we would like it to grow!

Our community

Old Coulsdon is a pleasant suburban village on the southern edge of the London Borough of Croydon providing opportunities for mission and outreach.  Within the parish there are four schools, including Coulsdon C of E Primary School, and a Sixth Form college which attracts students from all parts of the borough. The church’s position in the centre of the village enables it to be a focal point for community events.

Main Responsibilities

• To facilitate outreach to all sections of the parish especially to the two large estates which are underrepresented in our congregation.
• To lead services suitable for all ages and to develop new styles of worship appropriate to the parish as a whole while understanding our traditions and the needs of the existing congregation.
• To provide opportunities for the congregation to develop their spirituality.
• To further develop lay involvement in services and to encourage individuals in their personal ministry.
• To extend our work with families, children and young people.
• To play a significant role in the governing body of Coulsdon C of E School

Our new rector should be:

• Collaborative: to work with a supportive ministry team, a full complement of PCC and church officers, a parish administrator and a friendly congregation.
• Inspirational: who can enable the congregation to grow in commitment and spirituality.
• Creative: with the wisdom and vision to encourage us in our desire to grow the church.
• Communicative: who has a strong desire to share God’s love with the wider community and is able to engage with people of all backgrounds and religious experience.

If you think that God may be calling you to our parish, please look at our Parish Profile to find out more about our church and locality and for the full Person Specification.  For current activities and events please check our social media platforms.  We look forward to welcoming you.

For an informal conversation with the Archdeacon of Croydon, please contact the PA for an appointment by emailing Kathleen.bailey@southwark.anglican.org

Closing date: Sunday 21 April 2024 (midnight)

Parish visit: Tuesday 21 May or Wednesday 22 May 2024

Interviews: Wednesday 22 May 2024

We have a policy in Southwark Diocese that to be appointed to an incumbent status post, a priest must have served a title post in an Anglican church in the British Isles. We aim to be a diverse and truly representative Diocese, and particularly welcome applications from women and people of UKME heritage.

This post is subject to DBS enhanced disclosure.