Lay Ministry Discipleship Officer

Introduction

Lay Ministry Discipleship Officer (Lay or Ordained role)

Over the last few years, with much prayer, learning from experience, and working together to build relationships and trust, we have developed a diocesan vision: “the Diocese of Portsmouth longs to be a rejuvenating community of Jesus-centred, Kingdom-seeking disciples”.

Our strategy to deliver the vision has REJUVENATION, children and young people, as the intentional focus of everything we do. Our primary strategy to have congregations full of children and young people is to have flourishing churches.

Our strategy themes are:

• REVIVE: a call to deeper prayer for all our clergy and lay leadership to experience a continued personal refreshing of the wonder of God’s presence in our life. Key to this is the establishment of small peer-to-peer “Benedictine style support networks” capable of developing realistic revitalisation plans, which we are calling 'Cairns'.
• REVITALISE: grow our existing churches, connecting ministries together to form a pathway that reaches people who are unconnected with church and supports them as they journey to become committed disciples who own for themselves Jesus’ mission.
• RENEW: in communities where there is no effective church presence, we believe it is right to plant/transplant new congregations to focus on outreach and younger generations.

This role sits within the REVIVE strand of our strategy. As our Lay Ministry Discipleship Officer, you will be a passionate leader with an inspiring faith in Jesus Christ, who will develop and enable lay ministry across our diocese.

You will work as part of the Ministry and Discipleship team in helping to deliver the REVIVE element of our strategy, forming a coherent structure for both licensed and commissioned lay training and their ongoing development.

Part of your role will be effectively as ‘Warden of Readers’, guiding and inspiring those licensed lay ministers who have been historically known as Readers. You will also be responsible for promoting, supporting and shaping other licensed lay ministers’ roles, including Pioneers, Children's, Youth and Family Workers, and Anna Chaplains. You'll also help to shape our cohort of commissioned lay ministers, including Lay Pastoral Assistants, Lay Preachers and Lay Worship Leaders. And you will work with the spirituality team to oversee the growth of our spiritual direction provision.

Key objectives are to:

• Provide strategic leadership in the development, coordination and review of all licensed and commissioned lay ministers.
• Develop a coherent structure of lay training across all areas of lay ministry and oversee the delivery of these programmes.
• To work closely with Lead for Revive and Lead for Vocations to promote and carry responsibility for Licensed Lay Ministry development in the diocese, taking forward a diocesan review of the future shape of all licensed lay ministry.
• Work with clergy and key lay leaders to promote lay discipleship and leadership across the diocese.

For more information on this role please see the attached job description.

Approaches to find out more are encouraged. Should you require further information please contact Revd Andrew Hargreaves, interim Director of Ministry and Discipleship on andrew.hargreaves@portsmouth.anglican.org

Information on our diocesan strategy can be found here. And do read here how major investment from the national Church of England will help our diocese to rejuvenate.

Deadline for application is Friday, 25^th April 2025. 

Interviews for this post will be held on Friday, 9th May 2025.