Diocesan Lead for Schools-Based Worshipping Communities

Introduction

Purpose of role 

Liverpool diocese shares the Church of England’s ambition to grow a church that is younger and more diverse.  A recent first release of investment we are working towards by the National Church now enables Liverpool diocese to form a new team focused on developing and implementing a new and comprehensive 0-18+ discipleship and vocations strategy that will be ambitious yet achievable.  It is a very exciting opportunity. Our objective is to see significant growth in the number of children and young people encountering Jesus, becoming embedded in a discipleship journey in church communities, and going on to explore their vocation, including ministry leadership in some capacity.    

 This new role will work closely with three key stakeholders:

• The ‘Cultivate’ team - whose programme provides training for new Lay Ministry Leaders (‘LMLs’) to explore a calling to start a new worshipping community 
• The Vocations and Training Teams who will nurture and support the leaders as LMLs beyond the set up and early delivery stage of the new worshipping community
• The Education Department who has strong working relationships with schools in the diocese and who can help make introductions and support some of the work of this role.

 This role will be the central diocesan coordinator for starting worshipping communities in a school.  They will be responsible, in collaboration with their colleagues in the Education Department and Cultivate team, for brokering connections and opportunities with schools, and maintaining effective working relationships.   They will act as a central liaison between schools and the Cultivate Team/LMLs and the Vocations and Learning teams.   They will produce and update resources that will support setting up a new worshipping community in a school; champion the highest professional standards of ministry leadership and safeguarding; convening a supportive learning community for LMLs.

 This role sits within a new team of specialist diocesan leads in the following areas: 

• Diocesan Children Lead  
• Diocesan Youth Lead
• Diocesan Young Adult Lead 

 As part of this team, this role is responsible for producing and sign-posting support and resources, acting as a coordinating point; convening learning across the diocese and leading learning reviews; working closely with colleagues in the Learning & Development team to help shape a relevant lay and ordained learning curriculum; acting as an advocate in relation to developing vocations in others; mentoring and supporting volunteers; and operating to the highest professional standards in children and youth work.

PLEASE SEE RECRUITMENT PACK FOR FULL JOB DESCRIPTION, PERSON SPECIFICATION AND FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE DIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL.