Job title:Children & Families Leader

Reports to:The Rector, Graham Osborne

Place of work:Leatherhead Parish Office, Church Hall, Church Road,

Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8AB

Hours:35 hours per week to be worked flexibly and including evening/Sunday work, as agreed with The Rector

Holiday:Equivalent to 6 weeks, including 6 Sundays and inclusive of all Bank Holidays, except Good Friday and Christmas Day. It would be expected that the majority of this holiday would be taken during school holidays.

Training:The Guildford Diocesan training and support network is available for Continuing Professional Development. Lifelong learning is both encouraged and modelled.

Salary:£19k – £23K (depending on experience) + pension and agreed work related expenses

Contract length:Initially for a 3-year fixed term, including a 6 month probationary period.The fixed term would ideally be extended by mutual agreement of the PCC and the post holder at least six months before the end of the contracted period.

ABOUT LEATHERHEAD PARISH

The Parish Church, St Mary & St Nicholas, is a mainstream Anglican church situated in the market town of Leatherhead on a site where there has been a worshipping community for a thousand years. The daughter church, All Saints, built to serve the people of Leatherhead Common especially, is the hub of our youthwork.

Our vision is to be Growing Disciples of Jesus Christ, not only growing individually but also seeking to grow new disciples. A major focus area is on families and children. We serve a town of some 11,000 souls with a wide social demographic profile and have recently run our first Alpha course.

We are a gently growing church family with a broad and developing spectrum of worship styles, a number of home groupsand cell groups, frequent Baptisms, a joint foundationChurch Primary School (Anglican, Methodist & URC), a Community Secondary School, private Nursery, Preparatory andSecondary schools and a very highly-regarded ecumenical youth project. We are covenanting members of a Local Ecumenical Project with our Methodist and URC colleagues with whom we help to run a monthly Messy Church.

The Leadership Team comprises the Ministry team and the Churchwardens and more information can be found on our website at

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Vision of the Church is Growing Disciples of Jesus Christ. To this end the Children & Families Leader will seek to:

  • plan and coordinate groups providing support for families and children
  • help to grow the church familyand
  • build up outreach activities from those groups to the communities served by Leatherhead Parish.

In overseeing the ministry to children and families, and in collaboration with the Leadership Team:

  • to develop and communicate a vision for working with children under 11 in line with the overall vision of the church
  • to develop, communicate and implement a strategy for working with children under 11
  • to represent the needs of the children and their leaders within the life of the church and encourage their involvement in the wider life of Leatherhead Parish
  • to nurture the Christian faith of children connected to the church through Christian education, worship and social activities
  • to work closely with the Leatherhead Youth Project to ensure effective coordination and continuity of work with children, young people and their families
  • to work closely with Leatherhead Trinity School in developing children as disciples
  • to pray regularly with the children and the children’s ministry team
  • to provide pastoral care of children and the children’s ministry team
  • to lead the team in developing and delivering the Bible teaching programme
  • to nurture and enlarge the team of suitable volunteers
  • to model good practice to others
  • to lead the planning of any All Age worship
  • occasionally to lead and preach at services, particularly when relevant to children’s ministry

LOCAL CHURCH INVOLVEMENT

In partnership with our covenant partners in the Uniting Churches, to continue and develop the monthly Messy Church and arrange occasional events to equip those involved in children’s ministry.

SAFEGUARDING

The post-holder will ensure that the Diocesan Safeguarding Procedures are complied with, and that all children’s team members are trained in good practice (with the support of the Parish Safeguarding Officer).

CHURCH MINISTRY TEAM

The post-holder will participate fully in the work of the Leadership Team, including daily Morning Prayer and regular team meetings. When required, to provide a report on Children & Families Ministry to the PCC.

ADMINISTRATION

Maintain accurate information on children’s activities on the church website and utilise social media to the full. In liaison with the Parish Administrator, manage the finance and administration, keeping records as appropriate, for the children’s ministry. Ensure careful use of premises and equipment.

MAINTENANCE ON HEALTHY MINISTRY

Have a disciplined life of prayer, Bible study and wider Christian reading, supported by a Spiritual Director/Mentor and an annual retreat.

NOTES:

There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian. The post is subject to an advanced DBS disclosure.

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