YOUTH MINISTER PROFILE AND JOB DESCRIPTION

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1 YOUTH MINISTER PROFILE AND JOB DESCRIPTION The Church on the Heath The Key, Elvetham Heath, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 1HA Rev Patrick Butler, , , Church office: churchontheheath.org.uk Where we are Fleet is a town in the Hart district of Hampshire, located 37 miles south west of London and with a population of approx. 36,000. It was recently voted the best place to live in the UK by the Halifax Quality of Life study. This is due to the affluent majority of the population, better weather and health conditions, high levels of access to leisure space and the town s situation surrounded by countryside. Elvetham Heath was built just to the north of Fleet town centre on reclaimed heath land between the M3 motorway and the London-Southampton railway line. Around 75% of the development is owner-occupied housing, 15% social housing and 10% private letting. It is generally an affluent development but with pockets of relative material need. Construction was completed in It has a population of 5,000 and serves as a commuter area to Basingstoke, Reading and London. Fleet railway station is a mile from the centre of the development. Who we are There are not many churches like us! Formed as an Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed local ecumenical partnership fifteen years ago, we grew out of a vision of the local churches in Fleet to plant just one, united church on the new development of Elvetham Heath. A group of 25 people was sent out from local churches, meeting first in a local home and then in the Elvetham Heath Community Centre. God has more than honoured that initial step of faith. Today we are a worshipping community of around 250 people meeting in a purpose-designed building opened in Our mission statement is Sharing. Serving. Growing. This means that we long to share Jesus relevantly and passionately on Elvetham Heath, to serve and build up the community, and to encourage all to grow in their walk with God. The church is located at the heart of the community next to the pub, the school and the supermarket. All kinds of community groups use our premises throughout the week and every morning the coffee bar is buzzing. We are committed to being welcoming, relevant and user-friendly. Above all we want be a church for the Heath.

2 Although we are a church that reflects four denominations we are one congregation with one Minister. Our main Sunday service is at 10am and includes songs led by a worship band, prayers, bible readings and a talk often followed by an opportunity to receive prayer. We also have an evening service at 7.30pm. We are blessed with a large Junior Church which worships with us in our All Age services once a month. Whilst there has been faithful ministry to young people over the years we are entering a new season in our youth work and we long to see this area of church life grow in all respects. Conferences and events we attend include Spring Harvest, New Wine and Willow Creek. Our current Minister is an Anglican who has been in post 18 months and previously served the church in South America. He longs to see the church grow in numbers, depth of faith as we remain outward facing with a heart for the community of Elvetham Heath. We have an excellent relationship with local schools, particularly the Elvetham Heath Primary School which uses our church for its whole school assemblies.

3 Job Title: Youth Minister Salary and benefits: 20-23,000 plus housing package. Six weeks holiday per annum. Job Description Hours: Full time 40 hours per week with at least 1 day off per week Starting date: To be confirmed but no later than 1 st September 2015 Aims and values To nurture young people within the church family and the wider community to become lifelong followers of Jesus To help them grow to become adult members of the church To reach out to young people in the wider community of Elvetham Heath To build relationships with parents and the community as a whole About the post This post has been created following the retirement of our part-time Youth Worker. It is a new, full-time position and part of our senior leadership team. The emphasis is from year 10 to 18 year olds. Reporting to the Minister, the job holder will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of work with young people at the Church on the Heath. This will be through the management and oversight of all the volunteer leaders and face to face involvement with the young people. The job holder will have the opportunity to shape the new role by identifying and implementing new ways of discipling young people within the church and developing creative outreach to young people and their families within the community, including Elvetham Heath Primary School and local secondary schools. They will be assisted by an overseas Time for God volunteer whom they will be responsible for supervising. Main duties and responsibilities To review and develop the strategy for youth and children s ministry, in liaison with the ECC (Ecumenical Church Council) and leadership team To articulate and promote youth ministry within the wider vision of the church and the ECC To lead, recruit, train and support the teams of volunteer leaders who lead each group To supervise our Time for God volunteer To lead at least one of the Sunday groups for year olds on a regular basis To coordinate and oversee the weekly programme and Sunday activities

4 To ensure that the church s safeguarding policy is implemented in liaison with Safeguarding Officer and to be responsible for the day to day tasks associated with this (DBS checks completed, volunteers training, risk assessments carried out etc.) To provide pastoral support and mentoring for the young people, either personally or via another person as circumstances require. To plan and lead an appropriate annual programme of special events such as camps, outings and weekends away To initiate outreach to young people in the community To network with other youth leaders in the area, taking part in joint events and services where appropriate To undergo regular and relevant training as identified with your line manager to keep skills and knowledge up to date Other responsibilities Involvement in staff meetings To be a co-opted member of the Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) Being a visible presence in the life of the church and the community, and keeping the profile of the youth ministry visible to all ages Oversee the budget for youth ministry Experience and skills required The prospective job holder must be able to demonstrate the following: Previous experience of youth ministry in a church context The ability to work at a senior level as part of the church leadership team A track record of preparing and leading a balanced programme of Bible studies, discussions and social activities for you people An understanding of youth culture and issues that young people face Mentoring and discipleship skills Successful teamwork with adults A thorough understanding of Safeguarding policies and the ability to work within and adhere to them Personal qualities We are looking for someone who... Has excellent organisational and leadership skills Is able to motivate themselves and others Relates easily to young people and adults, and has a balanced and enthusiastic faith Is able to bring out the best in others, particularly in the context of team leadership, and has the ability to see a vision through to action

5 Can communicate effectively and clearly to those in the church and outside, drawing on both an understanding of youth culture and a strong grasp of the Scriptures Is able to inspire and disciple young people Is committed to the local church and to our ecumenical tradition Place of work The Church on the Heath. This is the main place of worship on a Sunday. There is a dedicated youth room for youth activities and a separate office for administration Your accommodation. For the better performance of your duties, your accommodation will be used to enhance your work. This may include youth meetings, social activities and volunteer meetings as appropriate Review There will be a probationary period of six months and annual reviews of job description and performance with the Minister. Deadline for application: 15 th May 2015 Date for interview: Saturday 30 th May 2015 Note: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the job-holder is a Christian, comfortable working in an evangelical context. Appointment is subject to satisfactory reference and a satisfactory DBS discourse at an enhanced level.