Assistant Pastor, Emmanuel Bishopston

We're seeking to appoint someone at our Emmanuel Bishopston church family who loves Jesus and loves pastoring His people. We need help to develop leaders, encourage evangelism and further ministry initiatives.

Responsibilities

The role is based at Emmanuel Bishopston, part of a family of three churches together known as Emmanuel Bristol. Emmanuel Bishopston is a church of around 150 adults and 90 children and young people. There are two main components to the Assistant Pastor role, which naturally dovetail together. 1. Pastoring and managing the Emmanuel Bishopston congregation, along with the Pastor, elders, and Leadership Team. Pastoring There are all kinds of opportunities for pastoring and discipling members of the church, that the Assistant Pastor could get involved with, depending on his passion and skills. Some of the priorities we have at the moment include: - drawing in people on the fringe of church life and those who have joined us more recently - growing our inter-cultural awareness, ensuring people from other cultural backgrounds are valued, discipled and equipped for ministry - developing the "all age" ministry in our Sunday gatherings - encouraging an evangelistic mindset in our congregation so that we make the most of the numerous connections we have from people in our neighbourhood and social networks - training our leaders well and appointing new ones. Managing church life The church has grown significantly since the end of the pandemic and, as a result, we've had to become more thoughtful and proactive in attending to the practical aspects of church life. This includes: - efficient communication within the congregation - clear co-ordination between the teams who serve in different ways - helping to organise events such as weekends away, seasonal outreach and other one-off initiatives. 2. Leading the joint youth ministry across Emmanuel Bishopston and Emmanuel Westbury. This ministry is well resourced with 18 godly and gifted volunteer leaders, who serve the approx. 40 young people we have in our churches. This number is set to increase considerably in September 2024. Overseeing this ministry is a significant responsibility and requires a combination of strategic thinking, team management, and most importantly, leadership training for everyone involved.

Required skills

Necessary I. Passion for youth ministry evidenced by - an understanding of the challenges teenagers face in living for Christ, - a vision for applying the gospel into youth culture, - a clear sense of how we equip parents, youth leaders and the church, to disciple them. II. Ability to lead, and care for, a team of volunteers. III. Ability to teach the Bible in a range of settings, from preaching to one-to-one ministry. IV. Ability to work independently, take initiative, multi-task and use time well. V. Administratively proficient with an eye for detail. VI. Ability to build rapport with, and disciple, a range of people, from a range of backgrounds and stages in life, whether Christian or not, and experience of helping newcomers and people on the fringe get settled into church. VII. Heart for the lost and a willingness to innovate in evangelism. Desirable I. Experience of youth ministry. II. Experience of teaching the Bible in an "all age" manner (children and adults together). III. Ability to pastor individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. IV. Entrepreneurial approach to ministry - being willing to try new things and challenge existing patterns of ministry. If you do not have the desirable skills or experience, but are still interested in applying for the role, please get in touch. We would also be keen to hear from you if you are looking to undertake further formal study alongside a modified role description, with time and salary implications.

Other

We require applicants to exemplify the sort of participation in church life that we ask of everyone who belongs to Emmanuel, such as involvement in a small group, praying for the church (including coming to prayer meetings), exercising hospitality and having an outward-looking mindset. Appointment is subject to clear adult enhanced and child enhanced (barred) DBS disclosure and two references. We welcome applications from ordained Anglicans. The Diocese of Bristol would obviously need to be part of the appointment process if you are. There is a genuine occupational requirement for the role-holder to be a male Christian fully aligned with our statement of belief, which you can find here. PLEASE NOTE we require applicants to complete our application form. Please contact us to be sent this and the full job description by emailing admin@emmanuelbristol.org.uk