Associate Pastor with special interest in youth and outreach

Are you seeking a rewarding and varied role in which you can be developed and grow in your gifting? We'd love you to join us to develop our ministry especially working among young people and reaching out to those who don't yet know Jesus

Responsibilities

Summary of the role We are seeking a warm relational pastor who reflects God's love for all people; an excellent communicator who can lead, preach, teach and get alongside people; a servant of Christ who feels called to share in the work of leading this diverse church, with a particular focus on developing our ministry to young people and reaching those who don't yet know Jesus. Sharing in leadership of the church - Reporting to the Lead Pastor, serve as an integral part of the staff team (currently Lead Pastor, Children and Young Families Worker, Administration Manager and Administration Assistant), together with the elders and deacons, and implement the vision, mission and strategy of the church. - Through example setting, teaching and getting alongside people pastorally, encourage the church to grow as a diverse, spirit filled, committed, confident and focused Christian community. - Pray regularly for the church family and to seek God's presence to permeate everything we do. - Plan, lead, or preach at some Sunday services. - Embrace change and work flexibly in response to the church's needs. - Actively participate in the deacons' meeting as a fellow trustee, and in elders' and staff meetings. - Help the church to implement our policies and procedures - Depending on background and experience of the candidate, undertake further training to grow in pastoral ministry. Pastoral Care and Discipleship - Take a share in the pastoral care of the church family, meeting with people to encourage, build them up in their faith and pray for them. - Seek to encourage whole life discipleship and engagement of the congregation in the wider community, whether in High Wycombe, in the workplace or through social activities. - Share in conducting dedications, baptisms, marriages, funerals (training provided depending on prior experience) Youth - Grow and develop the church's ministry to young people, leading the team of volunteer youth leaders, in accordance with the church's mission for children and young people: With God's help through prayer, to build an engaging, fun and caring environment so that children, young people, leaders and families equip each other to grow in faith as they: o Hear about Jesus o Learn through the Bible o Know Jesus personally o Tell others about Jesus - Supported by the deacon for youth and young adults, plan and coordinate weekly activities for young people including our Friday evening youth club 'Chill' and on Sunday morning 'Salt and Light' - Model to the volunteer youth team how to teach young people from the Bible in relevant and engaging ways, equipping and inspiring them to live for Jesus and share their faith with others - Get alongside young people to support and encourage them to grow in faith - Identify the gifts, interests and talents of young people and encourage them to be released for Christian service (e.g. youth band, helping to teach at Discoverers kids club, holiday clubs, leading youth services) - Organise and lead young people's weekends and days away, prayer events, participate in camps / festivals, and organise youth activities at church Away Days, Weekends and other special events. Outreach - Work with the outreach team and outreach deacon to develop, organise and lead seasonal initiatives to reach people outside of the church - Support community ministry projects (e.g. Job Club, Night Shelter) with a focus on helping participants take the next steps towards Jesus - Develop initiatives to inspire, train, encourage and equip church members to reach out to their friends and contacts, helping them to take the next steps towards Jesus - Share in facilitating seeker courses e.g. Alpha Appendix: Church Profile Union Baptist Church has the vision to see the town of High Wycombe transformed by God through a loving, serving, worshipping church community. We are a Bible based church which welcomes everyone and is committed to the faithful teaching of God's word as the authority for how to live our lives. We equip each other to live in obedience to Jesus through LIFE (Living in Faith Everyday) Groups and encourage one another to serve and build relationships with people who are not yet followers, encouraging them to take the next steps towards Jesus. Commitment to prayer and seeking God's transforming presence in our worship and work is central in our strategic focus. The church has around 180 members of very diverse social and ethnic backgrounds and we regularly see several hundred people come through our building weekly. From its extensive premises 'The Hub' in the town centre, the church is active in serving the multicultural community in High Wycombe, with ministries to the homeless, adults with learning disabilities, unemployed people, the Romanian speaking population, families and young people amongst others. We are in an exciting time of change, looking forward to the opening of our newly transformed worship and welcome space in 2025 which will provide new opportunities to serve our town and provide an accessible welcoming setting for people from all walks of life to encounter God. Our ministry to young people is growing with an active evening youth club and Sunday morning activities. Our young people are regularly involved in serving the rest of the church family especially helping to lead our worship and children's ministries.

Required skills

Character - Essential - To be an evangelical Christian, committed to living under the authority of God's word as revealed in the Bible, being in agreement with the Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith. - To live an authentic lifestyle of obedience to Christ. - To be active in befriending unbelievers and seeking to share the gospel personally and hungry to see God's Kingdom grow. - To be rooted in a life of prayer, Bible reading, worship, service and devotion to God, and willing to submit to the authority of scripture. - To be filled with the Holy Spirit and be a person of prayer devoted to serving Christ in His Church. - To support Union Baptist Church's Vision, Mission and Values Statement. - To have a calm demeanour and ability to put others at ease. - To be creative, enthusiastic and able to inspire others. - To be a servant hearted team player who is committed to the life of the church and actively supporting the Church Leadership. - To be teachable and willing to commit to ongoing development and training. - To have the ability to establish and maintain good relationships with the diverse fellowship and community. Experience, Knowledge and Qualifications - Essential - To have experience of preaching, leading services and working with young people - To have training or experience in a church ministry setting - To have theological training to degree or diploma level or equivalent - To have no reason for being disqualified from being a charity trustee Experience, Knowledge and Qualifications - Desirable - To have experience of leading evangelistic projects - To hold a full, clean driving licence Skills - Essential - To communicate, teach and apply the Bible into the lives of adults and young people both within and beyond the church in a lively and engaging way. - To demonstrate leadership skills, having the ability to lead, encourage and enthuse team members. - To have good interpersonal skills, able to listen attentively to others and seek to understand the perspectives and experiences of others. - To pastor individuals and sensitively manage difficult pastoral situations. - To use their own initiative and have organisational and motivational skills. - To be computer literate and familiar with the use of social media. - To have good oral and written communication skills. - To be familiar with safeguarding practices and able to undertake ministry in full compliance with UBC's safeguarding policy. - To demonstrate basic numeracy, budgeting and scheduling skills. - To be able to manage both work and personal time and work flexible hours.

Other

This role includes a house or housing allowance Closing date 24/02/25