Rector of Everton St Peter with St John Chrysostom and Joint Lead on Missing Generations Project

Overview

St Peter’s with St John Chrysostom is rooted in the local community of Everton in the heart of Liverpool’s inner city. With £1 million of national church funding, we are about to partner with the neighbouring parish of St George’s in the ‘Missing Generations’ programme.  This radical growth project aims to grow disciples among the missing generation of 11-29 year olds by looking for ways to revitalise our current worshipping communities, planting new ones and growing a new resource base of over 100 disciples by the end of 2025. 

There are exciting opportunities for mission everywhere here.   Everton is a ‘young’ place, with a higher proportion of young people than average, it has two of the largest secondary schools in the city (North Liverpool Academy & Notre Dame Catholic College) as well as several other community organisations working with young people (some of which are based in St John Chrysostom).  In particular, the Rector of St Peter’s & St John Chrysostom has a close relationship with the Shrewsbury House Youth Club (located on the same site as St Peter’s) - the ‘Shewsy’ is one of the best attended youth clubs in the city and runs an excellent year round programme for young people.  The churches also maintain excellent relationships with the local primary schools (The Beacon CE Primary, Faith Primary & Whitefield Primary).  Family networks are strong here, so there are opportunities to minister across the generations to develop, encourage and build vibrant expressions of faith and hope at the heart of our communities. Ecumenical relationships particularly with the Roman Catholic Church are strong and the communities are used to a close partnership in our witness.

We are looking for someone who can bring this vision to life and will lead us into the future, through networking, collaboration and being a motivational evangelistic leader. If you think you could be the person to lead us in this exciting chapter, please look through our Parish Profile and supporting documents to see if God is calling you to this post.

Closing Date: Monday 20^th March 2023

Shortlisting Date: Thursday 30^th March 2023

Interview Date: Monday 24^th April 2023

For more information please contact the Archdeacon Simon Fisher: simon.fisher@liverpool.anglican.org

Introduction

The Liverpool Diocesan growth strategy, ‘asking God for a bigger church to make a bigger difference’, applies to all age groups, with our current strength being with older age groups and primary-aged children. We recognise a distinct and urgent need to increase our capacity and ability to address the missing generation of 11–29 year olds.  We want to be known for outstanding, focused youth and student ministry that means young people enter the workplace and social space with an everyday faith that is confident in the gospel, filled with the Spirit and with a grasp on their God-given purpose. To realise this vision, and for the future of the church as a whole, it is vital to create opportunities for young leaders to develop in the church context.

Main Responsibilities

• Under the authority delegated by the Bishop of Liverpool to the Missing Generation Programme Board, share in the privilege and responsibility of the oversight of the new Resource Church of St Peter’s with St John Chrysostom.
• Lead and participate in the conversation and planning of the diocesan strategy “Fit for Mission” within the Liverpool North deanery and the parish.
• Jointly with the incumbent of St George’s Everton lead the Missing Generations Project in Everton, in particular by developing, planning, and championing the Resource Church vision for St Peter’s with St John Chrysostom and St George’s Everton chiefly for expedited growth in your location and the desire to plant other missional communities.
• Recruiting, overseeing and help in managing the staff team. Inspire and develop the practical outworking of the vision with your staff and volunteer teams, focussed particularly on the missing generation of youth and young adults.
• Ensuring the delivery of the project objectives in your location, specifically growth and financial targets. Monitor and regularly report on these to the Programme Board.
• Developing the intention of church planting further, teaching and training towards active church planting.
• Develop and build on the role of Warden (chaplain) of Shrewsbury House as an opportunity for mission among young people.

The Ideal Candidate

Like everyone entering a new role in the Diocese, you will accept the priority of these areas, and will measure your ministry by effectiveness in these areas. In common with all clergy in the diocese, you will work together with others to:-

1. Establish a culture in the local Churches as the body of Christ of active discipleship in service, witness and leadership.
2. Lead congregations to develop prayerfully a strategy for mission and Church growth, including aligning the local Church missional strategy with the Diocesan strategy of ‘Fit for Mission’.
3. Implement a disciple-making process appropriate for the local context.
4. Identify, train, release and support new leaders and teams.
5. Identify and encourage the gifts of others, assisting people to seek God’s calling for their lives.

About us

Being part of the Clergy Team in Liverpool Diocese – Fit for Mission.

For many years we have been working to achieve growth in our diocese. We have used different ways to express this but the aim and direction of travel has remained the same:

“We are asking God for a bigger church so we can make a bigger difference”; said another way: “We long to see more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world.”

To achieve this vision we are rolling out a diocesan strategic transformation project called ‘Fit for Mission’ which is an ambitious, growth-orientated and locally delivered change programme to enable mission and ministry to flourish in the Diocese of Liverpool. All clergy in the Diocese are expected to align themselves fully with this vision and work to its fullest possible implementation.

We have 4 mission priorities which are foundational to this vision:

(i)  introducing people to Jesus;

(ii)  deepening discipleship;

(iii)  developing Christian leaders, and

(iv)  working for justice.

We are determined to make these priorities real in our life and ministry that includes:

• a commitment to working in teams rather than in isolation,
• a major investment in lay leadership,
• a radical re-structuring of our parishes and
• a releasing of clergy to enable them to focus much more fully on their gifts and vocational call.

We talk of a culture of high support, high expectation and high accountability, rooted in the mutuality of the body of Christ. In coming to be with us you would be aligning yourself with this purpose and committing yourself to make it real within Everton.