Priest in Charge (Rector Designate), Parish of Sanderstead, All Saints’ and St Antony’s in the Diocese of Southwark

Introduction

There has been a church on the site of All Saints, Sanderstead, since at least 1230AD worshipping God and serving the community. History books indicate that there has been a church on the site since the time of the Domesday Book. Our present congregation seeks to continue this faithful witness to the Gospel, and to share in God’s mission in this part of South Croydon.

A monthly Sunday afternoon ‘Messy Church’ service attracts between 80 and 150 children, parents and carers.

• accessibility to open spaces and woodland,
• good local Nursery and Outstanding Primary and Secondary Schools,
• good local shops including Waitrose, Sainsbury & Tesco, 
• larger shopping centres are available in Croydon, Sutton and Bromley,
• good transport connections to London and the M25.

The primary responsibility of the Priest in Charge (Rector Designate) is to be the parish priest. We are looking for a leader who, with energy and dynamism, will work with the wardens, the PCC, lay and ordained ministry teams and the congregation to develop the vision for the church to enable the children and families work to be a priority in order to grow the church both in numbers and spiritual maturity. In addition, the new person will care and tend for the existing aging congregation many of whom have faithfully served the church for many years.

• strong communication skills, 
• the ability to engage and encourage people across the age ranges and to convey the church’s mission, vision and priorities,
• a commitment to preach the Word of God in thoughtful and stimulating ways,
• an energy and dynamism - probably more extrovert than introvert,
• a pastoral heart, showing empathy and good listening skills, 
• a willingness to empower, encourage and work collaboratively with lay leaders across a wide spectrum of activities in the church community,
• an ability to build relationships both within the church, in the local community and between local churches in Sanderstead,
• the ability, willingness and experience to help us to develop and enjoy a variety of worship styles, including further development of our less formal/ modern worship and music and corporate prayer life -whilst recognising and valuing our heritage,
• good, proven, organisational skills -if possible, with some experience of working in the secular world.

• a long heritage of faith and commitment; many in our congregation are “seniors” which, although it does not necessarily match the demography of the wider Sanderstead community, means that faith and tradition have deep roots in our church,
• a warm, loving, caring, prayerful, supportive and accommodating congregation that does not demand a great deal of choreography but enjoys exploring new styles of worship/music as well as traditional liturgy,
• a congregation that provides and enjoys strong social bonds as people support and care for each other,
• an outward looking church that engages well with schools and community groups, contributing to the well-being of others and supporting a range of national and local charities,
• a church based on a sound financial footing, with a generous congregation,
• a willingness to grow spiritually, to pray together, to meet and learn together in home groups,
• a fine, well maintained, spacious family-sized rectory.

• 1^st and 3^rd Sundays are formal Eucharist services, normally with choir,
• 2^nd and 4^th Sundays are family worship, a more informal style,
• Messy Church, usually on the second Sunday of the month at 3.30 pm, attracts between 80 and 150 children, parents and carers.

All Saints’ church halls were built in the 1950s. The building includes meeting rooms and offices, one of which is occupied by ‘Sanderstead Neighbourhood Care’, a local

St Anthony’s is a hall church in Hamsey Green and it is the only church in the area. Attendance has declined in recent years, with 2 or 3 people attending regularly at a Sunday afternoon gathering. A service, with communion is offered once a month. The PCC envisages new work to develop a worshipping congregation at St Antony’s, when a diocesan pioneer minister, working out of St Anthony's, is appointed. The building is used as a community resource during the week and converts into a church when services are to be held.  There are positive working relationships between the two churches in the parish.