Part-time Priest in Charge of Grassendale St Mary (Interim 2 year post)

Introduction

St Mary’s Grassendale is a medium/large active church in the south of Liverpool. The church is prominently situated on a main road, with its adjacent parish hall which is well used by a range of church groups and private rentals.

 The current parish has a population of 9,076 and a deprivation rating of 23.08. The Parish encompasses a range of socio-economic backgrounds and housing types, with many social housing initiatives within the Parish, and large privately owned Victorian houses in the roads immediately behind the church.

 There are excellent transport links locally, with Cressington metro station a 1-minute walk away, a bus stop outside the Church Hall, and a 15 minute ride into the city centre, or to Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The parish includes a local high street, supermarket, Library, Garston park and leisure centre, Otterspool Promenade along the River Mersey, hairdressers, Beauty Therapists, Nursing and Residential Homes, Bars, Restaurants and Cafes and the newly refurbished Adventure Playground - the ‘Venny’.

 After much thought, St Mary’s have committed to joining with several other parishes in Liverpool South Deanery, as a new Single Larger Parish called Christ our Light. This follows the Diocese of Liverpool ‘Fit for Mission’ strategy. You will be working closely within a team within the Single Larger Parish with much of the administration being looked after by the central support services team, in order to free clergy and laity to focus on missional activity which builds the church and the Kingdom in this place. Over this transitional period, this post is offered on a 0.5 2 year interim post. The aspiration in the Deanery is for a post in this or similar form to continue longer term should funds allow, and you would be part of shaping that future with the wider team and Deanery.

Closing Date:         TBC

• Introducing people to God through Jesus Christ
• Deepening discipleship, especially by means of our Rule of Life
• Developing Christian leaders in every place
• Working for justice

1. Establish a culture of invitation in evangelism within the local church.
2. Start new worshipping communities and maintain existing healthy worshipping communities that are accessible to all. 
3. Establish a culture in the local church of expecting a deepening of discipleship and putting into practice the 6 disciplines of the Rule of Life.  
4. Develop prayerfully a strategy for mission and church growth and aligning it with the Diocesan strategy Fit for Mission.
5. Identify, train, release and support new Christian leaders and teams. 
6. Encourage vocations by identifying the gifts of others and assisting people to seek God’s calling for their lives. 
7. Develop the distinctive ministry of the local Church within the wider context of the Diocese, Deanery and local ecumenical setting by establishing and maintaining good collaborative working relationships with clergy and lay colleagues. 
8. Lead your congregations both to pray for justice in the Church and the world and to recognize how, working with others, your congregations can work for more justice in the Church, your local communities, and the world. 
9. Ensure that safeguarding, financial and other governance disciplines are followed.

We are continuing our work to actively increase the diversity of those working in the diocese and in pursuit of that we are using anonymous shortlisting.