The Woodfield Team of Churches
Serving the communities of Measham, Donisthorpe,
Normanton-le-Heath, Packington, Appleby Magna,
Snarestone, Swepstone and Norton-juxta-Twycross
in the Diocese of Leicester
Full Time Children’s Worker
The Woodfield Team is seeking to appoint a Children’s Worker with responsibility for:
Making Jesus known to children and their families in our communities.
Providing opportunities for children and their families to make contact with their local
church.
Engaging those children and their families in worship either in church or in a new Fresh
Expression of church.
Developing church members to take an active part in children’s work and build their skills.
Some of the 55 children who attended enjoying February’s Ready, Steady, Stick sessions
The Woodfield Team is a group of eight churches in North West Leicestershire. Our
Parishes cover a mixed area of economically deprived, post-industrial communities plus
widespread rural villages. Our passion is to reach out to our communities to help bring
people together for fellowship and to hear the message of the Good News of Jesus, within
the love God has for them. As a Team we currently run a number of out-reach activities
which offer the opportunity for children and families to meet each other and ‘church’.
We run ‘Ready, Steady, Stick’ – a fun outreach afternoon for primary school age children
and their carers, six times a year.
We have open door access to six primary schools where Clergy lead assemblies, and a
group of volunteers ‘Open The Book’, acting out Bible stories for the children.
We run two Mums and Babes/Toddler groups and
We have a number of Sunday Club and All Age Services across the churches.
The Woodfield Team has obtained funding for a Full Time Children’s Worker. This is a new
and exciting initiative offering the opportunity for the right person to minister in an
evangelistic setting, using their skills, expertise and enthusiasm to build on and develop
work with children and their families across the Team. You will work across the churches,
leading some children’s activities, co-ordinating others, developing volunteers in their skills
in working with children, and looking for out-reach opportunities with local families,
schools, and communities.
Job Title:
Employed by:
Salary:
Children’s Worker
St John the Evangelist PCC, Donisthorpe, for The Woodfield Team
£19,500-£22,000 per annum depending on experience, plus pension
scheme contribution
Hours:
Full time – 40 hours per week over six days (including training,
supervision and administration time)
Hours will include Sundays and some evenings.
Period of Contract: Three year fixed term contract
Accountable to:
Rev Vivien Elphick, Team Rector
Work Base:
Planning and preparation may be carried out at home. Ministry will be
in various bases across the Team.
Time Off in Lieu:
TOIL and flexitime to be arranged, in advance, with local manager.
Holidays:
Five weeks per year plus Bank Holidays.
Notice period:
Six weeks
Probationary period:3 months
The Children’s Worker will:
Build on and develop current and new initiatives in the churches across the Team, in local
schools and in the community, increasing the opportunities for Christian interaction with
children and their families.
Key Tasks:
• Planning (with church volunteers), organising, advertising and leading ‘Ready, Steady,
Stick’ (RRS), on a minimum of six occasions per year.
• Building links with baptism families and other family contacts through RSS
• Developing adult attendees at RSS to join in with the delivery of the sessions.
• Finding and developing new opportunities for engaging with children and their
parents, especially those who have little or no contact with church, with a view to
establishing a Fresh Expression of church.
• Deepening existing links with the primary schools across the parishes e.g. in helping
with collective worship (assemblies), leading some R.E. lessons and taking forward
requests from some of our schools for Christian clubs/afterschool clubs.
• Supporting Mums and Babes groups at Measham and Appleby Churches.
• Offering support, encouragement and training to church members already involved
in children’s activities, developing their skills and confidence to enable sustainability
for the future.
• Acting as a resource and advice point for church members running other children’s
activities including Sunday Clubs, All Age services, Mothers and Babe’s groups, etc.
• Preparing and lead Collective Worship in schools and All-age Worship in churches
• Applying appropriate policies e.g. child safeguarding/health and safety
• Networking, as appropriate, with other Christians working in the area
• Publicising events, as required
Responsible to
Rev Vivien Elphick, Team Rector
Working in conjunction with
Rev Vivien Elphick Team Rector, Rev Sue Bradley Team Vicar, the wider Ministry Team of
the Woodfield Team, Church Wardens and volunteers
Skills and Qualities
The successful applicant will have the following qualities:
• Be a committed, practising Christian, who is able to share and teach the Christian faith
with children of different ages, and with their carers.
• Have a missional heart for children and their families from all backgrounds.
• Be able to work independently with energy, passion, motivation, innovation and
creativity.
• Have good interpersonal and communication skills, in both small and large groups, in
the church and wider settings.
• Be a team leader and worker - able to build, inspire, train, encourage and sustain
teams of volunteers; and also to enjoy working closely and collaboratively as a team
member.
• Have good organisational and administrative skills – able to think and plan clearly,
make well thought-through decisions, and manage time and available resources
efficiently.
Experience required
• Experience of working with children of different ages, and their families in a faith
context (this could be as a volunteer)
• A formal children’s work qualification is welcome, but not essential.
• Experience of leading volunteers, and of leading and working in teams.
There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder is a practising Christian in
accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
The role is conditional upon the holder having an enhanced DBS check and being entitled to
work in the UK.
The role is conditional upon medical ‘fitness for role’ confirmation by your GP.
Working requirements:
• Full time – 40 hours per week over six days (including training, supervision and
administration time) Hours will include Sundays and some evenings.
• Attendance at Team meetings and events, at PCC and APCM meetings as required
• To submit regular written reports on progress in children’s work across the Team
• To attend appropriate staff development and training sessions
• The ability to arrange own transport. Preferably access to a taxed, roadworthy car or
motorbike, with MOT and insurance for home and business use.
Please complete the application form and return to Rev Vivien Elphick by May 2nd 2017
either online or by post.
Rev’d Vivien Elphick, Team Rector
The Vicarage, High Street,
Measham, DE12 7HZ
Email: [email protected]
Ph 01530 270354