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Diocese of Southwark
Mission Support Officer
Application pack
Closing date 25th September 2015, 12 noon.
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The Diocese of
Southwark
Revd. Canon Dr. Stephen HanceTrinity House
4 Chapel CourtBorough High Street
London SE1 1HD
d 020 7939 9417s 020 7939 9400
www.southwark.anglican.org4th September 2015
Dear Candidate
I am delighted that you have shown an interest in the role of Mission Support Officer.
This information pack provides an outline of the role, the skills and experience that we are looking for, plus some further background to the Diocese.
We believe that the post provides an exciting opportunity as we take forward new approaches to mission, evangelism and church growth. The role is central to the delivery of these strategies; supporting parishes in Mission Action Planning, co-ordinating teams of advisers and facilitators, and researching and sharing available resources. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone to make a real difference to the work of the Diocese, in supporting our parishes and serving the people of South London and East Surrey under God. If this is a role that excites you and you believe that you have the necessary skills, experience and imagination, we would very much like to hear from you
Yours sincerely
The Revd. Canon Dr. Stephen HanceCanon Missioner, Southwark CathedralDirector of Mission and Evangelism, Southwark Diocese
2The Diocese of SouthwarkThe South London Church Fund and Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee (No 236594)Registered Office: Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW. Charity No 249678Company Secretary: Ruth Martin
The Diocese of Southwark
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Mission Support Officer
Location: Trinity House, London Bridge
Hours: 17.5 hours a week (The work pattern for this half-time post is flexible, to be agreed with the successful candidate.)
Accountable to: Canon Missioner
Responsible for: Volunteer facilitators and advisors (potentially a team of 20+ when complete)
Background
The Canon Missioner is a Canon Residentiary post of Southwark Cathedral and Director of Mission and Evangelism within the wider Diocese of Southwark. His wider responsibilities include Mission Action Planning, church planting and Fresh Expressions, teaching and preaching across the Diocese and, more recently, oversight of children and youth work. The Diocese wants to offer the best possible support to parishes in specific areas of parish development and church growth in part through building a team of skilled facilitators and advisors, and this role is key to the delivery of this objective.
Role
To support the Canon Missioner across his ministry including in the effective set-up and running of a team of advisers and champions available to parishes, ensuring that they and their work are supported, promoted and coordinated, with responsibility for the overseeing the work of Mission Action Planning facilitators.
This is a key post in the Mission and Evangelism Department. The post holder will support the team of advisors and champions, acting as their main link with Trinity House and with each other, and provide a first port of call for parishes who are asking for support. S/he will develop clear briefs and job descriptions for the team, and act as ‘resource investigator’ when required.
Main duties and responsibilities
Co-ordination of parish development work
1. As the first port of call for parishes seeking advice or support, develop a broad understanding of the range of areas covered in order to be
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Our Vision
To Serve our Communities, Share our Faith, with great joy and gladness
Be the Church; a people with hearts on fire, loving God, walking with Jesus and led by the Spirit
effective at linking parish requests with suitable advisers or other sources of help.
2. Build, strengthen, and develop, in collaboration with the Canon Missioner, a team of advisers and champions within the Diocese who are willing and able to offer support to parishes in specific areas of parish development and church growth.
3. Maintain and develop clear briefs and a set of up-to-date outline role descriptions for the team.
4. Take specific responsibility for overseeing the work of the Mission Action Planning facilitators.
5. Develop and support effective communication channels between parishes, advisers, and other diocesan staff and maintain accessible up-to-date records of contact details, availability etc.
6. Seek opportunities across the Diocese to publicise and promote the role and work of the team, encouraging parishes both to take up the support on offer and to consider offering support themselves.
7. Work closely with the Canon Missioner and other departmental staff team members.
Secretary of Parish Development and Church Growth Group and Mission Network
8. Convene and plan agenda, in collaboration with Chair of PDCG Group and Mission Network and Canon Missioner, for all meetings of these groups, arranging input and producing resources as required.
9. Take minutes and circulate in a timely manner.
10.Act as research officer for the Group and Network, staying current with relevant research, distilling, reflecting on, and disseminating it to the team.
11.Follow up action points between meetings where necessary to ensure they are being implemented.
Administrative support for Canon Missioner
12.As requested, check and deal with correspondence (email, post, phone), particularly when the Canon Missioner is away from his office, including management of diary.
13.Plan and co-ordinate events, conferences, and meetings as requested.
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14.Undertake other administrative, development or research work as may be required.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
Highly organised with demonstrable administrative and record-keeping skills
A good understanding of and passion for supporting parishes in their mission outreach and church growth
Able to make sound judgements and exercise initiativeEvidence of research and report-writing
Experienced in Outlook Express and Microsoft packages including Word and Excel Effective at networking
Interpersonal skills for building good working relationships
Able to act as a confident and respected diocesan advisor
Desirable
Evidence of supporting committees including minute-taking
Experience of coordinating the work of volunteers
Experience of coordinating mission or children and youth work in a parish setting
An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a practicing Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010
The Diocese of SouthwarkOur Values
Effective Stewardship of resources Collaborative Team WorkingRespect for all Transparent Accountability
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DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK
MISSION SUPPORT OFFICER(17.5 hours)
Outline terms and conditions
Employer
You will be employed by the South London Church Fund and Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance whose registered office is at Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW.
Normal Place of Work
Your normal place of work will be Trinity House.
Salary
The post has the salary range of £31,448 - £36,609 (pro rata) inclusive of London Weighting. You would be entitled to an increment each April (to the maximum of the scale) providing that you have been in post for more than six months and your performance is satisfactory. Appointment is normally at the bottom of the five-point scale.
Probation
The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
Hours of work
This is a half-time post of 17.5 hours a week. There is flexibility regarding how these hours are worked, and this would be the subject of discussion and agreement with the successful candidate. Overtime is not payable, but time off in lieu may be granted for hours in excess of the normal working week.
Holiday Entitlement
You will receive 26 days annual leave per annum (pro rata), increasing to 31 days after 10 years’ service. There is also an entitlement to 2 local and 8 national bank holidays (pro rata). The leave year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
Sick Pay
Sick Pay is paid at full pay and half pay rates dependent on length of service, details of which are contained in the contract of employment. Where the right to Diocesan Sick Pay has not been established or it has been exhausted, then Statutory Sick Pay provisions will apply.
Season Ticket Loan
An interest free season ticket loan is available upon satisfactory completion of the probation period.Pension
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A non-contributory pension will normally be arranged with the Church Workers’ Pension Fund, currently a 15% employer’s contribution.
Working Expenses
Reasonable out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed.
Termination of Employment
During the six-month probationary period a week’s notice is required on either side. Thereafter you will be required to give one month’s notice should you wish to resign and will receive a minimum of one month’s notice.
Equal Opportunities
The Diocese has a strong commitment to equal opportunities and will not discriminate on the grounds of race, nationality, age, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Its employees are expected to abide by the Equal Opportunities Policy which embodies these principles.
Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
Further details would be provided in the contract of employment that would be issued on appointment.
Ineligibility for Election
Employment in this post means that you would be ineligible for election to the General Synod of the Church of England or the Southwark Diocesan Synod.
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Background Information to the Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark serves the southern part of London - the most diverse city in the world - and a significant part of Surrey. It includes most of London south of the River Thames from Surbiton in the west to Thamesmead in the east, and extends south through Croydon to the rural villages of East Surrey and on to Gatwick Airport on the Sussex border.
Southwark is home to many tourist attractions, including the Shard, Tate Modern and the O2, to many major international corporations, including Legal and General, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Legal & General. However, while residents normally commute into the centre of other major-city diocese, in Southwark may commute out – to the City, Westminster and the West End. Tens of thousands commute through Southwark from dioceses as far away as Winchester, passing the Cathedral as they head across London Bridge to the City.
With a population of nearly 2.7 million in an area of 317 square miles Southwark is both the third most populous Diocese in England and also one of the smallest in area, with an average density of 8,574 people per square mile. The Diocese covers 25 Parliamentary Constituencies, 16 London Boroughs, two boroughs in the County of Surrey and part of a third. It includes every type of community: affluent stockbroker belt, massive suburban sprawl, riverside gentrification and some of the most deprived wards in the country. Seeking to worship, serve and bear witness to God’s love in Christ in this dynamic environment presents exciting opportunities and challenges for clergy and laity alike.
The 2011 Census showed that 35% of the population of the Diocese come from ethnic minorities. There are major African and Caribbean communities, as well as significant groups from the Indian sub-continent, Latin America and the Far East. 54 parishes had black or ethnic majority congregations in 2007, an increase of 18% in only five years. While many members of ethnic minority groups are second and third generation and include well-established professional people, many others are recent arrivals, send remittances back home and may be in the Diocese on a relatively short-term basis.
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There is much to be done to ensure that minority ethnic members of our churches are properly represented at all levels of the Diocese.
Many religions other than Christianity have a significant presence in the Diocese, with more than 60 non-Christian places of worship. There is also an enormous range of different Christian groups, and nine of the Boroughs are within the fifty most religiously diverse areas in the country. There is a need to revitalise ecumenical work to ensure that, despite the diversity of groups, we work together effectively to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Outrages such as the murder of Lee Rigby and incidents of gang violence demonstrate the need to demonstrate that proclaimed anti-racist, multi-cultural and equal opportunities policies are being delivered. While the complexity and richness of the mix of ethnic groups, religious faiths, artistic and cultural life can be an opportunity for Christian evangelism and fellowship, it is also a cause for anxiety and a focus for social issues.
The Diocese is also responsible, through its Board of Education, for working with twelve local authorities and other regional and national bodies in overseeing the work of over 100 Church Schools. We have chaplains in eight universities, three colleges of further and higher education, 19 NHS Trusts, hospitals and hospices, and six prisons. Relationships between the church and civic authorities are valued and fostered carefully, and parishes are showing great creativity in participating in community life in the wake of
the financial cutbacks which have had a major impact on voluntary bodies. The Mother’s Union is strong and active, with about 2,000 members in 100 parishes, and has active links with our link Dioceses in Zimbabwe: Matabeleland, Manicaland Central Zimbabwe and Masvingo.
The Diocese of Southwark is known for its strong liberal or radical tradition but also embraces the full range of Anglicanism in churchmanship and theological viewpoint. Disagreements tend to be openly debated. It has the second highest number of women priests in any Church of
England diocese, a significant number of gay and lesbian priests and thirty parishes which have passed one of, or both, resolutions A and B.
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Under Southwark’s Episcopal Area system the Bishop of Southwark is responsible for the whole Diocese, working closely with the Area Bishops of Kingston, Croydon and Woolwich who are each responsible for two archdeaconries. The relatively large number of archdeacons enables them to be in very close contact with their parishes and clergy and can offer detailed advice and support.
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