We are seeking a visionary, pioneering priest to lead this church which serves the communities of Norris Green and Croxteth in North West Liverpool. This highly deprived community has a strong sense of community identity. The church has a strong record of community involvement, being a founder member of the Triple C charity which supports local regeneration. The area has a range of amenities, shops and good connections to the city centre. Croxteth Country Park borders the parish. You will have use of a 4 bedroom vicarage

Supported by a Self Supporting Minister, Lay Reader, Reader Emeritus and many volunteers you will be serving an open minded, traditional church comfortable with exploring other forms of worship.

You will be called to lead the church in a new vision and strategy for mission, being asked to encourage and empower others and make the most of the missional opportunities of baptism, weddings and funerals and the local people who see the Good Shepherd as their church.

Closing date: 10th November 2019
Interviews: 27 November 2019

Originally constructed as a church for labourers on Lord Sefton’s Croxteth estate, the Good Shepherd has stood in a strong location on the boundary between Norris Green and Croxteth. Recognising its position the church has adapted to become a flexible space with a well-used community hall as well as a comfortable worship space.

The congregation describe themselves as an open minded traditional church with worship based around Common Worship. They are not afraid to try new ideas and have enjoyed greater informality over recent years. They are seeking someone who can lead worship to help the community encounter God.

The church works in strong partnerships with other churches and denominations. They are a founder member of the community charity Triple C www.triplecliverpool.couk and support the St Andrew’s Community Network mainly through their Foodbank. This partnership working gives them a good platform for growth.

The parish contains two Catholic secondary schools which the church links with but they have no primary schools in the parish boundaries. As an urban priority area they face many challenges and the housing type reflects a real mix of type. However there are plenty of local amenities and the church is on the edge of the scenic Croxteth Country Park. The area is within easy reach of Liverpool City Centre and a great base to explore the North West, North Wales and beyond.

The parish is looking for a priest who will:

• collaboratively develop a vision and strategy for mission
• maximise the missional opportunities of occasional offices
• review and strengthen governance
• help reach out to young families and young people in the community
• develop an initiative to review the time, treasure and talent commitments to build an even firmer financial foundation for mission and ministry
• encourage, inspire, equip and release people into ministry and leadership.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• a commitment to maintaining the theologically open tradition
• an ability to lead the church in mission
• a desire to embrace the vision of the Diocesan Bishop
• an ability to lead change
• an ability to guide, support and encourage others on their faith journey
• a warm welcoming approach with a strong sense of humour.

For more information about this application process, please use this link

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. When Bishop Paul was installed he adopted our growth agenda refreshing it by saying ‘we are asking God for a bigger church so we can make a bigger difference; more people knowing Jesus more justice in the world’ this is how we express our mission. This makes us an exciting, challenging and rewarding place to be. We are innovative, seeking new ways to further God’s mission while respecting cherished traditions. We value our priests and all those working to build a bigger church making a bigger difference offering a high level of accountability with a low level of control. We are committed to equal opportunities and look forward to welcome all to our diocese.