This is a key role in achieving our vision to be a bigger church making a bigger difference. As the post holder, you will be responsible for providing efficient and precise administration support to the Fit for Mission St Helens team. Your main focus will be the Navigation Team, who you will be a part of, to achieve a smooth transition to a single larger parish.

The Diocese of Liverpool is asking God for a bigger church to make a bigger difference so that there are more people knowing Jesus, and for more justice in the world. Fit for Mission is an ambitious project, funded by the Church Commissioners, that will change the way we organise ourselves at parish level, and the way we prioritise our time and resources for mission, pastoral care and governance. This will mean greater collaboration across larger areas, and more effective use of our buildings. St Helens is one of two deaneries pioneering this change programme over the next two years. In this role you will join a small team (lay and ordained), to help the local team navigate the transition to a single larger parish.

We are looking for an experienced, capable and enthusiastic administrator who will provide the very best support to the deanery and those within it. You will report to the team leads.

You will be committed to the diocesan vision, and work in a flexible, positive and supportive manner, upholding the Diocesan values of working collaboratively, respectfully, professionally and dynamically.

You will work well independently and as part of a wider team to achieve the best results. You will be a great team player who can recognise the wider needs of the organisation and strategic vision. You will be encouraged to bring your own creative and fresh perspectives to ensure the best possible ways of working and solutions.

You will be approachable and reliable with the ability to use your own initiative.

In terms of qualities, you will be someone who:

• is positive about their work, inquisitive and creative
• is methodical, thorough, and resilient, with an ability to remain calm under pressure
• is an excellent communicator with the ability to quickly build rapport with a group of people in navigating a new process
• acts with patience, tact and sensitivity
• isn’t afraid to ask
• is servant-hearted, always looking for the best team results
• likes things to be clear and organised
• is accountable and can deliver on time and to a high standard is flexible, adaptable and responsive to change

What we offer:

• A varied role with support to learn and to put your broad range of communication skills in to practice
• 25 days annual leave pro-rata and up to 3 days off between Christmas and New Year
• Employee Assistance Programme giving you 24-hour access to support for your health and wellbeing

Diversity and inclusion are very important to us at Liverpool Diocese and we want everyone to be themselves at work with a culture that includes everyone. Our policies ensure that every candidate and employee are treated fairly and with equal opportunities.

About the Diocese of Liverpool

The Diocese of Liverpool is the Church of England in a corner of the north west with churches from Southport to Widnes; Wigan to Warrington and throughout the city of Liverpool all working their hardest to fulfil our vision of asking God for a bigger church making a bigger difference with more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world.

As we work towards that vision we have four priorities

1. Introducing people to Jesus
2. Deepening discipleship
3. Developing Christian leaders
4. Working for justice

About Fit for Mission

The Diocese of Liverpool is embarking on Fit for Mission, a six-year strategic transformation programme to support our vision of asking God for a bigger church to make a bigger difference. The goal of Fit for Mission is to enable all parishes, church plants, fresh expressions, schools and chaplaincies to fulfil God’s mission and to make new disciples where they are.

The Fit for Mission programme will provide focus and support to work together to face the significant issues that hold back mission and growth.

Fit for Mission will support each deanery in the Diocese of Liverpool to create their own future. There are six elements to this, and for each of them the programme will make available help and specialist resource.

1. A focus on developing our discipleship culture through training and support, including delivering ‘Cultivate’, a successful Local Missional Leadership programme. Resulting in hundreds of newly planted worship communities and justice initiatives.
2. Creating core support-services in deaneries to support and resource your mission
3. Creating missional leadership teams of lay and ordained people over larger areas with responsibility for specific mission and worship communities.
4. Developing agreed mutual support and accountability structures for all leaders.
5. Work towards each deanery having one or two Larger Parishes. Fewer parishes, but more worshipping communities and more justice initiatives. Less bureaucracy, more mission. With a local strategic approach, more diversity of worship will be possible.
6. Making sure buildings are fit for purpose, with buildings expertise available to assist in making good decisions on use, investment, or closure.

Earth Justice is integral to Fit for Mission, being high on the priorities of young people, as well as a mandate set out by national synod. The Diocese of Liverpool has a strategy that sets out how we propose to meet our carbon net zero targets by 2030. This reinforces our objective to be a sustainable flourishing church equipped for the future.

For more information on Fit for Mission go to www.liverpool.anglican.org/fitformission