We are seeking a House for Duty Priest (to work alongside the incumbent of Living Brook & St Mary’s Northampton) with particular responsibility for the churches at Piddington & Quinton and their surrounding villages.

• To lead worship and provide pastoral care in the villages
• To be a visible presence in these welcoming communities
• To be thoroughly involved in the life of Hackleton CEVA Primary School
• To lead the PCCs at Piddington & Quinton
• To work happily alongside the Incumbent who will be focused on the two other churches

If you are interested in this post and would like a conversation with the Archdeacon of Northampton, it would be great to hear from you.

As we look for and encourage clergy to join the diocese we are committed to providing them with good and well maintained housing, a decent stipend and appropriate training and support. In turn, we look for certain commitments:

• to share with the Bishop in the cure of souls, and to work strategically for growth in numbers among the worshipping community
• to teach Christian discipleship including the principles of giving
• to take seriously the pastoral and missional opportunities of occasional offices, aiming for good working relationships with funeral directors and others
• to enable the full participation of children and young people in the whole life of the church, and to develop mission among the younger generations
• to be involved in both church and other local schools as far as possible, actively seeking opportunities for mission and preferably offering a chaplaincy role and leading collective worship rather than chairing the governing body
• to be involved in deanery and diocesan activities and in the life of their local community
• to promote and enable lay ministry in both church and community
• to take part in our ministry review process, consisting of a three-year rolling programme: a pastoral visit by me to your home, a formal review by a member of my senior team, and a review of training needs
• to engage with the continuing ministerial development programme offered by the diocese and in personal study, nurturing your own spirituality
• to hold a current DBS certificate, to undergo safeguarding training as required by the bishop, and to follow and promote the diocesan safeguarding policy.

This is a house for duty post, working two days per week plus Sundays. Although working within a team as an assistant, the priest will be the primary leader for the parishes of Piddington and Quinton.

You will have had significant experience in church-based ministry, preferably in a rural setting, although if this is not the case a willingness to adapt is key, as the rural context of these two parishes shapes our communities, churches and worship life.

You will be willing to work with the vicar and lay team members, but also to be a clear leader within the parishes, identifiable as the person that the churches and parishioners can turn to for pastoral and spiritual care and guidance, for vision and leadership.

You will

• be committed to a life of prayer and renewing yourself through regular time with God: daily, and in retreats and quiet days, and taking enough r+r to ensure that you are fresh for God’s work,
• understand the needs and challenges of rural churches and the diversity of the wider group of parishes, and apply your insight to your ministry,
• lead worship, teach and preach accessibly, and enable lay members to take their place in leadership in worship,
• work collaboratively as a member of the benefice ministry team, and with parish teams, and seek and grow new leaders and ministers within the parishes,
• be very visible in the villages, visit those needing pastoral care and encourage and oversee lay volunteers,
• offer occasional offices, working alongside benefice colleagues where appropriate,
• engage with the church school, including delivering assemblies, and other events organised by the schools' team, and attending school events,
• chair the two PCCs and APCMs,
• encourage and action fresh vision appropriate to the local villages, so that the church might grow across all age groups,
• encourage and help us grow a fresh expression of church,
• take part in community events, raising the profile of the church, and develop the ecumenical relationship with the Baptist church.