Earley is a thriving and diverse community close to the University of Reading. You would be supported by a strong and capable PCC, Lay Ministry team and many able lay people. We are an active church catering for a wide range of parishioners and providing a broad range of activities.

Closing date for Applications: Sunday 19th March 2023

Interviews: Wednesday 26th April 2023

All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check.

A Message from Reading Deanery

Reading Deanery is very excited about the opportunity to welcome the next Vicar of Earley St Peter’s. The parish plays an important role in the life of our deanery, and this vacancy is a fantastic opportunity to recruit someone with energy and passion for parish ministry. Working with a strong team of lay leaders, this role will suit someone who is passionate about building community through strong relationships and helping the local church to be at the heart of their local community. The single ‘campus’ of church, hall and church school, provides a really strong base from which to minister with and to this community. The tradition of the church, in the centre ground of the Church of England, will suit someone who is energised by liturgy and choral music and wants to see it at the heart of their ministry. I have been very encouraged by the church’s commitment to children and young people’s ministry, which over the last few years has resulted in a change to the profile of the congregation. I completely endorse their desire for this important ministry to continue. The new vicar will want to continue this work and bring fresh vision and energy to a church that is in good heart and wants to continue to grow. This is an exciting role for someone who wants to flourish in urban ministry, in a diverse setting with a church sensing God’s call to engage more and more with the context in which they find themselves.

Reverend Mike Smith, Area Dean

Mission and Outreach

• Continue efforts to bring the Gospel into our local community
• Work with the head teacher of our church school to continue to develop the positive relationship between the church and the school
• Equip the people of the church to be more visible in the local community, for example by engaging with the University of Reading, schools and community organisations in an effort to position our church campus as a hub for the community
• Develop a strategy to enable church members to approach and welcome newcomers to the parish
• Commitment to the support of our mission partners in Peru and Tanzania

Leadership and working collaboratively

• Work with the people of St Peter’s to review and update the 2017 Mission Action Plan in order to provide clear direction to the mission of Earley St Peter’s over the next 5 years, in line with the strategic direction of the diocese
• Enable and develop the ministry of all members of the church, including empowering and managing the volunteer team; sharing leadership generously
• Liaise with local churches and work build relationships, especially through membership of Churches Together in Earley and East Reading (CTEER), and also with local leaders of other faiths

Worship and preaching

• Deliver inspired preaching that connects with the daily lives of the people of St Peter’s, to help and motivate them on their spiritual journey
• Aim to attract more people of all ages to the church by taking a lead in re-evaluating worship patterns and considering additional possibilities for different styles of worship
• Find ways to facilitate further learning during the week following on from Sunday teaching and enabling this to be embedded in the weekly life of the church (e.g. home groups)

Pastoral Care

• Refresh ideas and build on successes during the Covid pandemic to further develop the existing network in order to deliver comprehensive pastoral care to all
• Help the church to plan the provision of practical pastoral care for those going through crises and/or life-changing events, and where appropriate, signposting to relevant support
• Review and build on the follow up of contacts from occasional offices, working collaboratively with church members to develop a team for this purpose

Stewardship and benefice organisation

• Encourage fresh ideas and use them to develop a vision and strategy for and commitment to stewardship and (new ways of) giving

We will look to our new vicar to continue to develop our vision of an outward-looking church for all, moving forward together with Christ.

This means:

• leading mature and thoughtful all-age worship

• preaching in a way which clearly connects the Gospel with people’s daily lives

• engaging with and providing pastoral support to people of all ages and backgrounds

• identifying and helping us respond to opportunities for mission

• empowering and managing the volunteer team, sharing leadership generously

In addition we are looking for someone who will:

• cherish the liturgical and musical tradition of St Peter’s and also work creatively to develop additional forms of worship

• work closely with the Church School, doing regular assemblies and sitting on the Governing Body

• build links with individuals and community organisations whose involvement with the Church is limited

• organise resources effectively to meet a large number of demands All of this should be underpinned by a strong personal faith, a deep prayer life and a passion for learning and development.