St Bart’s is a warm, friendly, lively, conservative evangelical church with people at all ages and stages. It is located in the city in an area where many students live. We use a mixture of modern worship songs and traditional hymns led by a music group and one or two lead singers Above all we seek to know Jesus, love each other, and share the gospel, by God’s grace. Our values depict all we would love to be as we do this, and shape our planning for church ministries and activities. We realise we fall short of this much of the time and are very thankful for the Lord’s gracious guidance and forgiveness as we look to put these into practice. Our church vision statement takes growth as its theme.

Growing Individuals - Seeing individuals saved, growing to maturity in Christ and serving as believers

Growing the Church - Seeing the church grow numerically and in its community life where every member is a disciple-making disciple

Growing our impact for Jesus in the World - Seeing the World impacted for Jesus – including the parish, the city, the nation and the wider World

The PCC of St Bart’s has passed the following motion: ‘This PCC requests, on grounds of a range of theological convictions within the congregation and the need to maintain congregational unity, that arrangements be made for it in accordance with the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests.’

Situated at the southernmost tip of the Cotswolds, Bath is a World Heritage City and major tourist attraction. The parish of St Bartholomew stretches from the River Avon on the edge of the city centre into the hilly southern suburb of Oldfield Park and has a resident population of just under 10,000. The local population is made up of a mixture of families, older people, young professionals and a significant number of students. The parish has low levels of deprivation and unemployment compared to the national average.

The number of people regularly attending across the services at St Bart’s is around 350 adults and children. Our largest age groups are children, young adults in their 20-30s and adults in their 60s. Students make up a significant portion of our church family, with senior members (70+) forming around 10% of the congregation.

Sunday morning services take place at two locations at 10:30am; St Bart’s church and Hayesfield Girls’ school. There is one evening service at the church building at 6:30pm. Morning services include refreshments before and after, a warm welcome, often with children's songs and a child-friendly slot. Church family members lead prayers, readings and contribute in other ways. Our services are centred around hearing from God’s word - we work through books of the Bible to discover God’s full redemption story and apply it to our lives today.

Mission is the responsibility of all of us so we strive to equip and encourage each other to do this wherever God has placed us in our personal front lines. Evangelistic groups to support our personal witness are run on a regular basis. Toddler groups, Café church, French Group and International Café are examples of our regular organised outreach.

Many of our mid-week ministries focus on learning from scripture, such as in fellowship groups, student meetings, women’s and men’s ministries, children and youth groups. St Bart’s is the venue for the South West Gospel Partnership whose course runs all day on Thursdays during term time. Loving relationships deepen with time spent together and are a witness to others, so we do our best to provide opportunities for this and for generations to mix and live life as a church family. We do this through regular meals together on Sundays and social events for specific age groups as well as practical help through visiting the vulnerable in our community.

Teaching and training. We wish to maintain St Bart’s commitment to training and its active participation in the South West Gospel Partnership, as well as its ministry and outreach to local and international students.

Evangelism – is a high priority. We need to rediscover what it means to be salt and light every day and hope our new vicar can encourage us in a renewed vision for outreach.

A systematic approach to adult ministry. We praise God for the growth in size of our church family! However, we could do more to equip members to share their faith, to encourage one another and to support one another through spiritual ups and downs. We may need a more structured approach to discipleship and pastoral care.

Guide the future development of our two congregations. We function as two largely separate congregations that are part of one church. We need to consider whether our vision is to become two churches working together, or one church meeting at different times and in different places.

Women in ministry. Although we are led by a man, we wish to see women’s ministry fully developed and it is important that our new vicar has an obvious commitment in this area. This will require pastoral sensitivity and wisdom.

Loves the Lord Jesus Christ and believes that justification is by grace alone through faith alone in him.

Personally dedicated to prayer and the word of God, seeking to grow as a disciple of Jesus, demonstrating the fruit of the Holy Spirit in personal conduct.

Doctrinally orthodox and holds to the church’s historical teaching on human sexuality and that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Has a gift for clear, engaging expository preaching and teaching in an accessible way. Willing and able to both preach from the Bible, and wrestle with and teach on contemporary issues, being faithful to God’s word and showing its relevance to life today.

Is an experienced, energetic and supportive leader, who can make people feel listened to and valued and will relish leading the development of a vision for the next chapter of the church's life.

Is skilled at developing the gifts and abilities of others: guiding and equipping church members for ministry.

Simeon's Trustees, the patron of St Bart's, is a leading and long-standing Church of England patronage trust, with patronage interests in over 150 benefices in 32 dioceses.

For more information about Simeon's see www.simeons.org.uk or contact ann.brown@simeons.org.uk

For more information about the application process and for the contact details for an informal conversation do see the attached Information Letter.

​Closing date for this post is midnight Tuesday 11th April

Visit and Interviews: Tuesday 23rd - Wednesday 24th May