Could God be calling you to serve as our new Pioneer Priest?

The parishes of Stainton with Hemlington, Hilton and Brookfield are situated on the southern outskirts of Middlesbrough. Following significant development and growth in our communities, we are looking for a Pioneer Priest to help us see Jesus transform lives.

There are some wonderful opportunities in the Benefice and we are hoping our new Pioneer Priest will work with the incumbent to make Jesus known, with a particular focus on reaching families and young people in areas of new housing in Brookfield and Stainton.

The Plurality is newly engaged in Revitalise - a 2 year Diocesan programme seeking explicit growth - so this is a particularly exciting time in the life of the parishes.

This post is a fixed term post of 3 years initially with the possibility of an extension for a further 3 years.

For an informal chat please contact:

The Revd Laura Wild | rev.laura.wild@gmail.com | 01642 598 621

Archdeacon of Cleveland, The Venerable Dr Amanda Bloor | adcl@yorkdiocese.org | 01642 706 095

Bishop of Whitby, The Rt Revd Paul Ferguson | bishopofwhitby@yorkdiocese.org | 01642 593 273

Closing Date: 09:00am Thursday 23rd November 2023

Interviews: Thursday 7th December 2023

• To work alongside the Vicar, with a particular focus on reaching those people of all ages for whom traditional models of church have not proved accessible, especially within the areas of new housing in Brookfield and Stainton. This may involve building a new worshipping community.
• To be supportive of parish activities and more traditional models of church.
• To build and maintain good relationships with local schools, young people, community organisations (including Together Middlesbrough and Cleveland) and other Christian and social groups.
• To be closely involved in community events and in ongoing ecumenical work.
• To attend PCC meetings in order to share news and report progress.
• To build links with Multiply ministers within the Diocese in order to facilitate mutual learning and support.
• To engage with Deanery planning as we become a people who are 'Living Christ's Story.'
• To work with the youth and outreach worker (to be appointed) who will have a focus on the areas of significant deprivation within Hemlington.

We are praying our Pioneer Priest will:

• Have a heart for reaching people who have little or no contact with the church or who do not identify with its ethos as they perceive it.
• Be passionate about growing communities of followers of Christ.
• Build relationships between the pioneer ministry and the existing life and mission of the parishes, sharing news and utilising the giftings of the laity.
• Be instrumental in working to make the Diocesan vision of Living Christ's Story become a reality.
• Be an identifiable presence in the communities, particularly in Stainton and Brookfield, making themselves known to those who move newly into the area.
• Is excited about the future prospects of the work to which God calls us.
• Be energised by seeing an awareness of Christ's love freshly awakened in people and who delights in being part of their journey of faith.

The Diocese of York, led and guided by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, takes in much of North and East Yorkshire. As the largest diocese in England, geographically, the area is very diverse, featuring a multitude of needs and opportunities. This includes the bustling urban centres of York, Hull and Middlesbrough, the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park, and the incomparable Yorkshire Coast; as well as areas of deprivation in some of our urban and smaller rural and coastal communities.

Our mission and ministry relies on thousands of people - lay and ordained, volunteer and paid. Our diocesan teams provide a wide range of support services to our mission and ministry, including lifelong learning for ministry, the care of church buildings, and safeguarding. Together, we are striving to be a people who are ‘Living Christ’s Story’. We want to be a simpler, bolder, humbler church which in its diversity reflects the communities it serves. We are bringing renewed focus and fresh energy to achieving our aims:

• Becoming more like Christ

• Reaching those we currently don't

• Growing in discipleship, influence and numbers