West Derby deanery is currently made up of 13 small parishes. West Derby Fit for Mission will see most of these parishes combined into a ‘Single Larger Parish’ called ‘Christ our Hope Liverpool’. Individual churches and worshipping communities will still exist, but the majority of the governance and administration will be shared across the larger parish. This will free clergy and laity to focus on the missional work of the church. There will be space for creativity and collaboration; as a Vicar in this new Team Ministry you will play an important role in shaping this future.

Croxteth and Norris Green are outer urban estates around 5 miles from Liverpool city centre (to which they are joined by excellent bus links). They are heavily populated residential areas, with a mix of accomodation built mainly in the 1920s-1950s. This is an Urban Priority Area, with all that implies, but is also a place with a strong community spirit and a fairly settled population.

This role will have particular pastoral charge for The Good Shepherd church, which describes itself as an ‘open minded traditional church’. The Good Shepherd is currently incorporating some of the congregation of St Christopher’s church, which is exploring closure, and part of the role will likely involve working to integrate those two congregations, as well as developing new leaders and working with them to plant new worshipping communities. For the last 20 years these two churches have been working together informally alongside Christ Church (which will also be joining the new Christ Our Hope parish); together they established the Triple C charity in 2007. The Vicar of the Good Shepherd will be actively involved in the charity as a lead trustee.

Closing Date: Sunday 3rd December 2023

Interview Date: Tuesday 9th January 2024

For more information please contact: The Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Archdeacon of Liverpool

Phone: 0151 705 2159 / 07565 521309 or email: miranda.threlfall-holmes@liverpool.anglican.org

• Establish good working relationships in the new team, working well in partnership with the Team Rector and other lay and ordained colleagues
• Lead the Church of the Good Shepherd, working with the congregations to shape a new vision, enable change and grow new and existing worshipping communities
• Developing new leaders and planting, with lay and ordained colleagues, new worshipping communities across the whole of the new Christ Our Hope parish
• Commit to the development of Triple C, taking an active role as a trustee

Our ideal candidate will be:

• Committed to the ministry of the whole people of God, and to the Fit For Mission way of collaborative working for growth
• Able to demonstrate deep listening to God, Scripture, the community and church to help shape plans
• Committed to the Five Guiding Principles of the House of Bishops of the Church of England. This is a parish which values the ministry of women.
• Willing to work across a range of church styles within the broad Church of England tradition
• Able to work effectively and flourish in a team setting
• Open hearted and welcoming to all Collaborative and consultative
• Able to demonstrate a clear and evidenced sense of call to urban ministry, motivated by the Gospel for the poor
• Able to stimulate, challenge and open eyes to local mission opportunities and be able to encourage and lead implementation
• A people-person with a strong pastoral instinct who will be active in the local community

Being part of the Clergy Team in Liverpool Diocese

For many years we have been working to achieve growth in our diocese. We have used different ways to express this but the aim and direction of travel has remained the same – consistent with the whole of the Church of England. We have articulated a vision for this growth by saying

we are asking God for a bigger church so that we can make a bigger difference:

more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world.

In our diocesan vision we have identified four priority areas for our work in mission in this season:

Introducing people to God through Jesus Christ

Deepening discipleship, especially by means of our Rule of Life

Developing Christian leaders in every place

Working for justice

Like everyone entering a new role in the Diocese, you will accept the priority of these areas, and will measure your ministry by effectiveness in these areas. You will be supported and expected to be accountable (through the Ministerial Development Review as well as through regular meetings with your colleagues) for how they are being implemented within your area of responsibility.

In common with all clergy in the diocese, you will work together with others to:-

1. Establish a culture of invitation in evangelism within the local church.
2. Start new worshipping communities and maintain existing healthy worshipping communities that are accessible to all.
3. Establish a culture in the local church of expecting a deepening of discipleship and putting into practice the 6 disciplines of the Diocesan Rule of Life.
4. Develop prayerfully a strategy for mission and church growth and aligning it with the Diocesan strategy Fit for Mission.
5. Identify, train, release and support new Christian leaders and teams.
6. Encourage vocations by identifying the gifts of others and assisting people to seek God’s calling for their lives.
7. Develop the distinctive ministry of the local Church within the wider context of the Diocese, Deanery and local ecumenical setting by establishing and maintaining good collaborative working relationships with clergy and lay colleagues.
8. Lead your congregations both to pray for justice in the Church and the world and to recognize how, working with others, your congregations can work for more justice in the Church, your local communities, and the world.
9. Ensure that safeguarding, financial and other governance disciplines are followed.