The Mission Community Leader and Team Rector of the Brampton Team Ministry is a unique opportunity to enjoy a position of significance in one of the most beautiful and historical parts of Cumbria.

Nestled in the area of Hadrians Wall (World Heritage site) the Benefice provides a fantastic community and group of churches. There is a ‘heart’ for churches of all denominations to work together and the role will be to support and galvanise churches into a community dedicated to mission. Alongside this, the Team Rector for Eden, Gelt and Irthing Benefice is centred around the market town of Brampton with lay colleagues and team vicar to support its wider ministry and mission.

This significant role will provide the opportunity to enjoy real job satisfaction in a community with a Benefice of ten parishes and a Mission Community, set in the historical part of the Archdeaconry of Carlisle.

The Benefice area enjoys rural benefits with very good services in the town of Brampton. The location provides easy access to the City of Carlisle and the Cumbrian Lake District. To the east, is the Tyne Valley and City of Newcastle and the Border areas of Southern Scotland are adjacent to the area’s northern boundary. There are very good transport links and leisure attractions for the area with tourism and services in support of its historical locations including, Hadrian’s Wall.

If you would like a discussion about this post or, to know more information, please contact: The Venerable Lee Townend Tel: 07458016925Archdeacon.north@carlislediocese.org.uk

For more information about the role, supporting profiles and job descriptions together with the required application forms please see the Diocese Website, and link below.

Closing Date: 14th January 2019 at 12 noon

Interviews: 14 February 2019

Diocesan website: www.carlislediocese.org.uk/our-diocese/jobs.html

The backdrop to the role is the heart for churches of all denominations seeking to work together. The successful candidate’s role will be to support and galvanise the churches into a community dedicated to mission.

Alongside the Mission Community Leader role, will be the Team Rector role for Eden, Gelt and Irthing, with its focus on the market town of Brampton and three of its parishes; the Benefice has lay colleagues and a team vicar in support of the wider Benefice Team Ministry group.

The Mission Community area will comprise the Benefice of the Eden, Gelt and Irthing Team and the Benefice of Lanercost with Walton, Gilsland and Nether Denton. The area follows the ‘Roman Wall’ from Gilsland in the east, through Walton (north of Brampton), and over to Crosby-on-Eden in the west. It further extends south of Brampton down the fellside to Cumrew parish. This a large and varied compliment of parishes and communities within an important historical area.

The Brampton Mission Community Leader role will help maintain and, of most importance, grow the Christian family and bring God for All to the Community. Currently, the Brampton Mission Community is in fledgling form and the role of the Mission Community Leader will be to support clergy and congregations in establishing, launching and then commissioning the Brampton Mission Community

The role of Team Rector and Brampton Mission Community Leader will include the following responsibilities:

• Team Rector in the Eden, Gelt & Irthing Team Ministry, with direct responsibility for a market town church and three smaller rural churches;
• Brampton Mission Community Leader;
• Exercising significant influence on mission within the Mission Community and the establishment of the Mission Community in the first instance

As Team Rector, the role will be responsible for the Eden, Gelt and Irthing Ministry and, will also be expected to undertake both ministerial and Benefice governance and oversight as a whole.

The Brampton Mission Community Leader will work with the leaders and congregations from individual churches and other groups representing the ecumenical churches to help maintain and, of most importance, grow the Christian family and bring God for All to the Community.

For more information about this application process, please see the Diocese Website.

This post, Team Rector and Mission Community Leader in the prospective Mission Community is to combine our benefice with the benefice of Lanercost with Walton, Nether Denton and Gilsland in one missional community.

The Mission Community aspect has a specific role profile and person profile however, many of the gifts, aptitudes and qualities which are needed for the Mission Community Leader are the same ones as are needed for the role of Team Rector. An effective Mission Community Leader will be of benefit to all the parishes of the benefice.

As Team Rector, we seek the following qualities:

• Life and ministry are born out of deep prayerfulness, and who is committed to the disciplines of a weekly day off, regular prayer, retreat and study.
• A commitment to outreach and mission which are born of personal experience of the transformational power of the Gospel.
• Good management and organisational skills, and can manage change, and prioritise and delegate appropriately.
• Is a ‘team player’ who can balance collaboration with leadership at every level – someone who both listens and leads, helping us to discern together a vision for God’s purposes in our common life.
• Able to encourage lay ministry, inspiring others to discover, explore and use their God-given gifts, fostering a culture of every-member ministry.
• A ‘people person’ who can relate authentically, compassionately and purposefully with all kinds and ages of people both within church and in the wider community.
• Good communicator in both formal and informal situations, who can minister and preach with integrity and,
• Understanding across the spectrum of church communities and parishes, who ‘gets’ the variety of worship styles and contexts that are found locally.
• Committed to working ecumenically as appropriate.

As Mission Community Leader we seek the skills to achieve the following:

• Encourage the spiritual life of churches and Christians within the Mission Community.
• The Mission Community to be organised and overseen effectively.
• Leadership to inspire a team to develop and implement a shared vision for the ministry, worship, mission and outreach of the mission community and oversee the team’s work to realise that vision.
• Mentor the members of the Mission Community Leadership Team as a team and individually to help them use their gifts effectively.
• A personal focus on mission and outreach and ensure that the Mission Community team and family have clear agreed objectives.
• Establish local support groups for people inquiring about the Christian Faith and growing as Christians.
• Discern the gifts and vocations of community members for roles in ministry, mission and outreach and participate in their training and support.
• Encourage and facilitate good relationships within the Mission Community.

Urgent and ongoing matters are dealt with in a timely manner in the Mission Community.

For more information about this application process, please use this link

The Eden, Gelt and Irthing Team Ministry was formed in 2001, and named after the three rivers which flow through the parishes. Our ten parishes lie within the Brampton Deanery in the north-east of the Diocese. The parishes are centred on the market town of Brampton where the Team Rector will live. We are bounded by the Pennines to the east and the Scottish Borders to the north, and the benefice offers a range of very good local amenities.

The Mission Community area (will comprise the Benefice of the Eden, Gelt and Irthing Team and the Benefice of Lanercost with Walton, Gilsland and Nether Denton. The area runs along the Roman Wall from Gilsland in the east, through Walton (north of Brampton), and over to Crosby-on-Eden in the west. It extends south of Brampton down the fellside to Cumrew parish.

We can offer:

• Experienced and dedicated people at every level who are committed to the life of the local church.
• Friendly church communities who will welcome and support.
• Support Rector and family in achieving a work life balance.
• A pleasant and comfortable rectory which previous incumbents have loved living in. And life in a truly beautiful part of the country.
• Existing organisation structures which have the potential to be built on in a future Mission Community, such the Team Council, or more practically, the Green Door Centre.
• Good ecumenical relationships already in place.
• Openness to the future God is calling us into together. Openness to re-examine our priorities and practices.

The Rectory is located in the centre of the market town of Brampton. It is a detached period property set in a secluded and pleasant garden and has good parking facilities within a two-minute walk from the Church. The ground floor has an entrance hall, three reception rooms, a kitchen, a utility room and there are five bedrooms on the upper floor.

We believe that we are a friendly church community and are prepared to share laughter and tears, fun and fellowship as we try to do God’s work. If we have managed to increase your interest in this post to the point of making an application, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Links to Carlisle Diocese Website:Full details are available on the diocesan website www.carlislediocese.org.uk/our-diocese/jobs.html