Annex 12 – Serving Christ

JOB DESCRIPTION FOR:
Learning Mentor - Resourcing the Vision
Location: / Diocesan Offices, Coventry, with travelling across Coventry and Warwickshire, and occasionally nationallyas required.
Salary: / £15,225(£30,450 pro rata) Lay or ordained. No accommodation provided.
Hours: / 17.5 hours per week.

Background to Role

The Diocese of Coventry has a commitment to developing healthy churches in fulfilment of its Mission Purpose of Worshipping God, Making New Disciples and Transforming Communities. We seek to achieve this through the application of 8 ‘Essential Qualities’ (8EQs) of healthy churches based on research by Christian Schwarz of Natural Church Development (NCD). Further details can be found at

The Diocese was awarded a grant from the Church Commissioners’ Strategic Development Fund in June 2015 for our ‘Acceler8’ project. This was to enhance our existing capacity to mentor the integration of these 8EQs across the whole Diocese by the addition of two part-time paid mentors, and additionally to apply these 8EQs strategically into the 20s-30s age range in churches across the Diocese by the appointment of paid 20s-30s Development Leaders.

We have a well-established and effective survey based process alongside a long-term mentoring strategy to assist leaders and churchesin fulfilling the 8EQs across the range of size, background and traditions in the Diocese (including Ebbsfleet parishes). Over 70% of parishes in the Diocese are now voluntarily engaged in the process.

We have now been awarded further funding in July 2017 (‘Serving Christ’). This funding is todevelop our strategic approach by supportingchurches in equipping and empowering Christian disciples in the qualitative delivery of these key aspects of a church’s growth: leadership; use of people’s gifts; spiritual passion; worship; small group development; serving the disadvantaged, evangelism and exploration of Christian faith courses; relationships; and structures which encourage health and growth. This will add significant impetus to existing growth rates and provide replicable models, as one condition of this funding is to share our learning with the wider Church of England.

Strategically, we will be focusing attention in the first instance on those churches which, from their NCD survey results, seem to be in the best position for growth. We are particularly prioritising churches in the 70-100 size to see whether growth can occur with the development and training of disciples and without the need for additional paid staff in those churches (which are often situated in disadvantaged areas).

We are clear that practical training needs to be accompanied by the development of Christian character and spirituality, especially since Passionate Spirituality is the weakest quality in most of our churches as identified by our NCD surveys.

We are therefore supporting clergy and congregations by increasing the capacity of the Diocesan Training Partnership and Healthy Churches Development team by the creation of 5 full-time EQ ‘Learning Mentors’ who will focus on the training needs of disciples in relation to the practical delivery of the 8EQs in churches in the top quartile for potential growth, especially churches of 70-100 members.

These 5 full-time EQ Learning Mentors will each have a broad understanding of the whole 8EQ approach, being aware of the interrelationship of all 8EQs with each other, but will organise delivery of training in relation to specific 8EQs as follows:

  • Empowering Leadership and Gift-based Ministry. Helping develop processes within local churches for leadership development and identifying people’s gifts so that disciples can flourish. This will include training clergy to empower and train disciples.
  • Passionate Spirituality and Inspiring Worship. Raising the spiritual temperature in disciples and in worship across the Diocese.
  • Holistic Small Groups and Loving Relationships. Developing small group life, training small group leaders, and enabling churches to become welcoming and hospitable communities. This post will include a Reconciliation brief in helping local churches, schools and communities become better trained and equipped as reconcilers. This post will have a close working relationship with the Cathedral.
  • Need-oriented Outreach/Evangelism. We already have a full-time post working on the Transforming Communities aspect of this quality, so this post will focus on processes for invitation events, evangelism, and exploration of Christian faith courses (eg training on Alpha, Christianity Explored, Emmaus, Pilgrim, START).
  • Functional Structures. This post will prioritise organising training in the structural aspects of church life and growth (e.g. helping PCCs think more strategically, training of Churchwardens and Parish Treasurers and communicating to churches some of the structural dynamics necessary for growing through ‘glass ceilings’).

In addition to these posts we have created a half time Learning Mentor - Resourcing the Visionpost which will assist the long-term sustainability of this project and parishes by helping parishes align vision with resources effectively.

The post-holder will be an employee of Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance.

Role Profile:

The role of the Learning Mentor (Resourcing the Vision) will be to develop the integration of the 8EQs into the long-term life of the diocese by training disciples in churches to align vision and resources, with a focus on mentoring and training in how to improve their regular stewardship and funding streams. The role will offer a clear and compelling vision for Christian giving, promoting a culture of generosity, and offer resources to support churches in the development of Christian stewardship. It will provide finance and fund-raising guidance and support to a range of people at parish level.

This will include the 5 standard Learning Mentor methods of delivery mentioned in the ‘Main Activities and Responsibilities’ section, appropriately applied. It will also include an emphasis on training disciples in the 20s-30s age range.

Key Relationships:

  • Line-managed by, and accountable to, the Discipleship and Mission Development Team Leader, working closely with the Director of Finance.
  • Archdeacon Missioner, Diocesan Director of Finance, Healthy Churches Development Mentors, NCD mentors, 20s-30s Development Team, Diocesan Training Partnership, other Learning Mentors of the Diocese of Coventry, and the DAC and Church Buildings Team.
  • Parishes and church communities in the Diocese of Coventry – urban and rural.

Main Activities and Responsibilities:

  • To play a key role in the implementation of Diocesan strategy,especially in the delivery of training in relation to the 8EQs of healthy churches (focusing particularly on stewardship and resourcing),so that they continue to bewoven into the DNA of disciples in parishes. Initially, this will be with prioritised parishes.
  • Building on research from adult education and learning styles, as well as experience gained from our existing training and mentoring projects in the Diocese (including Acceler8) this role will be expected to use an appropriate combination of the 5 standard delivery methods for Learning Mentors:
  • Mentoring personally, and identifying and training teams of volunteer ‘Learning Mentors’ with specialisms who can accompany disciples (including clergy where appropriate) in a mentoring capacity.
  • Developing and mentoring Learning Communities covering similar skill sets.
  • Networking and Signposting to existing resources (including identifying good quality home-grown parish, Deanery and DBE based courses and other material in and beyond the Diocese).
  • Courses delivered locally.
  • Contributing material to a purpose built, easily accessed, electronic portal system (The ‘EQuip’ Hub).
  • To ensure that clergy and all disciplesin the Diocese of Coventry recognise the vital importance of aligning vision and stewardship, in the health and growth of their churches.
  • To prepare parishes for the implementation of the national Parish Giving Scheme.
  • Many of the approaches to finance, stewardship, giving etc.will need to be gently challenged and changed in order to facilitate growth. Areas of development could include:
  • Ensuring that churches have a vision which is captivating and worth financially giving to!
  • Promoting a greater understanding of the principles of Christian giving leading to further growth of a culture of generosity.
  • Gathering and making accessible for churches a range of effective and appropriate approaches, systems, courses, resources, and processes which help cultivate and energise a culture of generosity.
  • Innovation in approaches to stewardship/giving.
  • Practical training courses for existing or potential Vicars and PCCs on aligning vision with strategy.
  • Helping churches to identifying disciples with a particular gift of giving, working with the Learning Mentor (Gift-oriented Ministry) as appropriate.
  • Signposting to and development of easily accessible resources for stewardship and giving.

•Mentoring and training in preaching on stewardship

•Training and supporting PCC officers, particularly Treasurers, in developing PCC budgets that are mission focused and aimed at growing the Church.

•Encouraging and advising on financial management as a skill (understandingbudgets, capital/revenue and cash flow management).

•Assisting in the ongoing promotion of the Parish Buying Scheme to PCCs.

•Giving financial and fundraising advice to parishes maximising the potentialfor support for parish projects from the third sector, Trusts, Lottery Fund andother public/private sector sources of funding.

•Providing regular updates for parishes, and especially treasurers, onstewardship and financial management matters.

•Encourage and supporting regular teaching on Christian giving as part of discipleship providing clergy and laity with advice and appropriate resources including stewardship campaigns, preaching resources, promotional material, magazine articles, annual renewal reviews etc.

•Promote the use of Gift Aid and the Listed Places of Worship Grant (VAT refund)Scheme ensuring that parishes are kept informed of changes.

•Promotinglegacy policies and the development of legacy income for parishes and the Diocese.

  • To identify training needs across the diocese for stewardship/giving especially in prioritised parishes, and also gained from Diocese-wide evaluation of NCD survey results and of parish financial health gained from parish finance returns and other knowledge, and to work with the DTP, Healthy Churches Team and other Learning Mentors, in meeting those needs.
  • Supporting the Director of Finance in developing and implementing the Deanery and Parish Share system.
  • To be a point of reference for parish stewardship and resourcing queries.
  • To ensure all training and resources are accessible by people in the 20s-30s age range.
  • To work closely with all members of the Diocesan Staff, especially the Diocesan Training Partnership, the Healthy Churches Team, the 20s-30s Team and the Diocesan Director of Finance.
  • To ensure accurate records and statistics are kept with the intention of proving, with statistically robust evidence, that investing in discipleship development using the 8EQ approach leads to greater health and growth in churches.

Monitoring and Evaluation

  • TheLearning Mentor (Resourcing the Vision) will participate in reviews of progress every 6 months and an annual review.

I

Person Specification
Attributes /
Essential /
Desirable / Means of Assessment
Application Form (AF), Interview (I), Test (T)
  • Passionate about and with a positive track record in equipping God’s people in their discipleship, including with the 20s-30s age range.

  • Experience of financial management within a growing church context.

  • Passionate about helping disciples develop in their personal giving and stewardship, and seeing churches achieve financial targets which enable growth, with a track record in developing a variety of courses, resources, systems and processes which enable this to happen effectively.

  • Be experienced in church or voluntary sector fundraising, ideally including a track record of enabling increased giving in a local church setting and familiarity with Gift Aid.

  • Experience in recruiting, motivating and training volunteers.

  • Be able to plan strategically, implement plans, motivate others and manage change.

  • Be competent and confident at interpreting statistical information on giving and attendance data, backed up with solid financial acumen.

  • An ability to train disciples creatively at a wide range of academic levels and abilities, but particularly those with little formal educational achievement.

  • Coaching and mentoring skills.

  • An ability to win the respect of people from diverse backgrounds.

  • Excellent presentation skills and the development of excellent resources. (You will be asked to provide actual examples as part of the application process).

  • Self-motivated and with the ability to work on own initiative, as well as collegially as part of a team.

  • Good time management skills.

  • IT literate and with good administrative skills and experience.

  • The ability to relate Christian faith to contemporary culture and society.

  • A commitment to live out the 8 Essential Qualities and to train others to live them out too.

  • Willingness and ability to travel throughout Coventry and Warwickshire, and nationally when required.

f you have a disability or long term illness that otherwise prevents you from meeting any of these criteria, please contact us to discuss whether a reasonable adjustment can be made.

The Learning Mentors will be mentoring Christian leaders and churches in the application of 8 Essential Qualities,in a Christian context, which include Inspiring Worship and Passionate Spirituality. It is therefore an Occupational Requirement (Schedule 9 part 1 of the Equality Act 2010) of this post to have a committed Christian faith.

The post holder will need to prove that they have the right to work permanently in the United Kingdom.

For more information please see

or contact the Project Champion, the Archdeacon Missioner, The Venerable Morris Rodham, on (07506 731892), the Principal of the Diocesan Training Partnership the Reverend Canon Richard Cooke on (07952 544820), the Healthy Church Development Mentor, the ReverendTim Mitchell on (07496 821460), or the Director of Finance, David Oglethorpe, on (02476 521308)

Please send completed application forms to:

Email:

or

Post: Ryan Finnegan, Cathedral & Diocesan Offices, 1 Hill Top, Coventry CV1 5AB.

Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post.

The deadline for applications is noon, 1st September 2017

Interviews will be held during the week of 18th-22nd September.

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