Vacancy for a Pastoral Assistant, Hillsborough Parish
Hillsborough Parish seeks a Pastoral Assistant
Aim: To help care for parishioners in a way which reflects the love of Christ and so encourages them to grow more like Him.
Hours: 15 hours per week.
Main duties
To conduct follow–up visits to visitors/new members and help consolidate their church membership. To help build relations with individual fringe young families and, from time to time, organize special events for this group. To share in hospital and home visitation of ill parishioners. To organize a freezer–ministry to support those parishioners who are ill or going through a challenging time. To plan and deliver a regular programme of Bible teaching for young Mums.
Note: Routine visiting of the house–bound will be undertaken by a team of 24 lay visitors under the direction of the Lay Reader and is not included in the duties of this post.
Other information
The person appointed will serve a probationary period of 3 months and subject to a successful review of performance, will be confirmed in post for a 3 year period. The post is for 15 hours per week with a hourly rate of £10.30 and the post–holder will be entitled to public holidays and annual holidays on a pro rata basis. Reporting directly to the Rector in relation to overall matters and policy, the post–holder will serve as part of a pastoral ministry team which also includes an Associate Minister (p/t) and a Lay Reader (p/t). The post–holder will meet with the Rector in relation to professional matters and with an agreed female member of the parish for prayer and personal & spiritual reflection.
Essential Criteria
The person appointed must be a committed Christian in sympathy with the Biblical ethos of Hillsborough Parish Church and whose personal life reflects the Lordship of Christ. The person appointed must have excellent inter–personal skills which enable him/her to build meaningful relationships with people from a range of backgrounds. The person appointed must be able to work in a team and co–operate with volunteers drawn from a range of ages. The person appointed must have Bible teaching ability and a passion for communicating the Christian faith in a manner which is faithful and also relevant to young Mums. The person appointed must have a proven track record of service (paid OR voluntary) in their local church OR with the community. The person appointed will have a pastoral concern for individuals and families and want to help see them thrive both spiritually and relationally. The person appointed will have personal initiative, organizational skills, be reliable and able to cope with set–backs.
Application
Anyone wishing to apply should forward their CV; an outline of how (or at which points) they meet the essential criteria; along with the names of two referees (one of who must be the minister of their church).
Those applicants who are short–listed will be interviewed by a three–person panel in July and it is hoped the person can begin duties in September.
The person appointed will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure check by Access NI before beginning duties with young people.
Further details about Hillsborough Parish can be obtained from its website or directly from the Rector.
All applications must be emailed to the Rector, Bryan Follis, at b.a.follis@hotmail.co.uk by Wednesday 2 July at 6.00 pm.
Note: Consistent with Fair Employment legislation, the criteria stated in para 1 of Essential Criteria is necessary given that this is a post where the essential nature of the job requires it to be done by a person holding these particular beliefs.