Student Worker (and Pastoral Trainee)
Eden Baptist Church
Funded by a charitable trust grant and from our own Friends of Eden fund, this role will work under the Assistant Pastor and make Eden's student ministry as faithful, vibrant and effective as it can be under God, and train for future pastoral ministry. It is a 'pre-theological college' position.
Ministry
- Direct student ministry
- Plan and deliver Eden's student ministry.
- Recruitment, training and support of student 1-2-1 senior partners and student Bible study group leaders.
- Coordinate Eden's welcome to new students
- Connect students with senior partners and home from home families• Direct discipleship of Eden students (1-2-1s with male students and small groups).
- Support student evangelism at Eden and in university CUs.
- Lead and manage the weekly termtime 'Theology Breakfast' seminar series.
Project management
- Coordinate delivery of one-off events during the academic year, especially Departure Nano (end of term celebration and teaching day for all students) and Departure (student house party), as well as social events (e.g. the Christmas party), in consultation with Assistant Pastor and alongside the Church Apprentices.
- Coordinate the design and delivery of Eden's student publicity.• Responsible for public face of student ministry including management of student email bulletins, website and social media.
- Maintain the Friends of Eden database (our student alumni supporters).
- Coordinate the production and distribution of a termly Friends of Eden newsletter.
Teaching ministry
- Theology Breakfast seminars, Student Supper talks, and Christian Union events as invited.
- Service preaching and leading - we aim to develop you in this significantly over time.
- Ad-hoc opportunities in church life e.g. Equip (congregational training seminars)Wider ministry involvement
- Assist with non-student ministries outside term time, as agreed by the Pastors (e.g. youth and children's work, evangelistic outreaches)
- Speak at Cambridge Inter-Collegiate CU and Anglia Ruskin CU events on an ad-hoc basis.
- Serve as a College Christian Union Guest during CU Mission, as required.
- Involvement at one summer camp (e.g. Gatton CPAS Venture) and/or mission trip will be encouraged and funded, up to agreed limits.
- Network with the various Christian student societies and local para-church organisations that work with students.
Role Details: Supervision, development and training
- Weekly line management meetings with the Assistant Pastor.
- Termly pastoral meetings with the Senior Pastor.
- Opportunities for appropriate training and development for future ministry, both internally and externally. This may include conferences, courses and distance learning.
Pathway
We envisage the following pathway:
- Initial appointment for a probationary year full-time;
- Assessment towards the end of this year. If performance and fit are satisfactory, appointment for a further three years full-time. Beyond this four-year period, we are happy to consider providing assistance through our ministry training fund to enable theological study for future ministry.
Required Skills
Person Description
Recognising that we are all on a journey of sanctification and growth into maturity, the successful candidate will be a man of conviction, character, competencies and experience.
Conviction
- A committed believer in the Lord Jesus Christ
- Committed in belief and lifestyle to Eden's distinctives as expressed in our constitution
- Supportive of UCCF vision and values
Character
- Servant-hearted
- Team player
- Flexible - the role may develop to suit and stretch the person and Eden's changing needs
- Personable - enjoys meeting new people from different nationalities & backgrounds
- Teachable
- Motivated by the gospel
- Competencies
- Ability to handle Scripture
- Good at problem solving
- Reliable attention to detail
- Administrative and organisational competence
- Able to finish as well as start tasks
- Proven leadership qualities
Experiences
- Some experience of student discipleship (individually & in small groups)
- Some leadership experience
- Some experience of preaching & leading seminars
The successful candidate will also demonstrate potential for growth: with the gifting, potential and desire to be prepared for future pastoral ministry.
This is a role designed for someone who is on a journey towards such ministry.
There is a Genuine Occupational Requirement for the successful candidate to:
- be a Christian who is in agreement with our articles of faith ('A Firm Foundation'), and our ethos, including the FIEC policies on marriage and women in ministry: https://fiec.org.uk/who-we-are/beliefs
- be able to become a member of the church, which is conditional on believers' baptism; and
- to be male because of the requirements of our job description, including one-to-one ministry with male students and preaching in church services.
We are very happy to arrange a chat with a current staff member, or indeed with the current Student Worker, if you would like.
Apply for this job
If you're interested in this job please get in touch.
Email Joanne at:
[email protected]
This job has been listed by an FIEC Church. We are a family of more than 600 independent local churches with a heart to see the gospel of Jesus making a difference through our nation.
Find out more about FIEC and how you can get involved.