Community Youth and Children’s Worker

Job Description

We are a growing church having extended our parish boundaries last year. Our parish consists of 3 housing estates in North Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: Gleneagles, Redwell Farm and Glenvale Park. Glenvale Park is a new housing estate with currently around 1,000 houses occupied. When fully built there will be 3,500 houses. This will double the size of the original parish providing significant missional opportunities.

As a church our vision is ‘connecting – with Jesus, with each other, with the wider community’. We gather ourselves around this vision by focussing on 3 key priorities, one of which is under 18s ministry, so much so that we are now in a position to appoint a part time children’s and youth worker, for an initial 3 year period. This is an excellent opportunity to grow and shape ministry in partnership with existing lay leaders.

This leadership position will suit someone who loves children and young people, who is excited about being in the community of the wider parish as well as part of the church, who enjoys creating new missional opportunities, who is excited about drawing new people to Jesus and helping them grow as His disciples (alongside those who are already part of the church), who has an understanding that children and young people need to be an important part of the church, and who has the passion and vision to shape this.

We are looking for someone who can connect with children and young people of all ages and stages of faith. This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert with everyone from toddlers to sixth-formers, but we are looking for someone who is flexible and willing to learn new skills.

We are a single parish church and try to be as present as much as possible in all 3 housing estates. The role will consist of leading some already well-established weekly activities alongside space to imagine some fresh ideas. At festival times we run numerous community events which the postholder will be significantly involved in/lead. We have very good relationships with our two primary schools (one of which is a Church of England school). Continuing this, alongside developing fresh initiatives for bringing children and their families into the church, is a key part of this role.

It will be important for children and young people to feel safe and comfortable within church, to explore their faith and be encouraged to consider how the modern world, and faith in Jesus, interact as they grow on a journey of discipleship in a way that engages with them and their life.

You will be a practising Christian, experienced in working with children and young people and ideally a proven record of developing and delivering projects and activities to encourage greater integration of under 18s (and their families) into the church family.

JOB PROFILE
Job Title	Community Children’s & Youth Worker
Reports to	Vicar
Location	North Wellingborough Anglican Church, Glenvale Church of England School
Travel required	Mostly within the 3 housing estates of the parish
Work hours	25 hrs/wk, 44.8 wks/yr, for 3 years Flexible, includes Sundays and some festival times of year (particularly Christmas week, Holy week & summer) The post receives 4.8 wks (120 hrs) paid annual leave which must be taken in the school holidays
DBS check required	Yes. This post is subject to Peterborough Diocese’s safer recruiting procedures
Date written	June 2025

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

In partnership with the Vicar (& PCC), to provide strategic vision and direction for ministry with children and young people.
To oversee, support, recruit and lead teams of volunteers.
To continue developing and growing our engagement with children, young people and families in the parish by leading the established groups and activities but also pioneering new initiatives with missional imagination, creating new disciples.
To support and encourage under 18s as they follow Jesus in a fun and safe environment.
To encourage our under 18s to play a full part in the life of the church.
To work both within the wider community as well as within the church.
To engage with schools and network with relevant organisations.
This role has both a hands-on element, (doing ministry), but you will also be required to inspire and equip others for ministry (training others, advocating for under 18s ministry and keeping high on the church agenda are some examples).
To manage the allocated budget.

ESSENTIAL & DESIRABLE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential:

A Committed Christian and willing to become a committed part of North Wellingborough Anglican Church.
Experience in working with children and young people and a desire to develop faith among under 18s.
Excellent communication skills.
Experience in leading teams of volunteers.
Good organisational and administration skills, including proficiency using technology/software/social media.
Self-motivated.
Experience of strategic/visionary planning.
Keen to learn and grow.

Desirable:

A qualification in children’s/youth work/theology (there may be an opportunity for training as part of this post).
Experience of running church/community events at festival times of year.
A sense of fun and good humour.
A track record of working in partnership outside of the church.
Experience of working in primary schools.
Confidence in public speaking (school assemblies, etc).

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Your working patterns will be shaped by the existing groups, events and activities, alongside any new initiative you and your teams decide to develop. You will need to manage your own time but under the support and supervision of the Vicar/Clergy. (You will initially work alongside the clergy enabling you time to understand the context, to pray and to learn the details of the role before taking full responsibility.)

There is currently no particular work base as we do not have our own church building. Our Sunday morning worship runs at Glenvale Church of England School but we try to use all of the available community spaces around the parish for missional activities. We have recently secured a small parish office at Glenvale School and it may be available for some of your own private preparation.

We aim for the working environment to be a place of encouragement, value and love where there is freedom to be who we are in Christ, a place of facilitation where we find support, solutions and assistance where possible. You will seek to enable this approach to be the reality of all of the team and volunteers who will be working with you.

KEY TERMS

Part time – 25 hours per week including Sundays, 44.8 weeks of the year. Some flexibility will be needed. You will need to be available school term time & some evenings. (See below for current activities).
This is a 3 year fixed contract. It is possible your hours could increase to 30 hours per week if funding permits and the post holder wishes for this to happen.
All staff take Fridays as their day off.
The hours allow for a small amount of time in the school holidays when you will need to be available to lead/co-lead key events which include Christmas services, Holy Week, Easter and summer community days.
You must be able to travel between the various venues used within the parish, be able to drive and have access to a car (and be able to carry the relevant equipment you will need in your role). Travel expenses will be reimbursed for travel within the parish.
There will be an allocated ministry budget.
This post holder will have 4.8 weeks (120 hrs) holiday which must be taken in the school holidays.
Salary: £15,680/yr, (equivalent to £29,120 full time) (plus pension contributions.
The post requires a satisfactory, enhanced DBS check, references and completion of the diocesan safeguarding training, with a commitment to ongoing training.
There is a genuine occupational requirement for the post holder to be a Christian and to become part of North Wellingborough Anglican Church.

We currently:

Have around 33 under 16s who regularly come on Sunday mornings though the average attendance is 16. This is constantly growing. We are in contact with many more through our midweek groups and seasonal events.
Have both a discipleship stream (Sunday mornings) and an outreach stream for each age group (midweek).
Have two primary schools, one is a community school and the other is a Church of England School (the venue we use for Sunday morning worship). We are involved in assemblies, collective worship, school governorship, running small group well-being groups, parent/School Head group, being present at new parent intake evenings, summer and Christmas fayres, etc.
Festival times of year: Community events and services throughout advent, Christmas week, Holy Week, Easter and Summer Community Days, as well as supporting Glenvale Park community initiatives.

CURRENT REGULAR UNDER 18s ACTIVITIES
	MORNING	AFTERNOON	EVENING
MONDAY	Toddlers at Glenvale care home
TUESDAY		1)Wellbeing Group at Glenvale C of E School 2)Assemblies at Redwell School (monthly)
WEDNESDAY		After school ’Summer Drink Stop’ at Glenvale Play Park
THURSDAY	Collective worship Glenvale C of E School	Wellbeing Group at Redwell School	Ignite Children’s (outreach) Group at Redwell School
FRIDAY	STAFF	DAY	OFF
SATURDAY
SUNDAY	1^st Sunday – Café service All other services have groups for under 16s		Connect youth (fortnightly)