Head of Children and Youth Ministry

 In March 2024, our Diocesan Synod unanimously endorsed a renewed vision and commitment to children and youth ministry to see ‘a growing number of children and young people deeply rooted in Christ and living out their faith in the world in the whole of their lives’​. The Head of Children’s & Youth Ministry will be at the heart of building on all that has gone before and enabling this vision to be achieved across our Diocese.

 Strong Foundations: putting children and young people at the heart of a more Christ-like church

There are multiple strands from the past 5 years which has led to this significant moment in the life our Diocese. The most influential has been our groundbreaking report Disciples Together, endorsed by Synod in 2020 which recognised that it was time for a step change in how we engage with children, young people and families. It named 5 key cultural shifts if this step change was to happen, informed by experience and forged in local practice, prayer and discernment. Disciples Together names discipleship as central to children and youth ministry including the discipleship of those exercising this ministry. It emphasises the equal importance of spiritual experience alongside understanding and knowledge. It affirms the importance of the missional context of the church, school and household.

 To implement this report, we re-shaped and expanded our Diocesan Adviser team. Now called Area Discipleship Enablers and embedded in our Area teams, this has provided a strategic entry into each Archdeaconry and grown relationships of trust across deanery networks and local parishes. This has enabled support to over 265 parishes in the form of parish consultancy, training, assisting CYP minister recruitment, supporting CYP ministers in their parishes and producing resources.

Since 2020, we have seen God at work through our suite of Contemplative Toolkit resources - Space Makers for schools and most recently Space Makers for Families. With engagement from 160 schools, these resources have responded directly to the mental health crisis being experienced by our children and young people and the spiritual practices are bearing fruit across our Diocese with wonderful stories emerging from our churches and schools. The church / school relationship has grown in importance seen by the increase and investment in chaplaincy roles for both secondary and primary age which are often linked with paid parish children’s or youth roles.

The Diocese have been at the forefront of local parishes appointing paid children, family and youth ministers and in 2024 there were 93 full or part time paid CYM ministers. Over the last 5 years our Diocesan Development Fund has invested £2.2m in 86 projects involving children and young people which includes 43 of these current roles receiving funding which represents over 50% of the total funds allocated for growing mission across the Diocese.

Realising the step change needed

In churches across our Diocese, we have seen encouraging signs of creativity, energy and churches seeking opportunities to try new things which has led to renewed connections and evidence of growth.  However, the annual statistics for mission have also revealed the true extent of the challenge we face with a 25% decline since 2019 in the number of children and young people attending our worshipping communities. 30% of our churches week by week have no engagement with children or young people at all and a further 42% are ministering with fewer than 5 children or young people.

In March 2024 our Synod, led by Bishop Steven, committed to the whole diocese embarking on a journey of significant change. Over this past year, our vision has developed further to reflect the scale of the challenge and our sense of call. Over the next 5 years we will seek to double the number of children and young people deeply rooted in Christ, who are living out their faith in the world in and for the whole of their lives.

Over this past year, every deanery has responded to Bishop Steven’s charge to develop a plan to grow their ministry with children and young people over this same period. Alongside this, a Diocesan team have been working on a bid for significant funding from the national Diocesan Investment Programme and these proposals were submitted for the February meeting and we are awaiting the outcome. We are seeking to invest £14.8m across a comprehensive programme of interventions. This includes £8.4m of national investment, with a Diocesan contribution of £4.7m and a parish contribution of £1.7m, in recognition of the cross-diocese approach that is needed and the long-term strategic allocation of diocesan resource.   Together this funding will transform our ability to support and resource this ministry across our Diocese.

 To give you a sense of the scale of our programme, the headline outcomes are:

·      Renewing local vision and practice in 150 parishes by envisioning and resourcing 150 local leaders across the diocese and supporting parishes to implement intentional ministries

·      Increasing confidence and capability in 1,000 volunteers through learning communities, experience-based formation and training

·      Growing 1200 new volunteers to increase local capacity and ensure long-term sustainability of CYP ministry

·      Embedding intentional discipleship across all interventions, completing and strengthening discipleship pathways into young adulthood to ensure whole-life discipleship and nurture a new generation of 250 young adults serving their local parish

·      Strategically investing in the vocation of paid CYP ministry by forming and training 70 existing CYP ministers and enabling 50 new ministers take up their first-time role. 

·      Applying our model for discipleship across four different local contexts, expanding to a further 50 contexts through a strategically targeted Diocesan Fund.

 Leading, forming and growing a new team

Together with the existing highly experienced Discipleship Enablers, we will need a new and enlarged Team to deliver a programme of this size and complexity.

As the new ‘Head of Children and Youth Ministry’ you will have a key role in recruiting to all the new nationally funded roles - the full time Project Manager and Formation & Training Enabler and part time Communications Assistant, Prayer Space Enablers and additional administrator support. 

 Alongside the recruitment in the first year, you will be the task of forming and growing these colleagues into a high functioning team able to deliver the different elements and demands of the programme.

 Part of a wider Team and Department

As a Team Leader, you will join the newly appointed Director of Mission & Ministry along with key colleagues in the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT). This includes the Director of Formation for Ministry, Head of Discipleship & Social Justice and Vocations/DDO Team. They are a high quality, supportive team built on mutual accountability and rooted in our common vision. 

 You will also be part of the largest diocesan department - the Department of Mission & Ministry – which is full of amazingly creative, highly skilled and motivated colleagues all committed to encouraging one another and working collaboratively together.

JOB TITLE: Head of Children’s and Youth Ministry  

GRADE: Band F (£59,700 - £64,293 per annum)

EMPLOYER: Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance  

DEPARTMENT: Mission and Ministry                       

LINE MANAGER: Director of Mission and Ministry  

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Director of Mission and Ministry

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Discipleship Enablers (x3), Formation and Training Enabler, CYP Project Manager, Communications Officer, CYP Project Administrator

LOCATION: Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GF

JOB TERM: 5-year fixed term appointment subject to funding 

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The Diocese of Oxford is the Church of England in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. We are a living, growing network of more than a thousand congregations, chaplaincies and schools, working for the common good in every place in one of the great crossroads of the world. Our Christian vision, ethos and principles underpin all that we do and the work of every member of staff.

 Our Church House and Area Office teams work to support the mission and ministry of our parishes, providing expert advice and support. Together, we are called to become more Christ-like: contemplative, compassionate and courageous for the sake of God’s world. You can find out more about how the diocese is structured and the work of our staff teams at oxford.anglican.org/on-the-money and oxford.anglican.org/annual-review.

 JOB PURPOSE

 To oversee, lead, refine as required and deliver the Diocesan strategy for Children and Young People (CYP) across the whole diocese. This will include leading our aspiration to double the number of children and young people deeply rooted in Christ and living out their faith in the world in the whole of their lives​. To lead the delivery of the £15 million programme funded through the national Diocesan Investment Programme (DiP) (subject to outcome in February 2025) and with team colleagues inspiring and enabling each deanery to achieve plans and priorities for the Children and Youth Programme.

 Principal Accountabilities

   1. Oversee the implementation and successful delivery of all aspects of the Diocesan Investment Programme (DiP) funded programme for children’s and youth ministry. 50%

2.     Oversee and lead Children Youth Ministry (CYM) across the diocese including the strategic oversight of CYM across all deaneries and parishes, the management and motivation of the CYM team and responsibility for the ongoing development and implementation of the Diocesan strategy for children and young people. 40%

3.     To share in the leadership of the Department of Mission and Ministry through proactive engagement in the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), working collaboratively with other colleagues and engaging in their own continuous professional development. 10%

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 1.    Oversee the implementation and successful delivery of all aspects of the Diocesan Investment Programme (DiP) funded programme for children’s and youth ministry.

 ·      Inspire and motivate those in deaneries, parishes and Church House to achieve this substantial project.

·      Ensure understanding of all elements of the proposal and funding requirements.

·      Oversee the project manager in preparing, revising and delivering clear programme plans and ensure the budget remains on track, proactively spotting and ensuring the resolution of issues as they arise.

·      Develop strong relationships of trust with local projects including providing support and accountability processes for local line managers.

·      Oversight of training resources for volunteer and paid CYP workers and for CYP generally across all parishes.

·      Take decisions on grants for training and on whether applications are sufficiently strategically and practically to be considered by the £5m CYP Areas Fund and stimulate applications in the areas of the diocese where greatest impact can be achieved that has the strongest fit to the Fund criteria.

·      Prepare for and report to the CYP Governance Board. 

·      Attend and ensure effective meetings of local governance groups.

·      Work closely with the Project Manager to ensure monitoring and reporting processes are being fulfilled.

·      Liaise with the national Vision & Strategy consultant and produce reports as required.

·      Proactively manage the engagement and communication with key stakeholders, working in partnership with the diocesan communications team.

2.    Oversee and lead Children Youth Ministry (CYM) across the diocese including the strategic oversight of CYM across all deaneries and parishes, the management and motivation of the CYM team and responsibility for the ongoing development and implementation of the Diocesan strategy for children and young people.

 ·      Oversee the implementation, development, and delivery of Diocesan strategy for CYP ministry.

·      Work effectively with Bishops and other members of each area team to provide leadership, motivation, and expertise to them so that they are fully engaged in the delivery of the Diocesan strategy within their own episcopal areas.

·      Encourage CYP to be high profile across all deaneries of the diocese, ensuring through motivation , support and sharing of good practice that we are able to help parishes to achieve a significant and sustained increase in the number and discipleship of CYP

·      Oversee, enable and manage the CYP ministry team of Discipleship Enablers.

·      Actively engage in encouraging and resourcing vocations to CYP ministry.

·      Share in the leadership of the Department of Mission and Ministry through proactive engagement in the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT).

·   Conduct regular supervision, mid-year, and annual reviews with direct reports, ensuring accountability for their performance by setting SMART objectives, monitoring progress, providing expert guidance and offering coaching to achieve strategic and developmental goals.

·    Ensure the provision of training and development opportunities that enhance professional and personal growth while recruiting, managing, motivating and developing direct reports, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration aligned with diocesan values.

3.    To share in the leadership of the Department of Mission and Ministry through proactive engagement in the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), working collaboratively with other colleagues and engaging in their own continuous professional development.

 ·      Fully participate in and contribute to all SLT meetings in a way which supports and enables the work of the department to be as fruitful as possible.

·     With other members of the SLT, discern, lead or contribute to creative processes for effective cross-departmental delivery planning in line with agreed strategies.

·      Collaborate on the planning, direction and development of the departmental work plan.

·      To carry out any other related duties commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the necessary experience and/or training, as agreed by the line manager. 

·      To champion the highest level of safeguarding policy, practice and culture development, adhering to diocesan and national provisions/requirements.

·      To ensure that diocesan work in improving equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), for clergy, staff and volunteers, is integrated into the activities of the team by promoting close collaboration with diocesan EDI advisers and role modelling good practice.

·      Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technical competency areas. 

·    Take a proactive approach to continuous professional and personal development by embracing training and other development opportunities. 

·      Participate in the ODBF performance management processes.  

·      Comply and fully cooperate with ODBF policies including: 

o Health and safety

o Dignity and respect in ministry and at work

o Equality, diversity and inclusion

o GDPR

o Safeguarding

 DIMENSIONS

·    CYP Programme- is a £15m project funded by the national Diocesan Investment Programme (DiP) led by this post. 

·   Relationships – develop and maintain high-quality relationships of trust with key stakeholders at all levels, but particularly with Area Teams, Area Deans, Lay Chairs, and local clergy.  

·   Delivery – as Head of Children’s & Youth Ministry form a high performing team delivering against agreed outcomes to achieve the agreed Diocesan and programme priorities.

PLANNING & ORGANISATION

 The post-holder will:

 ·    With the Project Manager share responsibility for the CYP Governance Board including timely monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the DiP project by supporting the quarterly meetings.

·   in conjunction with others, plan annual work plans in their area of responsibility in line with departmental strategic objectives.

·    Manage multiple priorities and projects anticipating pressure points and projects with competing deadlines.

·    Plan and organise their own work and support 6 direct reports contributing to the smooth running of the Department of Mission and Ministry.

DECISIONS

The post-holder will:

 ·    Have leadership, management and operational responsibility for all aspects of the diocese’s work on Children and Youth Ministry across the whole diocese

·    Management and operational responsibility for the CYP team including budgets and other resources.

·    Take decisions on grants to CYP workers and on whether a parish proposal to the £5m CYP Areas Fund is sufficiently strategic to be considered by the Fund

·    Prioritise their own work across the range of principal accountabilities.

·    Work both on their own initiative and collaboratively.

·    Make time for their own professional and spiritual development.

CONTACT WITH OTHERS

 Internal:

·      Director of Mission and Ministry

·      Head of Discipleship & Social Justice

·      Director of Formation for Ministry

·      Diocesan Secretary

·      Bishops, archdeacons and Heads of Department

·      Committee Members

·      Department of Mission and Ministry colleagues

·      Other colleagues within Church House Oxford

External

·      Area Deans & Lay Chairs

·      CYP Governance Board members, especially the Chair

·      National Church Vision & Strategy Consultant

·      Local TEI (Theological Education Institution) principals e.g. CMS (Church Mission Society), Cuddesdon, St Mellitus, OneLife

·      National networks for the Church of England Head of Children & Youth Ministry

·      Children Youth Ministry Leads

·      Clergy

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS - KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The person appointed will be a committed member of a Church recognised by the National Council of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and in sympathy with the aims and approach of the Church of England. This constitutes a Genuine Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

 You will have the ability to and demonstrable experience of:

 ·    Significant experience in leading and delivering effective children's or youth ministry at a strategic level.

·    Ability and/or experience of successfully leading a major programme with multiple stakeholders.

·    A strong Christian faith with a passion for church life.

·    Highly developed, effective, flexible and collaborative leadership skills.

·    Ability to work creatively and effectively with different theological traditions and approaches within the Anglican church.

·    A sense of call and a passion for working with children and youth volunteers and paid workers and team members – able to inspire.

·    Effective, flexible and collaborative leadership and motivational skills.

·  Engaging, listening and communicating with individuals at every level of the Church and forming and maintaining relationships of trust.

·    Commitment to the development and delivery of strategy in line with organisational vision and culture.

·    Working collaboratively in a team.

·    Writing reports, presentations, managing budgets and resources.

·    Experience of managing others.

·    Proven IT skills, including a thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, MS Teams and ideally Project Management software.

·    Ability to travel across the Diocese of Oxford, which covers a large geographical area, including many rural areas.

GENERAL INFORMATION

 Salary Band: F

Remuneration: Salary scale - £59,700 - £64,293 per annum  

There are four points within the band. Moving to a new point is dependent on the successful achievement of the objectives agreed between you and your Line Manager. Any approved move in incremental points takes effect in September each year.

Hours of work: 37 hours per week with regular agreed hours and days. Your working pattern should be agreed upon with your line manager; however, it is recognised that this role requires the ability to work flexibly, and with that, some evening and weekend work may be required for which time off in lieu may be taken on agreement with your line manager.

Place of work: Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GF

 Holidays: Your annual leave entitlement is broken down as follows:

-     During the first year of your employment with us you are entitled to 25 days’ annual leave per annum.

-     During the second year, up to and including the fifth year of employment, you will be entitled to 1 day of extra annual leave per consecutive year.

-     In the sixth year and thereafter, you will be entitled to 30 days’ annual leave per annum.

 The above annual leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis for part-time employees.

 In addition, you are entitled to the usual United Kingdom public holidays. Furthermore, the Board gives three discretionary holiday days to its employees, namely: Ascension Day, Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve.

Pension Provision: It is a statutory requirement for ODBF to automatically enrol employees into an appropriate Pension scheme of our choice. Our scheme is the Church of England ‘Pension Builder 2014’ (PB 2014). Information can be sought from the Church of England website:

https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/my-membership-april-2024_1.pdf

We operate our auto-enrolment pension scheme as a Pension Salary Exchange (PSE) scheme. This means you will exchange your 5% annual salary pension contributions for additional employer contributions reducing your tax and national insurance payments.

If the postholder is an ordained minister and wishes to remain in the Clergy Pension Scheme, they may request to do so if they are a current member or hold deferred rights, however, agreement to do so will be at the sole discretion of the Board.

Probation period: 6 months, during which time progress is regularly reviewed and the period may be extended.

Notice period: During probation, 1 month and thereafter, 3 months from either side, or the statutory minimum (whichever is greater).

Circumstances: Ability to travel across the Diocese of Oxford, which covers a large geographical area, including many rural areas.

NOTE: The current main duties and responsibilities of this post are outlined in this job description. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. The need for flexibility, shared accountability and team working is required. The post-holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee's skills and abilities, commensurate with the post’s banding and whenever reasonably instructed.

It is the practice of the ODBF to review job descriptions annually to ensure that they relate to the role as then being performed or to incorporate whatever reasonable changes that have occurred over time or are being proposed. This review will be carried out by the line manager in consultation with the post-holder before any changes are implemented. The post-holder is expected to participate fully in such discussions and implementation.

For more information about what it is like to work at Church House Oxford, please visit https://www.oxford.anglican.org/vacancies/

RECRUITMENT TIMETABLE

For further information about the role and to apply, please visit Vacancies - Diocese of Oxford

Closing date for receipt of applications: 9:00am on Monday 10^th March 2025

Interviews will take place in person at Church House Oxford on Tuesday 18^th March 2025

We want the Church of England’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion for all to be reflected in our staff. We are particularly keen to receive applications from UK Minority Ethnic / Global Majority heritage and disabled candidates, who are currently underrepresented.

 The Church of England is committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of everyone within our church community. In the Diocese of Oxford we follow and are committed to the Church of England's House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policies and the relevant statutory legislation and guidance "Working together" to ensure the welfare of children and young people is paramount. This post is subject to an enhanced plus barred lists DBS check.