Discipleship Pastor (Plants & Locations)

Discipleship Pastor (Plants & Locations)

Location: 

Hybrid

Responsible to:

Associate Pastor

Key Objectives:

The ordained Discipleship Pastor (Plants & Locations) has spiritual & pastoral oversight over our discipleship through communities and other intentional strategies and initiatives. They will form a proactive strategy to ensure that the congregation across locations is assimilated, discipled and developed into leadership and the way of Jesus. They will outwork key areas of the vision to be ‘light for the city & beyond’ by ensuring people are seen & known, and work under the Exec leadership team to implement the vision and values for the church as a whole as a clergy member. They will support development of leaders for Gas Street Church locations, along with leaders for future plants, revitalisations and missional activity. 

Key areas of responsibility:

Discipleship

• Implementing and maintaining the vision & values of Gas Street Church through a proactive discipleship strategy outworked across locations, church plants, and ministires, alongside the Location Pastor (GS St Luke’s)
• Identifying and preparing volunteer leaders and team members to plant churches, and ensuring the locations are in a strong place in order to send people to plant
• To lead and serve GS Communities (mid-week groups) across Gas Street locations;
• identifying & investing in leaders
• collating the content & ensuring a correct balance across the year
• connecting people into local communities
• identify coaches and ensuring they are investing in leaders
• ensuring groups are running effectively to meet the pastoral, relational, and discipling needs of the church
• Oversee, organise and pioneer leadership development within Gas Street Church, including identifying and investing in young and diverse leaders, and developing resources and training to raise up leaders on a large scale across locations and church plants
• Responsible for unearthing talents and gifts within the church and finding ways to encourage, release and develop untapped potential; and structures to release this across plants & locations
• Contribute towards missional evangelism opportunities, including prioritising & overseeing the strategy for local Alpha courses across locations each term - ensuring Location Pastors, other clergy & group leaders are equipped & trained
• Line manage the Student Pastor, along with other key ministry & clergy roles
• Line manage the International Community Leads, support where necessary and work towards greater integration of the Farsi-speakers in our congregations (and others when required)
• Co-chair the Imago Dei Consultation Group and associated work to ensure continued growth in racial and ethnic diversity and justice
• Liaise with leaders of other smaller ministries and equip them as required (such as Young Adult, Bridge the Gap etc.), ensuring they tie in to the overall strategy & approach
• Hold the Formation Department budget for GS Central

Clergy

• Hosting Sunday gatherings and occasional preaching, as well as being a consistent presence at Gas Street Central (including Gathering Pastor for the morning gatherings)
• Being a part of the Gas Street clergy team, and holding centralised areas of responsibility across locations, including responding to queries and taking weddings, baptisms & funerals as needed. 
• Adhering and upholding our safeguarding culture, policy and values
• Sitting on the St Luke’s PCC
• Active engagement with Deanery Chapter and other diocesan meetings
• Contributing towards the Consult group to help discern next steps for Gas Street Church 
• Ad-hoc projects and input into other priorities as a church where required

Person Specification

• Personal walk with Jesus underpinning a lifestyle of integrity – a mature Christian leader
• Loves the Lord, his people and those who don’t yet know him, who has a passionate concern for those who find themselves on the edge or in need
• Ability to listen to God and obedient to what He says
• A team player and enjoys working collaboratively, creatively and flexibly with others
• Someone who is excited by working in a diverse inner-city environment and loves engaging with people from a range of cultures
• Someone who has a heart to bring God’s love and transforming power to the people of Birmingham and to make disciples of them
• Grounded in prayer and shaped by God’s word
• Someone who has experienced God’s transforming power in their own life and is secure in who they are in Jesus
• Excellent interpersonal skills, collaborative in approach
• Previous experience of leadership and strategic thinking and decision making
• Strong communication, preaching and teaching skills
• High capacity to manage and lead growing areas of ministry
• Resilient and able to work in a high paced organisation
• Able to work within Gas Street structures; and a desire to work in a wider team of clergy and lay staff members with significant responsibility
• Capacity to lead in their own right, alongside a willingness to serve under the Gas Street leadership team
• Excellent leadership and management skills
• Highly motivated and able to take initiative
• Competent in computer/IT skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
• An open heart and a ‘can do’ attitude
• An ability to juggle a broad range of responsibilities
• Excellent time management skills with proven ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to work well under pressure, cope with frequent change and meet deadlines
• Strong organisational skills 
• A ‘people person’, approachable and sensitive to others, whatever their background;
• Willing to lead and encourage others;
• Ability to accept challenges, take risks, make mistakes and learn – and help us to do the same;
• An evangelical who is experienced in the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy as described in the Canons, the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the clergy and other relevant legislation
• This role will also require an enhanced DBS check

It is common practice amongst GS Clergy to work 5 days per week and take 25 days Annual Leave (+three additional days at Christmas, and three Retreat Days) - this can be discussed further at interview.

Please note this role is initially funded for 4 years through national DIP funding; with the view for continued funding from the parish to enable this to be a permanent position.