Job Spec: Lay Missioner-Evangelist for City of London Parish St Andrew
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City Deanery Job Spec: Lay Missioner-Evangelist for City of London Parish St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Prepared by: The Rev. Guy Treweek Wednesday, 29 May 2013 St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Corner of Queen Victoria Street & St Andrew’s Hill, London EC4V 5DE T 020 7248 7546 [email protected] ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE Executive Summary St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe wishes to appoint a Lay Missioner-Evangelist to reach out to a large midweek working community. Context To properly understand where this submission fits in achieving St Andrew’s wider strategic aims, it is important that this application be read together with our overarching strategy document, A Growing Vision: Towards a Mission Action Plan (attached). Term Three years. Lay Missioner-Evangelist Job Spec 1 ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE Supporting Detail Background St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is a parish church in the City of London. It encompasses the area to the south of St Paul’s Cathedral and north of the river Thames. Two underground & mainline stations are in the parish (Blackfriars & City Thameslink) giving massive throughput of City workers (c. 25 million entries & exits in a year). This is expected to increase yet further as Crossrail comes online. The parish contains the northern end of the Millennium Bridge, which is now the largest entry point into the City (overtaking St Paul’s underground station). In the north of the parish, the Carter Lane / Ludgate Hill area is seeing considerable development as a “go to” destination for night-time socialising, with new bars, restaurants and a five-star hotel. Rev. Guy Treweek has been Priest-in-Charge since September 2011 following a long fallow period and hollowing-out of a largely gathered congregation. Much work has already been done to improve the administrative and financial situation, and the (small) PCC is supportive of new plans to reach out to the surrounding community -- the vast majority of whom are non-residents working in the area. Guy is half-time in the parish & half-time in the parish directly to the east, St James Garlickhythe. The current PCC, whilst faithful supporters, are unable to actively support the new vision due to physical distance and frailty. They have held the parish up over a difficult last few years but recognise that a new chapter is needed. As is more fully outlined in A Growing Vision, and following intentional discussions over a number of months, a charity (“Suited & Booted”), which works to help the long-term unemployed back into work, has recently moved into the church. Ample synergistic opportunities are materializing as a result. Furthermore, St Andrew’s is also in the early stages of a partnership with two church entities in the East End -- St Peter’s Bethnal Green (“SPBG”) and the Contextual Theology Centre (“CTC”). Lay Missioner-Evangelist Job Spec 2 ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE The overarching vision of this joint venture is to share the relative strengths and opportunities of our very different, yet nearby, parishes; supporting and enriching each other in our common mission. In the past the City has been much more active in sharing its bounty in areas like the East End. Together we seek to reclaim this. The first project scheduled is the establishment & marketing of a City collection hub for the Hackney Foodbank. Other likely joint projects have been identified and are being developed further. These include: • outreach to the City night-time economy, especially those on low/minimum wages such as cleaners, restaurant porters & security staff. CTC’s contacts with TELCO (London Citizens) may provide an effective entry point for this work; • a social enterprise bike repair business and coffee stall; and • a Financial Advice clinic (enhanced debt counselling). We expect all of these projects to assist St Andrew’s in building relationships with City businesses, workers & residents who we would not otherwise come into contact with, as well as serve the practical needs of others needing help. The envisaged Missioner-Evangelist would develop these relationships yet further. Inheritance St Andrew’s benefits from a good-sized church building, which is under-used and with capacity for alteration should there be demonstrated need. The parish has two disused churchyards nearby, currently used by office workers at break time. These provide excellent opportunities for outdoor mission activities. St Andrew’s and its sister church, St James Garlickhythe, have deep-rooted relationships with over a dozen City Livery Companies and the Corporation of London. It is in an excellent position to access this donor-base/funding once momentum is gathered. History The parish’s history in the 18th & 19th centuries was intimately involved with mission. Rev. William Romaine, described by Bishop J C Ryle as one of the four most important evangelicals of Lay Missioner-Evangelist Job Spec 3 ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE the 18th century, was Rector between 1766~1795. Ryle described his ministry like this: “Man after man, and family after family, gathered around his pulpit, until his congregation became the nucleus of a vast amount of good in the metropolis. His constant, unflinching declaration of Christ’s whole truth insensibly produced a powerful impression on men’s minds.” At the end of the same century, the Rev. William Goode, another incumbent of the parish, together with the Rev. John Venn, William The Reverend William Romaine Rector 1766~1795 Wilberforce and others founded the Church Missionary Society (“CMS”) with its fundamental commitment to three great enterprises: the abolition of the slave trade, social reform at home, and world evangelisation. CMS held its management meetings in the Rectory at St Andrew’s for twelve years, and appointed its very first overseas missionaries from what is now the kitchen. This is the inheritance we intend to claim Plaque at St Andrew’s House back: acting justly and loving mercy (Micah 6.8) and trusting that when we do so unflinchingly, God will bring transformation. Tradition Over the centuries St Andrew’s churchmanship has spanned the whole breadth of the Church of England, from Puritan to Anglo-Catholic. What we hope has been consistent has been a love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a passion for seeing His Kingdom come. This is very much the case now. Regular services are traditional (BCP), and cater to a very small existing congregation. As things develop, other forms of worship and spirituality are expected to evolve. We are not precious about churchmanship, but expect that all our prayer and worship must be authentic. Holy Communion is celebrated each week and Morning Prayer said publicly on weekdays. Lay Missioner-Evangelist Job Spec 4 ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE The Missioner-Evangelist Post Objectives 1. To take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the large nearby working population; 2. To make St Andrew’s a blessing to the people of the area; 3. To share that blessing with the wider City -- re-connecting the Parish to the inner city that surrounds it and from which it draws so much of its talent. Goals To establish and manage a diverse set of projects, run from the church, which a. add value through provision of services or opportunities to local workers and residents (“loving our neighbour as ourself”); b. draw new people into the church, or other places of concentration within the parish, where evangelism can more readily take place; c. give those working in the parish a convincing & convicting encounter with Jesus Christ; d. provide a safe & welcoming space for newcomers to worship, reflect and pray; and e. offer opportunities for City workers to use their God-given gifts & talents in the service of others, and to deepen their own discipleship. “Measurables” A key part of the role is focussed on relationship-building, which is not easily quantifiable. However, within the first 12-months of appointment we would expect the following outcomes to have been achieved. • Twenty local businesses to have been visited and relationships established Lay Missioner-Evangelist Job Spec 5 ST ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE • Twelve of the twenty should have contributed to the church’s social gospel projects or core mission (i.e. one effective relationship each month) • At least three of whom to remain ongoing supporters • Twenty newcomers brought to acts of worship, spirituality or Christian teaching • Planning and executing two outdoor/offsite events, at least one of which is to be held jointly with a local business • Production of a plan for effective use of social media in helping achieve the core strategy In the event that these “measurables” are met earlier in the year, we would expect to review upwards for the full year. In a similar manner, we plan to set the targets for Year 2 after we have evidence of 9~12 months activity -- and in the light of new projects which may have come into being during the first year. Likewise Year 3. Funding A sizeable proportion of the funding for this post will come from the Bishop of London’s Mission Fund (BLMF approval received). For the remainder, St Andrew’s intends to fund this post from (a) historic reserves and (b) through the rent of pitches in its various churchyards for the sale of high quality, healthy Street Food. This, in itself, is an excellent mission opportunity. In the event that this third party supplementary funding is not available in a timely manner, the parish would fund the difference from its (finite) reserves. We expect this is likely to be the case for the first 6 months. Sustainability We believe that this post or a follow-on one is sustainable beyond three years. Once capacity and competence in delivery are visible, supplementary funding -- of specific social gospel / outreach projects -- is likely to be accessible from local businesses, livery companies, charities affiliated to the Corporation of London, Church Urban Fund etc.