Parish of Wonersh
with Blackheath
Primarily we are looking for someone who loves Christ and is a person of deep personal faith, prayer, and commitment to Christ, with the Bible as the basis of faith and works, open both to the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
The Parish of Wonersh with Blackheath actively cares for the earthly and spiritual welfare of their congregations and the local community through an experienced Ministry Team, individual church members and the Care Team. We look for a new incumbent to lead these teams and work collaboratively with them.
Courses that explore Christianity and encourage mission are actively promoted and nurtured, as are the Home groups and prayer groups. We pray that the new vicar will build upon these foundations to spread the love of God through our local community, and help us to continue to grow to meet God’s plans for our future.
We are seeking a new incumbent who will be able to lead a church which is actively engaged in:
Prayer
Ø To ensure that every aspect of the churches’ life and ministry is surrounded by prayer as an expression of openness to God and dependence upon Him.
Ø To develop the collaborative and individual prayer lives of all church members.
Ø To confirm and maintain a Biblical preaching ministry that draws upon scriptural authority when addressing issues that are relevant to contemporary life and which challenges at all levels.
Ø To be open to new ways of teaching and worship that will appeal to new and established members of both churches.
Ø To reinvigorate the music at Wonersh church services by seeking new musicians from the congregations and encouraging and valuing their skills.
Pastoral Care
Ø To ensure that the pastoral needs of the members of both congregations are met.
Ø To provide pastoral care to the non-churched community in both Wonersh and Blackheath.
Ø To empathise with the needs of the elderly in both villages and meet their needs by working in partnership with the Care Team.
Witness
Ø To encourage the sharing of our experience of God’s goodness, primarily through our personal relationships.
Ø To assist in formulating a flow of evangelistic activities which move from faith exploration courses to courses that develop Christian maturity.
Ø To encourage us to put our faith into actions, so that the local communities can see a prominent commitment to love and social justice in the life of the church.
Making Disciples
Ø To fulfil the core task entrusted by the Lord to His church by promoting and encouraging membership of Home and prayer groups.
Ø To encourage the members to identify and utilise their spiritual gifts, skills and strengths in the work of his church.
Young People
Ø To strongly support the youth and children’s
work for the young people of both villages.
Ø To be instrumental in the care of the school
community at Wonersh and Shamley
Green C of E infant school.
Ø To do all that is possible to include young people within the ongoing life of the church, and help them to grow in Christ.
Ø To manage and encourage the development of the employed staff.
With these key tasks of the local church before us, we believe that an important gift of our next incumbent will be the leadership skills that will encourage and enable others.
Ø A readiness to seek God’s will for the future of these churches, and where necessary to take risks for Him.
Ø A commitment to collaborative ministry and the necessary gifts to enable the identification and development of the gifts and energies within the fellowship.
Ø A disposition to entrust responsibility to others, ensuring they receive adequate preparation, training and support, while understanding their accountability to the fellowship.
Ø An ability to sustain personal motivation, and be able to see things through with the help of other members of the church community.
Ø An ability to manage time effectively.
Ø An ability to inspire and stimulate listeners, both young and old, with insight and a sense of humour.
Ø An ability to hold together the rich diversity within the church families (old and young, traditional and modern) in respect and unity and be able to manage change sensitively.
Ø The ability to listen and engage in open communication.
Ø An enjoyment of other people and a desire to help them develop.
Ø A desire to help Christians grow to full maturity.
Ø Familiarity with the use of communication processes and equipment, such as websites and audio/video equipment, and have the presentational skills to suit a range of purposes and audiences.