Appendix 1 SECTION ONE: DETAILS OF POST St Mark and All Saints, Reading Role Description Role Title: Type of Role: Name of benefice: Episcopal area: Deanery: Archdeaconry: Conditions of Service: Vicar Full time stipendiary St Mark and All Saints Reading Reading Berkshire Please refer to the Statements of Particulars document issued in conjunction with this role description. Key contact for Clergy Terms of Service: Archdeacon of Berkshire. This role falls under the Clergy Terms of Service Common Tenure. The Archdeacon of Berkshire is the designated person by the Bishop of Oxford to issue the Statement of particulars for the post holder. Accountability: Priests share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church. Whilst, as an office holder, the individual is expected to lead and prioritise work in line with the purpose of the role, they are encouraged to inform the Archdeacon and Churchwardens about any issues exceptional or otherwise that have the potential to affect ongoing delivery of ministry. Additional Responsibility: Ex-officio Governor of the two Church Schools SECTION TWO: CONTEXT Wider Context As a diocese we are committed to holistic mission, working through the framework of Living Faith for the Future. We have defined our purpose as to join with God in creating a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in every part of the Diocese of Oxford, enabling every Christian and every Christian community to live and share the love of God, seen in the life of Jesus Christ. Within the Living Faith framework we are inviting every parish, benefice, Board and Committee to paint their own unique work of art using the colours of: Sustaining the Sacred Centre Making Disciples Making a Difference in the World
Shaping Confident, Collaborative Leadership Creating Vibrant Christian Communities. These priorities are supported centrally by resources, training, conferences, workshops, missioners and much more. We are inviting benefices and their priests to share a vision rather than demanding a response. We encourage a priest to have a ministerial interest beyond the benefice which is a personal specialism and may be made available to the wider church a sixth day ministry. Above all, we want all our priests to flourish in ministry and to deepen their enjoyment of God. Local Context The Parish of St Mark and All Saints lies within the Reading Deanery, one of the largest deaneries in the country. The Deanery will be doing ongoing work on a Mission Action Plan. Details of the parochial context can be found in the Parish Profile. SECTION THREE: ROLE PURPOSE AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES General A. To exercise the cure of souls shared with the bishop in this parish in collaboration with colleagues, including the praying of the Daily Office, the administration of the sacraments, and preaching. B. To have 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 including: Bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making him known to those in your care Instructing the parishioners in the Christian faith Preparing candidates for confirmation Diligently visiting the parishioners of the benefice, particularly those who are sick and infirm Providing spiritual counsel and advice Consulting with the parochial church council on matters of general concerns and importance to the benefice Bringing the needs of the world before God in intercession Calling your hearers to repentance and declaring in Christ s name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins Blessing people in God s name Preparing people for their death Discerning and fostering the gifts of all God s people Being faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God s presence, as he reveals his kingdom among us
C. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of the whole Body Christ. Key responsibilities specific to the local situation: The following headings are based on the Strategic Plan for the Parish of St Mark and All Saints. Prayer and Worship Address the specific needs of family and children during worship in church, and maintain and build upon our existing family friendly service held fortnightly at All Saints Church Continue with collective worship at All Saints Church on Friday mornings with children and families from All Saints Infants School Drawing deeply on our Catholic tradition to lead worship in a rich and joyous way To grow the services led by the young people (currently bi-monthly) To continue to promote services suited to the needs of older members of the congregations, for example the Thursday morning service at All Saints Pastoral Care Be part of and support our volunteer pastoral group Develop further the provision of pastoral care so that we are better able to reach out to the lonely and bereaved in the parish Community Engagement In partnership with the PCC produce a clear and detailed community audit for the Parish Identify and embrace new methods of communication within our Parish including social media for example Develop further ways to engage with the local community including (for example) worship and spiritual care, drop-ins, coffee mornings and other forms of outreach Develop ways for our church buildings to be better used by the local community Children and young people Develop Sunday School for 7-11 year olds at All Saints Church Grow the family and children attendance at Mass at St Marks Church and engage with the community to welcome more families to Church To continue and develop the provision for young people age 11-19 Schools Build on the solid foundation of faith at All Saints Infants School and St Mary and All Saints School To develop a relationship with the Head teachers at our two church schools and regularly go in to teach or offer support and guidance
Nursing Homes To support and encourage our lay ministry teams who visit the elderly and take communion in the nursing homes in our parish and to participate in such a visit at least once a month To explore ways to effectively minister to homes in the parish and ensure that comprehensive pastoral care is available to all who need it Stewardship and Resources Help us to explore how best to use our resources available to us and make the most of our assets Provide strategic direction and inspiration for different ways of fundraising Help the finance team and PCC to devise a strategy to encourage stewardship and giving in the congregation Nurture Groups Raise the profile within the church and promote the existing nurture, link and prayer groups. Encourage involvement and participation Identify how to continue exploring faith and involvement in the church following the end of confirmation classes and holy communion class Promote link and prayer groups The key responsibilities listed above may be supported by long and short term objectives to be agreed between the post holder and the incumbent and the Archdeacon and Church Wardens. Other Responsibilities Participate in the Bishop s Ministerial Development Review scheme and engage in Continuing Ministerial Development Carry out any other duties and responsibilities as required in line with the benefice needs. Take care for their wellbeing including health and safety and building a good repertoire of spiritual and psychological strategies. SECTION FOUR: BENEFICE SUMMARY Benefice: Patron(s): PCC: Church Wardens: Ministers: Reading, St Mark and All Saints The Bishop of Oxford One PCC, 12 elected members to serve a three year term, members by virtue of office include members of Deanery Synod, church wardens and Licensed Lay Ministers Norma Parris (St Marks) Stephen Marsh (All Saints) Jill Tozer (All Saints) Dr Diana Matthews (LLM) and Mrs Sylvia Cummins (LLM)
Benefice paid staff: Benefice unpaid staff/ volunteers: Buildings: Churchyard(s): Pastoral Reorganisation proposals: Parish Secretary (Mrs Wendy Smith) All Saints Hall Manager (Mr Ivor Snape) PCC Secretary (Mrs Jackie John) St Mark s Church and Hall All Saints Church and Hall Vicarage 2 bedroom flat owned by PCC in Reading (currently let out) None None For more detailed information, please refer to the St Mark and All Saints Reading, Parish Profile. SECTION FIVE: KEY CONTACTS FOR THE ROLE Generic and specific to the role Groups and committees The PCC Deanery Synod Deanery Chapter Deanery Pastoral Committee School Governors In the benefice Church wardens Ministerial colleagues Head teacher and Governing Body of All Saints Infants School and St Mary and All Saints School Support structure Area Dean Archdeacon Area Bishop
Staff at the Diocesan office with key responsibilities for various aspects of supporting parochial ministry SECTION SIX: OTHER Relevant Documentation This role description is issued alongside and should be read in conjunction with the following documents: The Ordinal The Canons of the Church of England Guidance for the Professional Conduct of Clergy Bishops Licence Statement of Particulars issued to the office-holder on successful appointment Diocesan Clergy Handbook Parish Profile Ministry Action Plan (MAPs) Any objectives discussed and agreed between the post holder and the supervising minister Role description signed off by The Venerable Olivia Graham, Archdeacon of Berkshire Date: To be reviewed next on: