Vicar Of Sittingbourne St Michael W Murston, Bapchild & Tonge in Swanley

The Incumbent will work collaboratively with clergy and lay colleagues to deepen prayer and worship, encourage growth in faith and numbers, strengthen outreach, develop ministry among children, young people and families, and help the churches engage confidently with the opportunities and challenges of Sittingbourne and the surrounding villages.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the benefice in prayer, worship and spiritual growth
• Grow the benefice in holiness and numbers:
  • Inwardly - building relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds, enabling the spiritual growth of individuals and, through strong communications skills, building shared understanding across multiple congregations and communities
  • Outwardly - revitalising and developing schools ministry and civic connections and engaging with local communities, new housing areas and those who may not yet see the church as for them
  • Developing joyful and confident worship inwardly and outwardly to attract and retain new congregations
• Draw the parishes together into a new and fruitful benefice life, building trust, encouraging shared decision-making and helping congregations to discover what can be done together while valuing local identity
• Oversee the care for the listed and historic church buildings of the benefice, encouraging their use as places of worship, welcome, heritage, community and mission
• Model prayerful and sustainable ministry, making good health and wellbeing a priority for all
• Understand the essential nature of good safeguarding in every aspect of the church’s life, and be committed to safeguarding, good governance, healthy boundaries and sustainable patterns of ministry

Essential Qualities & Experience

• A prayerful priest who is rooted in the life of God and able to lead others deeper into worship, prayer, scripture and discipleship
• An experienced, collaborative and self-aware leader, who values different points of view and resolves differences while being open to challenge
• A visionary leader who will help us discern vision, set priorities and move from aspiration to action
• An enabling leader who can recognise, encourage and release the gifts of others

Desirable Qualities

• Experience of ministry in a multi-parish or newly formed benefice
• Experience of church revitalisation
• Confidence in supporting outreach
• Enthusiasm in encouraging others’ creative gifts in worship and mission
• An appreciation of town-centre, village and rural ministry, and comfortably moving between these settings

What the Benefice Offers

• A warm welcome from churches that are ready for a new chapter and eager to grow in faith, hope and love
• Distinctive communities with rich histories: a town-centre church at St Michael’s, an urban church at Murston, a village church at Bapchild and an ancient rural church at Tonge
• People of many gifts and commitments
• Existing foundations for growth, including prayer groups, bible study, children’s and youth work, school links, community hospitality and outreach
• A supportive ministry team, including an Associate Priest, a self supporting curate, churchwardens, PCC members and lay leaders
• A large, modern, purpose builtvicarage in one of the most attractive parts of Sittingbourne

Whoever takes up this post will be warmly welcomed into the life and support structures of the Diocese of Canterbury. Every Incumbent and Priest in Charge is accompanied through the Canterbury Diet, our framework for sustaining healthy, effective ministry - including regular pastoral supervision, a spiritual accompanier, and a structured Ministry Training Programme in the early years of ministry.