Trainee Youth Minister

Working for Culm Valley Centre for Rural Training and Excellence (CREATE) in Uffculme

Project Type: Multiple Church Organisation

Project Area: East

Job Title: Trainee Youth Minister

Type of Post: Trainee

Number of Hours: 32 + cluster + study

Allowance/Salary:
£35 per week subsistence plus accommodation, and expenses

Accommodation:
To be confirmed

Training Options Available:
Foundation Year: Yes
Trainee Youth Worker Course: Yes
Advanced Youthwork Course: Yes
Associate: No

Job Description:
To work with Revd Selina Garner and a team of volunteers to establish 'A Rural Centre for Training and Excellence' for Developing Young Leaders in Youth and Children's Ministry in the Culm Valley Mission Community.

Church based youth ministry
To support Sunday morning activities and all age worship in the local churches in Kentisbeare, Uffculme and Willand.
To support evening groups across the Deanery and be involved in exploring new forms of worship and Christian discipleship.

Young leaders training
To establish a regular training programme for young Christian’s from the rural villages that will support and offer new opportunities for them to engage with the mission and ministry of the church. Trainees will also act as role models and provide mentoring for young people in our schools and churches.

Web based networking
Developing a networked Christian community of young people and leaders through the Squarefish website and branding.

Special events and residentials
Organising a special events programme including retreats, residentials, activity days and training courses for the Deanery.
Opportunities to be involved in piloting a contemplative style to youth ministry are available.

Schools ministry
To be involved in the current schools ministry to develop pioneering opportunities for teaching the Christian faith to those young people with no other links to their local Christian communities. Opportunities for detached work, lunch time clubs, supporting the CU, assemblies and lesson support are all available.
To encourage young people to help run after school clubs for children in Square Corner and the local primary schools.
To find creative ways to get to know the year 6 pupils before they make the transition to secondary school.

Small groups
Running weekly interest-based sessions with a small group of young people you have chosen to work with.

Spiritual formation and leadership training
To invest in your own spiritual formation and prioritize the place of prayer, reflection and study in your time management.
To develop the skills knowledge and attitudes that will develop Godly leadership.

Main Responsibilities
We hope that the centre will offer a good training base for you to explore and develop your leadership skills and spiritual formation as well as gaining experience in working with young people both in the formal and informal education environments.

In the first term you will have the opportunity to explore youth ministry within the broad range of approaches covered by the job description and you will be offered training and support in the various ministries. In the following terms you will be invited to take a growing responsibility for different areas and explore pioneering new ways to develop rural youth ministry.

As part of a pioneering team we will work together to divide the general responsibilities and work depending on your previous experience. We plan to create a tailor-made package that offers you the chance to be stretched, explore new ministries and build on existing talents and interests. You will work as part of a team linked to the training centre to organise various events. You will be supervised and supported in the different areas of ministry and meet Selina Garner your line manager weekly for general supervision and support.

As a member of 'The Centre for Rural Training and Excellence' (CREATE) you will be encouraged to contribute to Deanery and Diocesan networks to share and explore best practice during the course of your training.

Essential Criteria:
A Christian faith and a desire to serve
A willingness to be part of pioneering and setting up a new project
One of the young people will need to hold a driving licence.

Preferred Criteria:
Some experience in youth ministry

Draft Weekly Timetable

Project History & Affiliations:
The Culm Valley Mission Community is an Anglican partnership that is developing 'A Centre for Rural Training and Excellence' to raise young leaders. In January 2010 the three PCC's met and unanimously agreed to support Revd Selina Garner (The Deanery Pioneer Youth Minister with pastoral responsibility for St Mary's Uffculme) in the training and developing of young leaders. They committed themselves as a Mission Community to becoming a supportive context in which young leaders can be trained and their ministry developed.
This pioneering project while rooted in the Culm Valley Mission Community and the schools in this area, (one secondary school and three primary schools), has active links through Selina's deanery role to other Christian youth groups in the area of various denominations and other Anglican churches seeking to support and encourage young leaders. Through this network there are various opportunities to provide activities and events that support Christian youth ministry across the region. There are lots of exciting opportunities to explore a range of approaches to rural youth ministry and a supportive team of people who are keen to work with the trainees.

Structure & Vision of the Project:
The vision is to establish 'A Rural Centre for Training and Excellence' for developing young leaders in youth and children's ministry.Taken from our Mission Action Plan: "We are a group of Anglican churches in the Culm Valley, who worship in both traditional and contemporary styles and share a common vision to grow in both size and maturity. We are committed in our desire to strengthen our ministries to families, youth and children through sharing in our work across the Mission community, sharing an annual children's holiday club and encouraging children and young people to participate in a variety of events, activities and camps together. We will continue to offer assemblies to all our schools and seek to build upon the good relationships we have with our schools and grasp opportunities as they arise."
St Mary's Church, Uffculme owns a building with a cafe that will be developing and this will offer a base for 'A Centre for Rural Training and Excellence.' On the second floor there is room for an office and meeting space from which the trainees could be based and use for events. As the project develops we would network with and become a resource for other Christian youth ministries in the Deanery and Diocese.

About the location of the Project:
The Culm Valley Team Ministry is in Mid-Devon near Cullompton and Tiverton. It includes the villages of Uffculme, Willand, Kentisbeare, Ashill, Bradfield and Blackborough. These are rural communities with an active Christian presence, supported by a team of people as they engage in mission and ministry in their parishes.
The local secondary school in Uffculme has welcomed the involvement of Revd Selina Garner and this has created many opportunities. The local churches are also actively involved in the three primary schools.
The Culm Valley Mission Community is part of a supportive Deanery in which Selina has an active role. Across the Deanery there are many opportunities to explore and support youth ministry. Partnerships are being developed with the different denominations and Christian communities across the Deanery involved in youth ministry.

About the youth work of the Project:
Most of the Churches' youth ministry happens on a Sunday, through special events on Saturdays and in the holidays. Selina is actively working in the secondary schools and has established good links with various groups of young people outside of the church community from which significant pieces of work are developing and upon which we would like to build.
We are keen to support and develop a young leaders mentoring programme and group to encourage them to develop and use their skills in church life and mission. There is particular interest in developing an after school club for primary children and it is hoped that young people will be involved with this.
A website has been established to support a community of young people involved in church youth ministry or those interested in finding out more about Christianity. We hope to develop this further.
The Vision is to set up 'A Rural Centre for Training and Excellence' for developing young leaders in youth and children's ministry. This is a pioneering opportunity for those who would enjoy being part of an emerging project in its formative years.

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