ST ALDATES and ACT CHARITY
Our vision is to invite people to encounter Jesus, equip people to follow Jesus in every area of their lives, and envision people to transform their communities.
We are excited about what God is doing in our midst. We are seeing people come to faith in Jesus on a weekly basis, and we are pioneering new ways of discipling people to make a difference in every area of their lives. As a city-centre church with a congregation of 1200+, we have a large number of volunteer leaders and teams across our ministries, leading Aldates Groups, Alpha, student ministry, Aldates Kids and Youth. We have four services every Sunday, one of which is broadcast live. We are passionate about connecting with and supporting people who are street homeless and those in or leaving local prisons through our ACT ministry.
St Aldates has three main buildings: the Church, the Church Centre (which provides offices for most of the Staff team and a variety of meeting rooms) and the Catacombs (housing a youth centre and the Oxford Prayer Room).
As a city centre church, working alongside people who are poor or marginalised is a key part of our ministry and is carried out largely through Aldates Community Transformation Initiatives (ACT). This is an innovative charity which builds a community. where the homeless, prisoners, prison-leavers and others in need experience acceptance, support and opportunities and where people are transformed and set free to become all they were intended to be.
ACT is a registered charity. The board of trustees are drawn from within the church, including the Rector, and occasionally we invite other trustees with specific expertise to join the board as well. ACT has a total income of around £400,000 per annum, five salaried staff, and over 100 volunteers from within the church. Staff are employed by St Aldates PCC and seconded to the ACT Charity.
ACT's aims are usually delivered as part of a three-stage programme:
- Meeting people who are imprisoned in some way, either literally or metaphorically: ACT works within local prisons, visiting men on the wings and running services and Alpha courses
- Helping people as they seek to transition out of their former way of life: upon release, we provide mentoring and life skills courses through an innovative programme in local probation hostels. We manage 12 houses for prison leavers in which we seek to build life skills and grow a community founded on God’s love;
- Supporting people so that they can begin to flourish: within our local community, we seek to build a wider community for ex-offenders, and those who are homeless or vulnerably housed in which individuals are able to flourish. We meet together twice a week for meals, worship and prayer and go on outings and retreats. We provide training and support to help people into employment.
More details of ACT can be found at www.actoxford.com
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
Crucial to the success of ACT is the Director, who provides leadership and vision, ensures that its activities are underpinned by prayer, and that this work remains central to the ministry of St Aldates.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITES:
Strategy
Work with ACT members, staff, volunteers and trustees to formulate ACT’s mission and strategic plan, ensuring this is underpinned by prayer and effective implementation.
Oversee the effectiveness and sustainability of ACT’s work. Develop measures for, and effectively evaluate, the performance and impact of the organisation, to ensure that the needs of ACT members are met.
Identify opportunities and risks, including changes in the external operating environment, ensuring that strategies are developed to maximise opportunities and minimise threats.
Where necessary, challenge established norms, seeking to build a learning culture that hears God and fosters effective practice.
Programme Development
Ensure that all ACT activities demonstrate the love of Jesus to people who are living on the margins of society, in line with our ethos statement. Seek to develop holistically the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of all ACT family members.
Demonstrate and grow a culture of prayer and intercession, ensuring that this is the foundation of all ACT activities.
Develop and implement other new programmes and activities as appropriate, in line with ACT’s strategy.
Staff development and management
Delegate tasks, roles and responsibilities effectively to staff and volunteers, ensuring ACT has the right people in the right roles. Foster a team culture and collegiate ways of working, ensuring professional supervision, safeguarding and appropriate spiritual support.
Line manage and pastorally support ACT’s staff to manage, and where appropriate grow, their programmes.
Ensure that training needs are identified to support staff development, and that volunteers are trained where necessary.
Ensure that the work of ACT is effectively co-ordinated across its programmes, and that systems are in place to support staff in their work and maintain appropriate and secure records.
Programme, Financial and Risk Management
In accordance with ACT’s strategy, prepare the annual budget in consultation with the Chair, Treasurer and St Aldates COO and actively manage its delivery.
Establish project plans and priorities for each financial year in accordance with agreed budgets, ensuring their effective delivery.
Ensure all necessary policies are up to date and there are systems in place to monitor compliance;
Oversee the management and support of ACT members with complex needs, ensuring assessment, record keeping, and risk management is in accordance with policy;
Actively manage ACT members in crisis, taking the lead and making decisions in the most difficult situations (e.g. eviction), pastoring the team and reflecting on practice.
Working with the St Aldates Finance Manager, ensure appropriate and regular management accounting information is provided to the Trustees.
Co-ordinate preparation, independent examination and approval of the Annual Report and Accounts, working closely with the St Aldates Finance Manager, ACT Treasurer and ACT Trustees.
Ensure that risks are identified and managed in accordance with ACT’s risk management policy.
Communications
Be the focal point for social justice initiatives in St Aldates, providing teaching on the theology and practice of social justice in services and small group settings.
Ensure that ACT’s vision, mission and activities are effectively communicated within St Aldates, helping the church to engage with issues of social justice, and demonstrating the love of God and the dignity he accords to all made in his image.
Ensure that funders and supporters receive regular contact and information updates from ACT.
Prepare quarterly reports for consideration by the trustees.
Fundraising and volunteers support
Work with the ‘Fund-Raiser’ to develop and deliver an external fundraising strategy, ensuring all key posts have continuity of funding and enabling ACT to increase its resources and grow its work in accordance with strategy.
Identify opportunities to apply for grants, submit grant applications, develop and maintain relationships with current and prospective funders as necessary.
Enthuse, recruit and develop the volunteer resource within St Aldates to support ACT projects, working with other churches and individuals as appropriate.
Partnerships and stakeholders
Create and maintain strong relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies across the city including churches, Police, City council, probation and others in the charitable sector. Co-ordinating activities across Oxford and sharing resources where appropriate.
Create and maintain strong relationships in the local community, with local government, prison staff and chaplaincies, and other organisations as necessary to further the ACT’s operations and impact.
Create and maintain strong national relationships with appropriate churches and organisations in order to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience (e.g. Prison Alpha, Prison Fellowship, Salvation Army and Betel).
Lead on the development of city-wide initiatives where appropriate, with the support of local churches and agencies.
Share expertise to support other churches and agencies in developing similar work, providing training and support as required.
Governance
Work closely with Trustees to ensure effective governance of the charity including compliance with all audit, legal and statutory reporting requirements.
Establish and administer effective reporting procedures to the Trustees to enable them to review implementation of the strategic plan, the organisation’s performance, direction, and impact.
Ensure Trustees receive the information they need, at the right level, to enable them to govern effectively.
PERSON DESCRIPTION (E = essential requirement, D = desirable)
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
Clear & demonstrable Christian commitment - this post carries a Genuine Occupational Requirement
Theological Application – a good understanding of biblical theology to its practical application in context (D)
Biblical Understanding of God, His Scriptures and the Gospel (E)
The ability to communicate and share Biblical truths in an accessible way (E)
Spirit filled – someone who will be comfortable and able to flourish in a charismatic setting (E)
Adherence to and respect for Evangelical Doctrine (E)
Commitment to Vision and Aims of St Aldates (E)
The jobholder should be comfortable and experienced in praying with and for marginalised people, staff and volunteers (E)
EDUCATION
Education to degree level (D) or other relevant professional qualifications (E)
EXPERIENCE
Experience of leading and managing teams and organisations to deliver results (E)
Experience in the public or voluntary sector, working with marginalised communities (E)
Experience in developing coherent strategy and successfully implementing projects to support strategy (E)
Experience of leading in times of crisis (E)
Expert knowledge of professional practice in working with marginalised people and communities, including people in prison, prison leavers and those with a mental health diagnosis (D)
Experience in developing and sustaining successful partnerships to increase impact (D)
Demonstrates success in leading and motivating people (E)
Proven track record/experience of financial management (E)
Experience in leading and developing small businesses (D)
Experience of working with a Board of Trustees (D)
KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS & ABILITIES
Ability to create reports for quarterly meetings including financial management (E)
Ability to manage within a budget, whilst meeting goals of the organisation and within cost constraints (E)
Excellent influencing, interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to teach and inspire (E)
Ability to build relationships and high-level contacts (E)
Effective decision making skills with the ability to prioritise complex tasks and implement key strategic initiatives (E)
The ability to broaden the income base, and experience of successful fundraising (D)
Knowledge of organisational governance and relevant legislation (D)
Knowledge/understanding of social work values and practice (D)
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES / APPROACH
Confident, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team acting as a mentor/role model for staff (E)
Fundamental commitment to self-development and the development of others (E)
Self-motivated, flexible self-assured, determined and reliable (E)
Confident in the ability to network with stakeholders and donors (E)
Shows a ‘can-do’ attitude and proactive approach (E)
Demonstrates willingness to be hands on when necessary whilst empowering and developing staff (E)
Excellent presentation and facilitation skills (D)
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ROLE
As a member of the St Aldates Leadership Team, the post holder can expect both the benefits and burdens that leadership responsibility brings, including involvement in St Aldates prayer events, vision nights, occasional staff retreats and other church meetings/conferences. If you feel that you are a good fit for this role and are able to make St Aldates your regular place of worship, we would love to hear from you.
We value diversity and recognise that some candidates may not feel they have all the skills, experience, and qualifications that we have set out above. Please do not be deterred and rest assured that we believe God will equip the person He is calling to serve in this role. The post will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check and references.