Children's and Youth Minister

Children’s & Youth Minister

St Paul’s Church, Dorking

£30,000 salary, in addition to rent-free accommodation

Children’s and youth ministry is central to the story of St Paul’s Church. We are therefore seeking God for a leader to join our team and help develop and grow the emerging generation of disciples both inside and outside the church. With so many opportunities for disciple-making across the church and wider community, we recognise that this ministry will develop in line with the leading of the Holy Spirit and the unique shape of the appointed minister and the teams they lead.

We would love to explore with you what this mission and ministry could look like as we learn more about your calling, skills, and experience.

St Paul’s is a charismatic evangelical church located in the market town of Dorking, surrounded by the beautiful Surrey Hills. We long to see Dorking—and the places where God calls us each day—become fully alive for Jesus. As such, we are learning to grow in our love of God, live as His disciples (who make disciples), and pray for His Kingdom to come, all in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are thankful for the strong partnerships we share with other local churches, organisations, and schools (both primary and secondary), and we seek to serve them—and our own staff team—with love, generosity, and collaboration.

This full-time post includes rent-free accommodation in a church-owned property, in addition to a salary of £30,000.

Primary Role

To oversee, develop and grow children’s and youth discipleship and evangelism at St Paul’s Church.

Key Responsibilities

To lead the vision, strategy, and management of children’s and youth ministry at St Paul’s Church, Dorking, in alignment with the broader vision and mission of the church.

Specifically:

• Develop and shape a fresh vision for our children’s and youth ministry as part of the wider vision of St Paul’s.
• Envision, lead, and develop our children’s and youth volunteer teams for a new season.
• Design, lead, and manage age-appropriate activities and programmes for children and young people (e.g. Sunday mornings, midweek groups, and schools work).
• Work in partnership with our existing relationships across Dorking churches, local primary schools, the secondary school chaplaincy team, and the Diocesan Youth Hub Catalyst project.
• Collaborate with the church safeguarding team to ensure best practice at all times.
• Oversee and manage the administration of the children’s and youth ministry, including budget, resources, and day-to-day operations.
• Work alongside the Vicar and Associate Vicar in primary school ministry and with the Associate Vicar overseeing young families’ ministry at St Paul’s.
• Operate as part of the staff team, contributing more broadly to the vision and mission of the church.

The Post Holder Will Be Encouraged To:

• Guard and pursue their personal spiritual growth and make time for prayer and retreat, in consultation with the Vicar.
• Continue to grow and learn in children’s, youth, and families’ ministry, building on existing skills and drawing on others’ expertise.
• Undertake regular supervision and appraisal. (We value this and will fund six supervision/counselling sessions annually.)
• Proactively ensure they have personal support networks (e.g. a mentor, small group, and/or spiritual director).

Qualities of the Candidate

Essential:

• A committed Christian with a passion for working with children and young people within a charismatic evangelical church context.
• Maturity and experience in working with children and youth, preferably in a church setting.
• A collaborative team player, able to work well with staff, parents, volunteers, and church members.
• Leadership skills to build, train, release, and support volunteer teams, and to line-manage interns.
• Ability to build effective and positive relationships with the wider community, including St Paul’s Church of England Primary School and the Priory School chaplaincy team.
• Pastoral sensitivity when working with young people and children.
• A self-starter with a can-do attitude and a track record of continual development.
• Effective and creative communication skills.
• Basic IT proficiency.
• Committed to growing in their personal relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, and openness to the Holy Spirit.
• Commitment to be a regular worshipper and active member of St Paul’s Church.

Desirable:

• Relevant qualifications in theology, youth work, or education.
• First Aid qualification.

Requirements

• A satisfactory DBS check.
• Right to work in the UK.
• An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a practising Christian, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Terms & Conditions

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Accommodation: A rent-free church-owned property is provided as part of the package

Hours of Work: Full-time (40 hours per week), including Sundays, evenings, and other weekend work as required

Pension: The organisation will fulfil its obligations under pensions auto-enrolment legislation. You will be notified of any entitlement

Holiday Entitlement: 25 days plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro-rata)

Employer: St Paul’s Church Dorking PCC

Responsible to: The Vicar, or the Priest-in-Charge / Churchwardens during a vacancy

Application Process

Please send a CV and Covering Letter by Friday 15th August. Your covering letter should include:

• Why you are interested in this role.
• How your faith and experience would shape your ministry at St Paul’s, if appointed.

References:

Please include the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of three referees, including:

• Your most recent employer.
• A character reference from someone who has known you for over three years.

You will also be required to complete a Confidential Declaration Form as part of the recruitment process.

Interview Date: Thursday 11th September

Alex, our Vicar, is currently on sabbatical and will return at the beginning of September.

Please apply to:

Merissa Hammer, Operations Manager

ops@stpaulsdorking.org.uk