Position Title: Minister / Student Minister

Part Time, 13 hours per week, but we are open to increasing to 20 hours per week, Solo

We are a welcoming country church with deep roots, strong relationships, and a congregation that knows each other well. We’re open-minded and curious about new ways of doing things.

We’re looking for a proclaimer of the gospel who can lead with compassion, creativity, and a bit of personality. Someone who respects tradition but isn’t afraid to gently shake the dust off now and then.

If you can preach a meaningful sermon, share a laugh, and remember a few names (we’ll help you with the rest), you will fit right in.

We are open to working with an ordained minister or a student minister currently enrolled in a theological school.

We would like to work with the ministry personnel to allocate their time, given the number of hours available, to the main areas of worship leadership, innovation, pastoral care, and community connection. As we have had success with occasional congregation led worship services, one idea would be the following:

At 13 hours per week, the ministry personnel could lead worship 3 weeks out of 4, with the congregation leading service on the fourth Sunday. The ministry personnel’s remaining 16 hours per 4 weeks could be allocated to attending council meetings, worship committee meetings, and undertaking pastoral relations and community connection.

Key Responsibilities and Associated Duties:

(The allocation of time below is based on a 13 hours per week position and the above worship model.)

Worship Leadership and Innovation

(12 hours per week, 3 weeks out of every 4 weeks)

• Lead services that feel both familiar and alive

• Deliver sermons that connect to real life (bonus points if people are still talking about it at lunch), identify Bible or other readings and work with our Worship Committee to assign readers, work with our Choir Director on music programming, and our Admin Prime on the order of service for the bulletin, etc.

• Introduce new ideas gradually—we’re open, but we’re not in a rush

• Encourage others to take part

• Attend service, but not lead, the fourth week

Pastoral Care

(6 hours per every 4 weeks)

• We believe it is important to visit, call, and care—especially for those who can’t always get out and to be present in the moments that matter (and yes, there will be tea involved)

• Volunteers from the congregation support pastoral care, through phone calls, visiting the sick, those in hospital or in need, etc.

• We would like our minister to share in pastoral care responsibility.

• If ministry personnel is specifically requested for pastoral care visit, outside of the community, a funeral or interment service or wedding, and is available, it would be understood that this might be undertaken in lieu of time spent on other regular responsibilities.

Community Connection and Social Justice

(6 hours per every 4 weeks)

• Be a friendly face in the community and help people feel welcome.

• Our community outreach includes occasional fund-raising activities that bring the community together. This could be a yard sale, take away luncheon, or our weekly Monday coffee drop-in.

• From time to time, it might be helpful to have our minister present at one of these functions. If ministry personnel were asked to make this commitment, it would be understood that this would be undertaken in lieu of time spent on other regular responsibilities.

Collaboration

(4 hours per every 4 weeks)

• Work with a supportive group of leaders and volunteers, attending Council meetings, usually one hour in length, held monthly or bi-monthly immediately following Sunday service.

• We have no paid administrative support. Our Council and Worship Committee support our ministry personnel in most aspects of administration and planning alternative worship services when needed.

• Volunteers assist with producing the Sunday bulletin or newsletter. They also update our website and FaceBook pages and our digital sign. In a small church everyone wears a few hats (some of them figuratively… some not).

Faith Formation and Christian Education

(currently 0 hours)

• Although we do not currently have Sunday School or Youth Group, we would like to attract new members of all ages and would work with ministry personnel on achieving that goal. At the present time we do not have Bible Study, apart from Sunday worship, but ministry personnel would be consulted before initiating such.

Self-Care, Continuing Education and Denomination

(Study Leave and as requested and approved)

• We would expect ministry personnel to pursue personal, vocational and professional goals for continuing education in consultation with the M & P Committee, and to be actively involved in the life of the Regional Council and or the General Council.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ordained United Church minister, student minister, or equivalent experience

• Comfortable with an older congregation (we come with stories) and be prepared to interact with and involve any children / grandchildren that may be attending service.

• Able to work independently without feeling like you have to do everything

• Open to change, but wise enough to pace it

• A sense of humour—genuinely appreciated, occasionally required

What Makes This Role Special

• People who genuinely care about each other

• A church that’s ready for some fresh air—but not a windstorm

• Room to try things, learn, and grow together

• The understanding that faith, like life, is a little better when you can smile along the way