We have a vision to grow the Church, both numerically and spiritually and will work hard to make “Making Disciples – Transforming Lives” a reality.
To help us with this we are praying for a priest who
* will be a ‘Heart in Heaven and feet on the ground’ person
* is a person of spirituality and resilience and is full of energy and enthusiasm
The Benefice consists of two parishes on the outskirts of Preston. These are the churches of Bamber Bridge, St Aidan and Walton le Dale, St Leonard. The Parishes are situated in the Leyland Deanery in the Diocese of Blackburn. The infrastructure of the locality is well served by rail via Preston, which is only two miles away, and a smaller station on Station Road, Bamber Bridge, and easy access to the M6, M61 and M65 motorways giving links across the county and beyond. The distance between St Leonard’s Church and St Aidan’s is approximately miles; five minutes by car.
Our Vision
We are looking for a priest who will:
* lead on our vision towards having ‘Healthy Churches Transforming Communities’ according to the Diocesan Vision for 2026
* provide leadership and support to our PCCs in terms of our MAP and its goals
* build and grow on existing relationships with our schools, children and the community
* support our teams as we grow in terms of spiritual awareness and congregation numbers
* be willing to take risks to develop some modern worship styles in order to achieve the above
Who are we looking and praying for someone who will
* Preach the Gospel and helping the congregation to live it;
* Practice a Collaborative Ministry, appreciating the work and variety presented by our two parishes ensuring that we work together in our United Benefice;
* Be a strong leader and team worker, willing to delegate, with good communication and listening skills, able to relate to churchgoers and nonchurchgoers alike;
* Make use of their life experience and pastoral skills to engage with the community at large, in particular building on the active relationship with our local schools and younger people;
* Be will take risks in the development of new worship styles within our traditions, whilst taking the time to explain and gain support for the changes that they seek to introduce.
Video of the parishes:
Closing date : Sunday 7th July
Interviews will be held on: Wednesday 31st July 2024