Job Title: Youth Minister [21 hours/week]
Reporting to: Ed Veale, Vicar of St Mark’s Mitcham
Location: St Mark’s Church, 46 St Mark’s Road, Mitcham, CR4 2LF
Key Relationships: Vicar of St Mark’s Church, Church Wardens and PCC, Parish
Staff and Interns, Local Schools in particular St Mark’s CofE
Academy
Background to the job
This is an exciting opportunity for a Youth Minister to play a key role in a new chapter in the life of St Mark’s as we seek to grow in maturity in Christ, and to reach out with His love to the people of Mitcham.
In September 2024, curate Ed Veale from Holy Trinity Clapham joined St Mark’s as the interim minister, and in January 2026 he was licensed as the Vicar.
As part of this, and as a result of a successful bid to the National Church by the Diocese of Southwark, St Mark’s was awarded funding to appoint an Operations Director, and two part time Children’s, Youth & Families Ministers. We currently also have a Youth Worker Intern who is studying part-time at St Mellitus College, and another Intern (at London City Mission).
A flavour of the church over the last 18 months can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYJAyn2v3UE.
Job Purpose / Summary
The purpose of this role is to deepen and develop our ministry for the growing youth work at St. Mark’s. We want to disciple our young people in knowing Jesus better, and to be reaching out to those aged 11-18 in Mitcham. This is an exciting opportunity to bring vision and oversight to our work with those aged 11-18 in Mitcham, both on Sundays and during the week. This role will provide an opportunity to build upon the existing youth work and begin new ventures – especially in partnership with the Chaplain at St Mark’s Academy (a CofE secondary school in the parish with 900 students). Our key goals for youth ministry over the next 3 years include:
A) deepen discipleship of our youth’s walk with Jesus, through Bible teaching, and joyful, caring, prayerful Spirit-filled relationships.
B) grow the partnership between St Mark’s Church and St Mark’s Academy, in order to serve and share Christ’s love with the young people at the Academy (through assemblies, events, teaching, pastoral care, Youth Alpha etc).
C) launch a second weekly Sunday service, aimed particularly at the emerging generation.
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Delivery
- To work with the Vicar in developing a vision for the whole-life discipleship of 11-18s (in partnership with their families), where they trust and grow in Christ and seek to walk in step with the Spirit.
The Youth Minister would then lead, oversee and implement that vision.
- Prepare for and lead youth sessions, including developing Bible centred curriculum.
2. Outreach
- Develop our growing regular outreach to the 11-18s in Mitcham, and particularly in partnership with the Chaplain at the Academy. This would include: regular Youth Alpha courses, organising key events such as carol services for different year groups.
- Develop the existing mid-week activities at church aimed at the Academy students.
- Pioneer new connection points to reach the youth in Mitcham.
3. Volunteer training and management
- Identify, recruit, train, nurture and inspire volunteer teams and leaders.
- Administer the running of teams, including managing rotas.
4. Safeguarding and inclusion
- Ensure that safeguarding policies are followed and that robust safeguarding practice is fully embedded in all aspects of youth ministry.
- Ensure team members and volunteers have valid DBS checks and are fully trained and equipped.
- Ensure risk management, including preparing risk assessments for activities and events.
- Plan for and integrate youth with additional needs.
5. Administration & Communication
- Oversee a budget and be responsible for the management of resources.
- Oversee youth activities at church-wide events and socials.
- Set up, update and bring life to the church social media accounts and website to serve the youth and families ministry.
- Communicate effectively and regularly with parents, guardians, schools and local community leaders.
6. Staff team
- Attend both regular and occasional staff meetings, retreats etc. These will include regular prayer and missional outreach in the parish.
- Undertake occasional and various responsibilities as the need arises (e.g. event organisation, ad hoc projects) as may be required from time-to-time.
Skills and Experience
ESSENTIAL:
- Experience of youth ministry and ability to create dynamic environments for youth of different ages and backgrounds.
- Ability to recruit, train/nurture and lead a range of volunteer teams.
- Experience in safeguarding and risk management
- A good Bible teacher, including an ability to create bible centred curriculum, and a desire to teach young people and families about the grace of Jesus.
- Excellent communication and relationship building skills which include youth and adults including different community stakeholders (e.g. St Mark’s Academy).
- Ability to plan and execute events and activities with youth, volunteers, parents and carers.
- Good organisational and administrative skills.
- Ability to work to targets and meet deadlines.
- Computer literate with Microsoft Office and Google Suite packages.
- Self-starter able to work on own initiative.
DESIRABLE:
- Training in theology and/ or youth ministry.
- Practical experience working in a church context.
- Budget management experience.
- Understanding of and experience with audio visual systems.
- Experience in digital communications.
Character and personal qualities
ESSENTIAL
- A servant-hearted Christian wanting to grow in Christlikeness and to play a part in growing God’s Kingdom in Mitcham.
- Great with people, with the ability to work collaboratively and cheerfully as a member of a team, as well as delegate to get the job done.
DESIRABLE
- A heart for ministering in less affluent, multi-cultural contexts.
Employer
You will be employed by the South London Church Fund and Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance whose registered office is at Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW.
Normal Place of Work
St Mark’s Church, 46 St Mark’s Road, Mitcham, CR4 2LF.
Salary
The post has a salary of £19,363 (£32,272 FTE) per annum.
Probation
The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
Hours of work
21 hours per week including evenings and Sundays.
Holiday Entitlement
You will receive 26 days annual leave per annum, increasing to 31 days after 2 years’ service.
There is also an entitlement to 8 national bank holidays. [Pro rata for part-time hours] The leave year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
Sick Pay
Sick Pay is paid at full pay and half pay rates dependent on length of service, details of which are contained in the contract of employment. Where the right to
Diocesan Sick Pay has not been established or it has been exhausted, then Statutory Sick Pay provisions will apply.
Season Ticket Loan
An interest free season ticket loan is available upon satisfactory completion of the probation period.
Cycle to Work Scheme
The Diocese is part of the scheme that enable staff to purchase a cycle and equipment for cycling to work, through a salary sacrifice scheme.
Pension
A non-contributory pension will normally be arranged with the Church Workers’ Pension Fund, currently a 15% employer’s contribution
Pay: From £19,363.00 per year
Work Location: In person
