IS GOD CALLING YOU TO JOIN THE TEAM?
SEEING GOD CHANGE LIVES, FAMILIES AND CHURCHES
COULD YOU BE OUR NEW CHILDREN'S AND FAMILIES MINISTER?
THE PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
To lead and develop St Mary’s ministry with children aged 0–11 and their families, building teams, shaping programmes, and supporting parents to help children follow Jesus and grow in faith.
A NEW EXPANDED ROLE
TO BLESS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
DEUTERONOMY 6:4-7
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
ABOUT ST MARY'S
This is an exciting time to join the team at St Mary’s.
St Mary’s is a vibrant and growing church with a wide draw from Reigate and the surrounding area. At the heart of our life together is a shared desire to make disciples of Jesus – people who are empowered by the life of the Holy Spirit and who witness to the reality of God’s coming Kingdom.
We are a Charismatic, Evangelical church, orthodox in our theology, and deeply committed to remaining faithful to the gospel and passing on the Christian faith to future generations in a rapidly changing cultural context. We take seriously the call to form disciples of all ages, and we believe that children are not the church of tomorrow, but a vital part of the church today.
We are seeking a new member of the staff team to oversee and develop our ministry with children and families as part of this wider vision to see God changing lives, families and churches. We are in the privileged position of welcoming around 100 children each Sunday, alongside meaningful relationships with hundreds of families, parents, and children throughout the year. This creates both a significant opportunity and a joyful responsibility to nurture faith, belonging, and hope over time.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Wider Team
St Mary’s is served by a growing team of dedicated and passionate people. While each person brings particular gifts and areas of responsibility, we place a strong value on working collaboratively, supporting one another, and sharing a common sense of purpose.
The staff team is made up of a Ministry Team and an Administration Team, who work closely together across all areas of church life. We aim to foster a healthy team culture marked by trust, prayer, mutual encouragement, and a willingness to learn together.
The Children’s and Youth Team
The Children’s and Families Minister will be part of the Children’s and Youth Team, working under the oversight of Simon Russell (Associate Vicar) and alongside Mandy Childs (Sunday 6–11s, until August) and Emily Irving (Youth). Together, this team seeks to create spaces where children and young people can encounter God, grow as disciples, and find their place within the life of the church.
We are looking for someone with a heart for children and parents, and with the leadership capacity to oversee day-to-day ministry, develop and support leaders, and help grow and shape existing and emerging areas of work with 0–11s. We are open to shaping the role around the right person, and if you bring skills or experience that complement the wider team, we would love to hear from you.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
As a member of the staff team, the Children’s and Families Minister will have responsibility for the following:
- Lead and develop ministry with children (0–11) and their families
Provide strategic and pastoral leadership for St Mary’s work with children aged 0–11 and their families, ensuring that children’s discipleship is central, purposeful, well resourced, and integrated within the life of the church.
- Shape a culture of children’s discipleship
Develop and oversee programmes, practices, and rhythms that help children encounter God, grow in prayer and worship, and learn what it means to follow Jesus – God connected, not just God smart. - Equip and support parents and carers
Affirm and support parents and carers as the primary nurturers of their children’s faith, offering encouragement, resources, and opportunities for connection that strengthen faith formation in the home and parenting for faith in everyday life - Build, lead, and develop teams
Recruit, train, support, and line-manage volunteers and leaders within the children’s ministry, fostering a healthy team culture marked by care, clarity, growth, and shared responsibility. - Contribute to the mission and life of the wider church
Work collaboratively with the wider staff team and church leadership to ensure that St Mary’s connects with people at all stages of our discipleship pathway and that children and families are fully integrated into the worship, community, and mission of St Mary’s, including engagement with those not currently part of the church. - Ensure safe, inclusive, and well-governed ministry
Take responsibility for ensuring that all children’s ministry operates within St Mary’s safeguarding policies and best practice and works closely with relevant teams to support accessibility and inclusion for children and families with additional needs.
SAFEGUARDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
St Mary’s is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment for all children and young people.
The Children’s and Families Minister will be responsible for ensuring that all ministry with children operates in line with the church’s safeguarding policies and best practice, and in accordance with diocesan and statutory requirements. This includes working closely with the Parish Safeguarding Officer, ensuring that volunteers are appropriately recruited and trained, and fostering a culture in which safeguarding is understood as a shared responsibility and an expression of our care for children and families.
The role is accountable to the Vicar and works within the governance structures of the church, with appropriate support, oversight, and opportunities for reflection and development.
(This post involves regulated activity and is subject to enhanced DBS clearance and satisfactory references.)
ABOUT YOU
We are looking for someone who is excited by the calling to work with children and families and who brings both spiritual maturity and practical leadership to this role.
You are likely to be someone who is:
- Passionate about children’s discipleship
With a deep desire to help children know, love, and follow Jesus, and a conviction that children are an integral part of the life of the church today. - A confident and relational leader
Able to build, support, and develop teams of volunteers, offering clarity, encouragement, and care, and helping others to grow in confidence and gifting. - Experienced in working with children and families
Ideally with experience in a church or Christian ministry context, and with an understanding of the realities facing families in contemporary society. - Spiritually grounded and reflective
Committed to your own life of prayer, worship, and discipleship, and able to lead others from a place of lived faith. - Organised and adaptable
Comfortable holding together vision and detail, able to manage competing demands, and flexible in response to the rhythms and unpredictability of ministry life.
We recognise that no candidate will bring everything, and we are open to shaping aspects of the role around the strengths and experience of the right person.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
- Reporting to: Associate Vicar – Leadership and Discipleship
- Working closely with:
Children’s and Youth Team, wider Ministry Team, and Administration Team - Direct reports: Volunteer leaders and teams within children’s ministry
- Location: St Mary’s Church, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7RN
- Employment basis: Full-time
(Part-time and term-time working will be considered for the right candidate) - Salary: £30-32k
We warmly encourage an informal and confidential conversation to explore the role and how it might be shaped around the right person.
For an initial conversation, please contact: Simon Russell | 07779 799968 | simon.russell@stmaryreigate.org
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please send:
- a CV, and
- a full covering letter explaining why you are interested in the role, how you might approach and shape the ministry, and what you can bring to it. Please indicate areas of strength but also anything where you feel you would need more support or development.
Applications should be sent to the email address above.
There is a genuine occupational requirement for the postholder to be a practising Christian, in accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.