Priest in Charge Strensall

We believe that we are here to worship God through our Saviour Jesus Christ and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to make Christ's love and peace known in our community of Strensall.

Are you the person that God is calling to the joint post of Vicar of St Mary Strensall with Area Dean Designate of Easingwold Deanery in the beautiful Diocese and Archdeaconry of York?

We want to create space for people to have a greater understanding and acceptance of the Holy Spirit in their lives and how this can enhance and guide their daily walk with God.

To do this we have:

• A wellestablished PCC and dedicated team of ordained and lay ministers and volunteers.
• Two Sunday services; a traditional Holy Communion service and a more informal service, offering a more contemporary style of service; occasional Celtic worship and online services during the pandemic.
• A new church hall, the Spearehead Hall, fundraised for and completed in 2017, with modern access and catering facilities. Used by the community as well as the church.
• Little Fishes baby and toddler group. 'Open the Book' team in local schools and Holiday Club activities with our Methodist partners.
• We have been bequeathed a sum of money to appoint a Youth and Family Worker and are yet to decide how we can best use this to grow our mission to families and local youth.
• 4 Established Home Groups; to debate spiritual topics, learn support the church and contribute to services, and a dedicated Prayer Ministry.
• Musicians and a singing group that support our worship, including a group of bell ringers who ring the 6 bells in the bell tower

We are seeking someone who will:

• Encourage us to find innovative ways to make the Good News of the Gospel relevant to our community.
• Be a leader and facilitator.
• Support the development of ministries to families, youth and children.
• Encourage and support lay ministry.
• Understanding the need for different styles of worship, whilst maintaining a coherent fellowship.
• Encourage the importance of prayer and help people develop their personal prayer life.
• Be able to deal with differing opinions, some strong and traditional beliefs and some pain and grief from the loss we have encountered in the last two years.

Strensall Parish is situated approximately 6 miles north of the historic city of York.

It is a large village of approximately 8,000 inhabitants, with good local amenities and transport links, but has access, within walking distance, to open countryside and north to the picturesque Howardian Hills, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty.

Easingwold Deanery is a rural area of 24 churches in 6 benefices, centred around the market town of Easingwold. Our clergy Chapter are supportive of each other, learning and growing together.

They are making excellent progress with our new 10-year Deanery Plan, held within the context of 'Living Christ's Story', through the collaboration of the Deanery Leadership Team.

We are seeking a new Area Dean from November 2024.

In the deanery we are seeking someone who:

• Can work well with other clergy and lay colleagues to support, share and encourage the use of available skills across the Deanery.
• Can see the bigger picture of what we are aiming for in our Deanery Plan (see copy attached on Pathways).
• Has the leadership skills to adopt and adapt the plans to move the deanery forward to enable the 10 year aims to be fulfilled.
• Who has a diverse experience of worshipping styles and able to relate to different church traditions across the Deanery.

The Diocese of York
The Diocese of York, led and guided by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, takes in much of North and East Yorkshire. As the largest diocese in England, geographically, the area is very diverse, featuring a multitude of needs and opportunities.

This includes the bustling urban centres of York, Hull and Middlesbrough, the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park, and the incomparable Yorkshire Coast; as well as areas of deprivation in some of our urban and smaller rural and coastal communities.

Our mission and ministry relies on thousands of people - lay and ordained, volunteer and paid.

Our diocesan teams provide a wide range of support services to our mission and ministry, including lifelong learning for ministry, the care of church buildings, and safeguarding.

Together, we are striving to be a people who are 'Living Christ's Story'. We want to be a simpler, bolder, humbler church which in its diversity reflects the communities it serves.

We are bringing renewed focus and fresh energy to achieving our aims:

- _ Becoming_ more like Christ
- _ Reaching_ those we currently don't
- _ Growing_ in discipleship, influence and numbers
- _ Transforming_ our finances and structures

Our approach is aligned with a commitment to the best of our parochial inheritance and to the poorest communities, and to the financial realities we face.

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