Youth Pastor

Job Title: Youth Pastor

Overall Purpose: To pastor and lead youth within Carrickfergus Vineyard Church, grasp opportunities for effective outreach, build a team to do this and connect well with the wider church

Hours: 37.5 hours per week - Full time, with regular evening and weekend work.

Salary Range: £27-29,000 per annum.

Line Managed by: Associate Pastor

Carrickfergus Vineyard is a local church based in East Antrim, Northern Ireland, part of Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland. Our dream is to see lives made new, through encountering Jesus, in every part of our community. We are a place of hope where people can come as they are and as they find life in Jesus, filled by the Holy Spirit, share this with those around them. Alongside our values of ‘connection’, ‘community’ and ‘compassion’, we guard ‘legacy', desiring to leave a legacy of faith for the next generations. We deliberately invest in our children and young people to share Jesus with them and equip the next generation to follow Him wholeheartedly. With other Vineyards we believe “everyone gets to play” and trust that children and young people also carry the Kingdom of God to their family, schools, church, community and beyond.

Job Summary

This Youth Pastor role will focus on ministry among young people from P6/7 - Year 14 and support transitions both into and out of youth.

Grow a youth movement: We want to equip our young people to follow God wholeheartedly. Will you invest in the young people around our church? As such, we would want the person in this role to

● Disciple and assist the young people in their spiritual formation

o Develop spaces, programmes and opportunities that help young people grow in their discipleship with effective teaching and learning.

Passing on the tools of faith: how to know God more, how to pray, how to read the Bible, how to live out their faith, how to step out in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how to share their faith with others.

Facilitating and encouraging youth to be active and mobilised in their faith, reaching out beyond our walls. Creating opportunities where young people can serve and participate

Note part of this will be running the Sunday morning and evening programmes

o Facilitate special events

Run a yearly residential to support faith development and community belonging

Help with the in-house weekend

▪ Attend Youth Camp (MOVE)

o Provide pastoral support to young people

▪ Work alongside parents to support young people through challenges

signpost/refer young people and families to appropriate services/support when required

Grasp opportunities for effective outreach: We want to engage with young people across Carrick – do you have a heart for community evangelism? As such, we would want the person in this role to

● Foster good relationships with the local schools

● Alongside which, serve schools through assistance in after-schools, helping with SU and running Alpha in schools

● Explore new opportunities to engage with young people across Carrick;

o Explore and initiate creative ways to connect with young people in the places and spaces they are.

o Seek ways to connect with young people to help them explore faith

Build team: Youth Ministry is not a solo provision; will you grow the team? As such, we would want the person in this role to

● Invest in volunteers

● Encourage others to serve

Create an interns programme

● And ensure training and effective safeguarding is in place

● Explore how mentoring could enhance the youth ministry, e.g. with volunteers or with young people

Connect well with the wider church: We value unity and connection. Will you help young people love the church and help the church to love young people? As such, we would want the person in this role to

● Foster strong relationships with the Staff team

Work with the strategy of the church as a whole

● Seek to help young people find their place in the church family, for example, the role of life groups, community endeavours

Build strong connections across key transition points e.g. move from primary school into secondary school and the move from secondary school into adulthood. Building relationships with key leaders in these areas and possible programmes

● Help the whole church to be involved – regular updates, opportunities to serve and support and adding to the intergenerational nature of church and faith

● Alongside this build good partnerships with other churches and youth organisations across the areas

Effective administration and management skills: We want the youth ministry to be well organised, safe and sustainable. Will you ensure the ministry is effectively managed? As such, we would want the person in this role to

● Maintain accurate records, consent forms and safeguarding documentation

● Plan and coordinate youth programmes, events and activities effectively

● Manage the youth ministry budget responsibly and within agreed parameters

● Communicate effectively with parents, volunteers and young people

Ensure appropriate policies, procedures and risk assessments are in place and adhered to

Applicable to all CV staff

Ensure Health and Safety procedures are followed in accordance with relevant policies and risk assessments are completed.

● Participate with set up and management of Sunday services, special services and events as directed.

● Ensure your ministry space is clean before and after use, plus any other ‘all staff’ cleaning areas as required.

● Prepare for and attend staff meetings.

● Prepare for and attend weekly meetings with Line Manager.

● Prepare for and attend Annual Appraisal (including review, evaluation and target setting).

● Attend relevant training courses as approved by Line Manager.

Attend and serve at wider church events, such as leaders’ gatherings, special services and newcomers’ gatherings where required.

● Attend Vineyard Churches UK&I regional and national gatherings when required.

● Perform the job in accordance with CV’s policies and procedures.

The list of duties contained above is not intended to be exhaustive. Other duties not listed above may be required from time to time and it is a condition of employment that the post holder be willing to undertake other reasonable duties as may be required from time to time.

June 2026

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Youth Pastor
	ESSENTIAL CRITERIA	DESIRABLE CRITERIA
QUALIFICATIONS	• 3 A levels (or equivalent)	Training/Qualificationin a youth work relateddisciplineTheological or Biblecollege training orrelevant third levelqualification
RELEVANTEXPERIENCE	A minimum of 2 years'recentexperience working with 10 to18year-olds.Proven ability in relational youthwork Knowledge of the issues that faceyoung people in our culture.Experience creating anddeveloping youth programmesA knowledge and understandingof child protection.Experience of working withvolunteers	Experience of runningAlphaExperience ofrecruiting, leading teamsof volunteers
PARTICULARSKILLS/ABILITIES	Strong interpersonal skills and abilityto work as part of a teamStrong communication skills andorganisational skillsAn ability to act on their own initiativeto prioritise and manage their ownworkloadThe ability to build and sustainrelationships with volunteers, staff,parents, and other stakeholders.Knowledge of safeguarding and childprotection.Driving License and access to a car,or other suitable means of transport.Flexible, willing to work unsociablehours	• Knowledge andexperience of ITsystems andexperienceExperience creatingyouth content forSocial Media,Ability to buildrelationships with otherchurches andcommunity organisations
PERSONALITY/DISPOSITION	● Due to the nature of this role there is agenuine occupational requirement tobe a Christian. This includes fullcommitment to the Vineyard ChurchesUK and Ireland Statement of faith:https://www.vineyardchurches.org.uk/resources/statement-of-fa ith/

Miscellaneous

● Work-related expenses will be reimbursed monthly on a receipted basis. A mileage allowance will be paid for car journeys.

● Holidays: 35 days per annum, inclusive of Bank Holidays

This work will require some evening and weekend work. These sessions will be considered part of your working hours, and where extra time is required TOIL will be accrued and redeemed as agreed at a later stage.

● All staff within the organisation are required to complete an application for an AccessNI check as a condition of employment.

Carrickfergus Vineyard is working with CIY as part of Project Y in the creation and support of this role and ministry.

Application procedure

Please send your completed application to Brian Moore brian@carrickfergusvineyard.org

● Closing date is Tuesday 14th July 2026 at 12noon

Note – an applicant will not be shortlisted unless they demonstrate on their application form that they meet all the essential criteria. The appointment panel reserves the right to apply the desirable criteria to assist with shortlisting a reasonable number of candidates for interview

● Please note we are planning to hold interviews for this post on Friday, 24th July 2026