Jobs at SUTTON COLDFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH

View Apply Now

Associate Minister

SUTTON COLDFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH

SUTTON COLDFIELD

Full-time

SUTTON COLDFIELD
BAPTIST CHURCH

Associate Minister
Appendix 1 - Person Specification

In partnership with

FA LC O N L O DG E

CHAPEL

Understanding and sharing in the vision and principles of
Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church & Falcon Lodge Chapel

• Shares the values and belief of the churches such that they are able to articulate and

model them clearly.

• Ensures that all activities are conducted in a way that is consistent with the vision of the

•

churches.
Lives a life consistent with the agreed leader’s values of Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church
(available during the interview process).

Identifies with a broad evangelical, charismatic theological viewpoint.

• Baptised as a believer.
•
• Understands, focuses and delivers on church objectives.
• Regular attendance at and in good standing with the leadership of the locally attended

church.

• Signs up to, and continues to accept, the Baptist Union of Great Britain Declaration of
Principle (a copy is included in this pack) and Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church’s Ethos
Statement (a copy is included in this pack).

Competence in Church leadership

Is able to command respect and trust from a wide range of the Christian community.

•
• Able to initiate and plan projects, communicate well, and delegate.
• Has the ability to envision, encourage, enable, equip, disciple, and teach.
• An approachable, sensitive, caring, confidential and gracious manner.
• Can complete general leadership tasks including strategic thinking, project initiation,

planning, communication, delegation, supervision, and conflict management.

• Understands and respects confidentiality.
•

Is able to manage and handle conflict well through maintaining unity, reconciliation, and
shared outcomes.

Experience and competence in pastoral care

• Has a natural gifting in and current experience in teaching and pastoral care.
• Creates empathy with individuals, demonstrates compassion and patience with good

listening skills.

• Understands the principles of Christian pastoral care, particularly in reference to crisis care,

bereavement, trauma, conflict, and anxiety.

• Understands and can support adults with mental ill health.
• Willing and able to undertake pastoral visits to people in their homes and within the

community.

• Values and understands the different counselling approaches and is able to select the

appropriate response (i.e. not rigidly practising any one particular technique or method of
pastoral care).

• Has or gains knowledge of other care and support agencies and networks that can be

•

used.
Is able to offer care and support to those with differing lifestyle choices or beliefs without
judgement or discrimination.

• Able to handle other people’s suffering without fear or undue anxiety.

The ability to teach and train

• Understands and can explain the core Christian beliefs.
• Has a good knowledge of the Bible, its content, context and application and can interpret,
explain and apply it in different contexts (such as small groups, Sunday services, pastoral
situations).

• Able to differentiate between essential and secondary issues in Christian doctrine.
• Has undertaken or is willing to undertake verifiable theological study, demonstrating the
ability to study, understand biblical and theological issues and differentiate between
biblically orthodox and unorthodox ideas.
Is able to communicate well to groups; holds attention and speaks relevantly.

•

n
o
i
t
a
c
fi
i
c
e
p
S
n
o
s
r
e
P

Page 1

Self-motivated and able to take initiative

• Organises time productively to meet day-to-day schedules and tasks, proactively delivers

on time.

• Works precisely and accurately - ensures details are not overlooked.
• Deals with crises calmly and efficiently with a capability to think on feet.
• Actively identifies and pursues new opportunities.
• Develops strategic plans to implement longer-term goals.
• An ability to spot problems and implement solutions.

The ability to serve others and work well in a team

•

Is approachable and supportive; displays courtesy and tact with colleagues, volunteers,
attendees and visitors.

• Ensures needs are met promptly, pro-actively anticipates others’ requirements.
• When needed, adapts the way a job is performed to the circumstances and needs of the

church.

• Seeks out better ways of doing things - recommends improvements in team operations

and contributes to problem resolution.

• Acknowledges concerns of others and seeks to provide solutions by negotiating the best

working compromises.

• Seeks and accepts constructive feedback from colleagues. Learns from mistakes and

reflects on own performance, identifies opportunities to improve and actions.

• Willingly shares knowledge within the team, listens to the views of others.
• Demonstrates willingness to work with others to achieve own priorities.
• Willingness to serve with and for both women and men in leadership.

P
e
r
s
o
n
S
p
e
c
i
fi
c
a
t
i
o
n

The ability to lead teams

• Able to plan and implement a project, activity or event.
• Ensures others are clear about their roles and objectives.
• Advises and influences others to find solutions to meet challenges.
•

Leads meetings to achieve clear purpose through seeking opinions, addressing concerns,
winning commitment to agreed action.

• Motivates and makes others feel valued, giving praise and credit when due.
• Gets out and about; is visible and accessible in the role to the churches.
• Fosters effective team working by involving all team members.
• Distinguishes effectively between what should be done by others and what one should do

oneself.

• Empowers others by delegating appropriate tasks and responsibilities to them.
• Monitors performance and gives unbiased constructive feedback to helpers.
• Ensures that others buy into church goals and mission.
• Encourages innovation and creativity in others, actively supports others in achieving,

learning and developing their giftings.

• Encourages open communication to promote good morale and co-operation within team.

General

• Skills at levels appropriate to the post in numeracy, written and spoken English, and

technology.
Is able to pray with someone in need.

•
• Meets with other staff to pray for the daily life of the churches.
• Does not discriminate based on gender, age, race, religion, colour, or sexual orientation.

Page 2

View Apply Now

Associate Minister

SUTTON COLDFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH

34,718.32 per year

Sutton Coldfield

Full-time

SUTTON COLDFIELD
BAPTIST CHURCH

Associate Minister
Pastoral Care & Teaching

In partnership with

FA LC O N L O DG E

CHAPEL

m
o
r
f

e
m
o
c
l
e
W

We’re really pleased you’re considering this role.

In 2022 Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church was approached by
members of a local fellowship, Falcon Lodge Chapel, to provide
leadership support and vision
two
organisations entered into a Covenant Partnership in 2023 which
has now led us to jointly seek an Associate Minister to serve both
organisations.

r Thank you for your interest in the post of Associate Minister.
e
d
a
e
L
m
a
e
T
e
h
t

future. The

In order for this role to work well the person appointed will be
contractually employed by and under the leadership, support,
and supervision of Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church and
seconded for part of their working hours to Falcon Lodge Chapel to give a lead in their ministry
through teaching, pastoral work, and ministry to families.

the

for

In addition to participating in the leadership of Falcon Lodge Chapel, this role involves
participation in the pastoral care and teaching of Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church.

Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church is a largish church by UK standards, with around 500 active
adults attending. Located approximately 6 miles north of Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield is a busy
suburb with a variety of housing and a number of very good schools. The town features a
significant concentration of retail and local business, one of the largest urban parks in the United
Kingdom, and easy transport links into Birmingham City Centre.

Falcon Lodge Chapel is located approximately 2 miles from Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church.
The chapel is from an open brethren background with about 30 regular attendees. Since 2023 I
with another member of staff, Georgina, have been a part of the chapels leadership preparing
the ground for this next appointment. Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church have resourced the chapel
with preachers, practical help, and advice. We have seen a gradual increase in Sunday
attendance and aspire to reach out to younger generations, especially families. The chapel is
situated on the edge of a council estate which it has traditionally served and is entering an
exciting season with planning for a significant private housing development of over 5000
properties within close proximity. The person appointed will be expected to recognise and realise
the potential this will bring.

As churches we value our breadth of Christian perspectives within the Evangelical and
Charismatic labels. We are united around our individual missions and purposes, and united
around our mutual relationship.

At Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church we employ a staff team (see our website for details); the
person appointed will be expected meet the person specification and collaborate and work well
with the team. We expect all staff to agree with the Ethos Statement which can be found in this
pack.

Our experience is that it’s important to find someone whose gifting and calling aligns to the role.
When we are called to a role there is fulfilment and a love that carries us through the inevitable
challenges of Christian work.

In this pack we’ve put together everything we think you’ll want to know about the role. Should
you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

As you read through this information it is our prayer that God will inspire, guide and lead you.
Should you wish to apply, we would be grateful if you could provide your ministerial profile and
what interests you about this role via email to Mark Steel (mark@scbc.org.uk).

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in Christ

Donald Campbell
Team Leader

Page 1

n
o
i
t
p
i
r
c
s
e
D
b
o
J
&
e
o
R

Job Title
Associate Minister

Responsible to
Team Leader, Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church

Salary Range
£34,718.32 per annum
Salary listed is based on 40 hours per week for a candidate meeting the full person specification.

Holidays
5 weeks per annum plus public holidays.

Pension
Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church will make a pension contribution of 10% of your
annual salary to the group pension scheme.

Hours
Up to 40 hours per week including Sundays, evenings and occasional Saturdays.
The weekly hours for this role are negotiable between 20 and 40 to suit the applicant

Relocation
A relocation package is available for this role.

Manse
A manse is not provided for this role.

Contract
The contract will be permanent, and a probationary period of 6 months will be
applicable.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment
process by contacting Mark Steel mark@scbc.org.uk or 0121 355 5088.

There is an Occupational Requirement in accordance with the Equality Acts 2010 for the post-holder to be a Christian
who shares Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church’s ethos (Ethos Statement is available in this pack) and The Baptist Union
of Great Britain Declaration of Principle. These are outlined in this document.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service prior to an offer of
employment being made.

Please note that you will need to be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this position. You will be required to
provide proof of Right to Work in the UK.

Any appointment is subject to satisfactory references.

Privacy Information

Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church is committed to protecting your privacy and processing your data lawfully.

As part of your application and potential employment, we will hold information about you:

•
•

In connection with your application; to assess your suitability for the role.
In connection with any future employment; as part of entering into a contract of employment with you.

Your information will be stored securely and shared with those involved in the recruitment process and members of
the leadership team. Your information may be shared in order to obtain references and undertake DBS checks.

If your application for employment is unsuccessful we will hold your data on file for 6 months. At the end of that
period, your data is deleted or destroyed (unless we need to retain it for longer to exercise or defend any legal
claims).

You are under no obligation to provide data to Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church during the recruitment process.
However, if you do not provide the information, we may not be able to process your application.

Our full privacy policy is available on request.

Page 2

R
o
e
&
J
o
b
D
e
s
c
r
i
p
t
i
o
n

Role Summary

To develop the ministry of Falcon Lodge Chapel, and support the teaching and
pastoral ministry of Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church.

Falcon Lodge Chapel
The person appointed will be seconded from Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church to Falcon Lodge
Chapel, initially for 15 hours per week. It is expected these hours may change as the ministry
of Falcon Lodge Chapel continues to develop (the corresponding Sutton Coldfield Baptist
Church hours will proportionately decrease).

Sunday’s: to provide half of the teaching and preaching (currently a morning service) and
attendance at all Sunday services.

Teaching: to provide half of the teaching and preaching (currently a Sunday morning service).

Activities: attendance at mid-week activities for the community hosted by the chapel.

Pastoral visiting: to provide support and care for the church community as required.

Administration: support the smooth administrative running of the church.

Young Families: to lead on the development of a renewed outreach to young families.

Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church
The number of hours at Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church will be the difference between the 15
hours per week at Falcon Lodge Chapel and the appointed persons desired number of weekly
hours (up to 40 per week).

Pastoral Care: to support the Team Leader in the provision of pastoral care to the church, as
an expression of the love and compassion of Christ. To support the general care of the church
through small groups and provide crisis care.

Teaching: to be part of the teaching team who deliver the 8:30am Call to Prayer livestream
and midweek courses such as Alpha.

531
Average Sunday
attendance across four
services at
Sutton Coldfield
Baptist Church

1,500
Estimated weekly
footfall across
activities at
Sutton Coldfield
Baptist Church

35
Average Sunday
attendance at Falcon
Lodge Chapel, up 30%
in the past 12 months

100
Estimated weekly
footfall across activities
at Falcon Lodge
Chapel

Page 3

• Understanding and sharing in the vision and principles of
Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church & Falcon Lodge Chapel

• Competence in Church leadership

• Experience and competence in pastoral care

• The ability to teach and train

• Self-motivated and able to take initiative

• The ability to serve others and work well in a team

• The ability to lead teams

Please see Appendix 1 for the full person specification.

n
o
i
t
a
c
fi
i
c
e
p
S
n
o
s
r
e
P

Page 4

Ethos Statement

Making Sense of Life Together, Sharing the Love of Jesus

In this section we have sought to outline the vision, values and ethos of Sutton Coldfield
Baptist Church which all employees are required to share.

We are a community of Christians who live to worship God, to grow in our
understanding and experience of God, to share the good news about Jesus Christ and to
work for the common good. It is this Christian identity, our covenant with the Baptist
community and Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church’s agreed beliefs and values that are the
foundation of all we are and do.

Our Commitment to the Wider Baptist Community

Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church has chosen to covenant with the Baptist Union of Great
Britain and its member churches and organisations. Therefore, the Baptist Union of Great
Britain’s Declaration of Principle, Vision and Culture all inform our ethos as a Baptist
church.

y
t
i
t
n
e
d

I
n
a
i
t
s
i
r
h
C
r
u
O

Page 5

Ethos Statement

In recognition of the Baptist principle that each church has liberty, under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer the laws of Jesus Christ, based on our
theological convictions, Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church leadership has defined the
following vision, values and convictions for our mission and ministry, complemented by
the Vision and Culture of The Baptist Union of Great Britain.

Authority of Scripture

The practice and belief of the church is based on the principle that the Bible is the
inspired and authoritative Word of God. This means that we seek to submit always to the
truth it holds.

We search for the intended meaning of scripture and recognise that each generation has
had blind spots in the way it interpreted or applied scripture, and therefore so may we.
Consequently we constantly strive to continue the process of re-formation, in study and
openness to the Holy Spirit, being willing to grow and change our understanding of
what the Scripture writers meant. We recognise that followers of Jesus can legitimately
understand scripture in different ways, and so humility and grace are vital in application
of beliefs. Scripture teaches us how to live and inspires us.

Nevertheless, we hold firmly to foundational understandings of Christian Church best
summarised in the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith of which we are members.

Primacy of Love

The foundational command is to love. We are to love God and this is expressed in loving
others, we cannot love God without loving those he has created. 1 Corinthians 13
summarises and defines love for us.

The expectation of the church is that its leaders and staff will hold to the values in this
document but also will be willing to listen, respect, and work with members and
attenders who may hold differing theological views based on their understanding of the
intended meaning of the Bible.

S
t
a
t
e
m
e
n
t
o
f
B
e

l
i

e
f
s

Page 6

Ethos Statement

s
f
e

i
l

e
B
f
o
t
n
e
m
e
t
a
t
S

Making Disciples

Jesus called for people to be His disciples. That is, those who seek to love, know, copy
and obey Jesus. Christianity is not simply about converts, people with places in heaven,
but really about disciples – those who participate in bringing in the Kingdom of God.

The Good News of the Kingdom of God might be summarised in 5 aspects of the past,
present and future.

• A past forgiven – cleansing and deliverance from the intentional and unintentional

sins and failures of our life.

• Present worth – a recognition of the immeasurable love God has for us

demonstrated on the cross.

• Present purpose – an embracing of the call of God to live as we were created for,
using the gifts he has given us to partner in bringing in the Kingdom of love.

• Present help and guidance – the belief that God seeks to guide us both by his

declared word in scripture and by internal prompts coming from the filling of His
Spirit, so that we may lead loving, wise and fruitful lives. In addition to this the filling
of His Spirit offers to transform us into more Christlike people of love.

• Future hope – the faith that the sufferings of this world will one day give way to the

eternal resurrection of a new life with no more tears.

All of this brings a freedom and deliverance from destructive ways of living.

We are invited to participate in the mission of God to advance His Kingdom on earth as
it is in heaven.

We believe that we are called to make disciples (Matthew 28). We seek to do this
through the centrality of the love of Jesus in relationships, expressed in our mission
statement ‘Making Sense of Life Together, Sharing the Love of Jesus’.

Page 7

Ethos Statement

Making Disciples centred on the Love of Jesus

We seek to be a community centred on Jesus and His Word, responding in prayer, worship
and service, relating to each other with encouragement, grace and compassion.

Our understanding of Christianity is cross-centred, for the death and resurrection of Jesus is the
pivotal revelation of the Father heart of God, demonstrating the primacy of grace and mercy. We
believe Jesus to be our Saviour and Lord; Saviour because through His death we are saved from
the eternal consequences of our failure to love, as God would have us love, and Lord because we
seek now to obey and serve Him.

• We believe we are dependent on the God revealed in Jesus Christ and proclaimed in the

Bible.
Consequently our faith is a relationship with God developed by prayer and the study of God’s word.

• We believe the experience of the grace and mercy of Jesus, in the context of his majesty, and
our sin, is so profound that our lives become a continued relationship of thankful response.
Consequently worship is core to the way we live. Our primary worship is our daily life offered to God to be used for His
service. We come together to help each other to meet with God, hear from Him, and worship, striving to encourage
each other to worship and grow in ways that include others and build each other up.

• We believe we respond to the grace and mercy of God by prioritising forgiveness in the way

we relate to each other.
Consequently, we seek to resolve conflict with gentleness, recognising each others’ fallibility, and avoiding judging or
condemning others.

• We believe as disciples of Jesus we are to engage in His mission to “seek and to save the

lost” (Luke 19:10)
Consequently, we should be known or criticised, as Jesus was known or criticised; as a ‘Friend to Sinners’. (Matthew 11:19)
Consequently we will struggle to be home for those who do not recognise themselves as sinners, nor home for those
who do not want to be friends with sinners. But for all who humbly recognise within themselves imperfection and desire
to be kind and compassionate to others who are equally imperfect, we believe we are the right place.

• We believe God’s forgiveness and cleansing delivered through Jesus opens the door to a

new start in life, where there is recognition and repentance of past mistakes.

• We understand that there are also legitimate biblical grounds for divorce (e.g. sexual

immorality, abuse and neglect). Consequently under these circumstances neither divorce nor
remarriage are barriers to leadership or full participation in the life of the church.

•

In some other areas there may be weaknesses exposed in past mistakes, that will always be
temptations that should be avoided. Protecting people is a priority, we fully support and
implement all safeguarding recommendations.

• We believe God has a heart of compassion.

Consequently we seek to act compassionately; not measuring the value of our actions by the response they create but
by the care they give.

• We believe that we are to embrace our identity as God’s beloved children instead of other
identities rooted in difference. And that this leads to a second chosen identity modelled by
the apostles, that of being servants of Jesus.
Consequently we seek to help each other find our identity in Christ.

M
a
k
n
g
D
i
s
c
i
p
e
s

Page 8

Ethos Statement

Making Disciples by Sharing

We are representing Jesus; outwardly looking to share and proclaim His message and be
inspired to share not just in words but in the actions of generosity.

Because of God’s love, the church’s central mission is to represent Jesus and share His love. We
are called to be the body of Christ – his hands, mouth, feet, heart etc. to the world. We are
dependent on the Spirit of God to enable us to share Jesus in action and in word.

• We believe the Church is to be an open and welcoming community for the world not a
community for itself, but an outward community aiming to make disciples who disciple.
Consequently our resources and activities are not exclusively for believers or attendees but for anyone.

• We believe Jesus has something to say to everyone today.

Consequently we seek humbly to proclaim God’s Word by our lifestyles as well as by our words.

• We believe in intentionally and sensitively sharing our faith as individuals and as a church

community.
Consequently, our outreach focuses on our relationship networks, children and young people, and those in need for any
reason.

• We believe God to be generous and that everything we have belongs to Him and has been

entrusted to us by God for our care.
Consequently we encourage and inspire each other to give more to the needs of our world, recognising that sharing
and giving brings a greater fulfilment in life than holding on to what God has given us.

s
e
p
i
c
s
i
D
g
n
k
a
M

Page 9

Ethos Statement

Making Disciples Together

We seek to be depending on each other to offer the gifts the Spirit of God has given us, living
and caring for each other in small teams and groups and being globally and Kingdom minded
seeking justice and salvation for all of creation.

The church is a community of people desiring to follow Jesus, rather than a building or a one-
day activity. We need each other to help us live out the individual call of God upon our lives.

• We believe the Spirit of God gives different gifts to His followers. No one person has all the
gifts, so we are dependent on each other to play our part in order to fully represent Jesus.
Consequently we seek to work in teams sharing gifts and using each others’ strengths and weaknesses. We value shared
male and female leadership in church life, holding to the view that God created women and men equal in personhood
and that He calls and equally affirms both men and women into all forms of church leadership.

• We believe the Good News of Jesus breaks down the divisions that can occur in society.
Consequently we actively seek to integrate and include different ages, disabilities, ethnicities, and genders together.

• We will work hard to build bridges across theological divisions, and encourage those with

different convictions to work, worship and pray together with love, humility, acceptance and
grace.

• We hold to the understanding that while sexual orientation in and of itself is no barrier to
participation in the life of the church, sexual relationships should only be expressed in
faithful, committed relationships.

• We acknowledge that Christians hold different views on same sex relationships and marriage.

We take seriously the principles of Romans 14 in helping those whose consciences are
different to ours not to stumble, so we seek ways in which differing views co-exist without
causing the other difficulty. We seek a third way of being inclusive whilst being neither an
affirming nor a traditional church. We value those who, on their sincere understanding of
scripture do not believe the Bible teaches same sex relationships, at the same time as valuing
those whose conscience allows for this, asking that both viewpoints are not imposed on the
other. We unite in the belief that the damaging idolisation of sexual experience leads to
destructive promiscuity.

• We expect leaders and staff to have the confidence of a large majority of the church, and not

to be divisive.
Consequently, they will be appointed on the basis that their beliefs and lifestyle will not cause a significant stumbling
block to others.

• We believe we are to be a community that cares and disciples itself through small groups of

relationships and not by dependence on significant individuals.
Consequently the church invests in small groups; actively encouraging participation.

• We believe God to be global; so we partner with people around the world recognising and

sharing in God’s passion for diversity of race and his concern for justice and salvation for the
poor and lost. We recognise the privileges and responsibilities that come from living in our
part of the world.
Consequently, we do not shut our ears or eyes to the world, nor grow weary of involvement around the world in
practical, prayerful or financial support or in sending workers.

• We believe the beauty and wonder of nature glorifies God the creator and that God’s first

command to mankind was to manage the earth for Him.
Consequently we encourage each other in our responsibility to care for creation.

• We believe in seeking to build the kingdom of God not simply our church and in seeking to

bless other expressions of the Spirit of God.
Consequently, we value, support, enable and affirm service of God that is not in the church but is in work, the
community or another church. There is no expectation that everyone must have a responsibility in the church.

• The church is an “Open Baptist Church” meaning baptism and communion are matters for

the individual’s personal conviction.
Consequently, communion is open to all who feel it is right for them to participate irrespective of age or church status.

• Membership is open to all who acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Saviour publicly, whether in

believer’s baptism or not. However, as a Baptist Union Church all staff and senior leaders will
have been baptised as believers.

M
a
k
n
g
D
i
s
c
i
p
e
s

Page 10

s
e
p
i
c
s
i
D
g
n
k
a
M

Ethos Statement

Making Disciples by Making Sense of Life

We are convinced of the need to make sense to a broken world, we believe in God’s wisdom
for everyday life, having a faith that makes a difference to everyday living. We are seeking to
listen to God and apply faith to real life for growth and change, valuing diversity, relevance
and honesty.

We have experienced the faithfulness of God through the difficulties of life and so we trust in the
unfailing love of God even when everything is not as we would want. Everything we do
recognises the joys and struggles of real life and seeks to be understandable, accessible and
relevant for all people, particularly those not yet in faith. We believe our faith to be life changing,
as we seek to allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives.

• We believe God wants to speak to us today, by His Spirit.

Consequently we seek to hear God by being open to Him speaking, through His word and through each other, and
apply his truth to our lives.

• We seek to offer practical help in life without judgement.

• We believe the Christian faith must be communicated in a way that is relevant to the cultures

in which it is being shared.
Consequently we seek in all we do to be understandable and practical avoiding exclusive or archaic communication or
activity.

• We seek for all our services and activities to be informal, visual, using today’s language and

music.

• We believe in encouraging the honesty of weakness.

Consequently we recognise the unanswered questions of difficult life issues. We endeavour to be patient with the
imperfect seeking to see wholeness and healing whilst trusting God for what is still to come.

• We believe the diversity of need, temperament and availability that exists in our community,
means one solution or ministry does not fit all peoples. We embrace our size sensing it offers
a unique opportunity to specialise and diversify as well as resource and seek quality
activities.
Consequently. we embrace diversity of approach, ministry and involvement.

Page 11

Ethos Statement

We seek to build our vision on seven essential ministries. Each ministry
is equally important to the growth of the church.
Prayer: Enabling and encouraging people to pray and receive prayer.

We see prayer as a fundamental building block of the church, we seek God’s will in prayer before
we act, and we seek God’s power and strength as we act. We offer and encourage prayer in a
number of ways.

Strategy: To birth, ground and sustain everything in prayer, encouraging as many opportunities as possible to pray and be
prayed for.

Teaching the Bible: Teaching Biblical truth and wisdom, in ways that can be heard and applied
by both people at all stages in life and faith.

We believe the Bible to be essential in our search for answers and in our relationship with God.
We work hard to explain the Bible and apply it to life, teaching systematically through books of
the Bible.

Strategy: To explain the Bible emphasising understanding, relevance and application.

Worship: Loving God for who he is and what he has done.

Whilst worship is a life of service to him; it is also a personal and meaningful encounter with
God. We value the experience of renewal that this church has had and continue to seek to
provide services that enable a real and meaningful encounter with God, by his Spirit. We believe
in the power of gratitude and seek to encourage this as a foundation of our relationship with
God.

Strategy: To encourage each other to worship with authenticity and reality, with reflection as well as exuberance, with tears as
well as joy.

Youth & Children: Outreach and discipleship among young people and children. Seeking to
guide each young person to be mature in Christ.

The church has long loved and prioritised children and young people. The church strives always
to be a place for all ages, not least the young.

Strategy: To prioritise reaching the next generation by building relationships through; growing children into teenagers in faith,
enabling children and teenagers to share faith with their friends, and reaching out to young people beyond the boundaries.

Small Groups: Enabling each member to be committed to a small group of people.

We seek to be a large church of small groups. Our small groups are trying to be communities
that seek to “make sense of life, together and share the love of Jesus” - places of relevance and
support for daily living.

Strategy: To primarily develop pastoral care, discipleship and evangelism through small groups.

Outreach: Sharing our faith at home and abroad, through example, action and explanation.

As a church we undertake to provide creative, understandable and relevant services and events
that anyone can bring a friend to any week. We are committed to growth on the site we now
occupy with multiple services. We also are committed to helping other local churches; currently
expressed in our covenant relationship with Falcon Lodge Chapel. We are also involved in
supporting Christian workers who have gone out from this church around the world.

Strategy: To provide accessible activities that facilitate relationship building and explanation, to encourage personal witness
and invitation.

Practical Help & Advice: Offering help to those in need, within the church, without and abroad.

We seek to offer practical help without judgement or strings attached, and have a number of
projects in the community. We have a strong concern for justice throughout the world.

Strategy: To care; offering support, wisdom and prayer believing compassion is an end not a means to an end.

S
e
v
e
n
C
o
r
e
M
n
i
s
t
r
i
e
s

Page 12

SUTTON COLDFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH

2 roles available