Associate Rector for Welfare and Spiritual Care – Episcopal News Service

What we are looking for

We are looking for a new Associate Rector who can help lead our parish toward an essential understanding of Christian spirituality and the role it plays in well-being. This important emerging ministry will encourage and equip people to find deeper connections with God, leading to new paths of healing and addressing core issues in their quest for a better life and a better world.

Our new associate will work closely with a talented team of other clergy and staff in the shared work of preaching, teaching, and program leadership, drawing on the experiences and resources of a congregation. of 6,000 members with an annual budget of $5.6 million.

Christ Church is strongly committed to pioneering work to nurture the connections between spirituality and well-being. Like many churches, we have longstanding creative pastoral ministries. Through this work, which is shared by all of our clergy, we have become more aware of the importance of spirituality for individuals, families and communities, and of the ongoing care of our congregation. We believe that “spiritual well-being is having a connection with God that nurtures and inspires our lives”.

While gratefully acknowledging the value of traditional medicine and other treatments, we also believe that spirituality has an underappreciated role in helping people live resilient lives. We know that cultivating a deeper spiritual life has the power to prevent and alleviate suffering, and to help people heal and recover from crisis.

Over the years we have benefited from the incredible wisdom of guest speakers and collaborators – Lisa Miller, Ned Hollowell, Lauren Winner, Nora Gallagher, Kate Bowler, Robert Wicks and Christine Moutier, to name a few. – who served as resources and challenged us to imagine what this ministry might look like.

To learn more about our commitment to this type of ministry, we invite you to read “Church invests in mental health in response to suffering of parishioners” at episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/07/11/a-church-invests -in-mental-health-in-response-to-the-suffering-of-parishioners.

We don’t expect you to have all the answers. We don’t have them either. But we are committed to exploring this life-saving work together.

What our partner will do

CELEBRATING AND HONORING the vision and mission of The Episcopal Church of Christ and the Episcopal tradition of diversity, equity, and inclusion that we proclaim.

WORSHIP AND PREACHING in a variety of styles and contexts: Rite I and Rite II, with formal preaching and rich music; our informal and participatory contemporary worship service; our relaxed Family Discovery Service for the youngest among us in the parish hall; our Sunday evening service, employing a variety of music and readings from around the world; and yet more forms to be identified that help us draw closer to God in new ways.

TEACH the basics of Christian spirituality and help people make the connections between spirituality and well-being. Organize and lead classes, workshops, retreats and conferences, gathering resources to help make Christ Church a source of well-being for members and people in our community, the wider church and the world.

COLLABORATE with our Wellness Team to create psycho-educational offerings to support people in times of crisis and recovery, tailored to the lived experiences of our parishioners. Promoting adolescent and adult mental health wellness around issues such as grief, depression, substance abuse and suicide prevention.

DEEPEN our efforts to train members of the Church of Christ in the work of pastoral visitation and support to assist clergy in the pastoral care of the congregation. Develop and implement a model of training and ongoing support for these lay pastors.

SHARE responsibilities with other clergy in pastoral care, weekday liturgies or services, home and hospital visitation, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other church rites.

There is a real emphasis on leadership development within Christ Church staff and especially with clergy. Ongoing training and personal leadership coaching is provided and encouraged for each clergy member. These resources, coupled with ongoing vocational discernment with the rector, create vibrant ministries that occupy that vocational sweet spot where community needs and personal growth meet.

OUR NEXT ASSOCIATE WILL BE…

• Committed to their own inner life and able to articulate the role of spirituality in their life and community • Curious, with an interest and passion for the issues we all encounter • Excited about how to connect spirituality and practices to life, families and community • Experienced in working with individuals and groups • Willing to commit to building and leading this ministry in Christ Church for five to seven years. • Energetic, passionate and collaborative • Digital savvy and comfortable with technology • Eager to learn our names and remember our stories • A quick learner who can easily assimilate into a complex organization • Able to juggle with several responsibilities, to meet deadlines; motivated to set and achieve goals; responsible and organized • A team player, willing to set aside own work to help others, both clergy and lay staff, during busy times • Versatile, cheerful, and flexible • Respectful of different opinions

OUR DESIRE IS THAT OUR ASSOCIATE…

• Commit to self-care; devoted to emotional health as well as physical health; have a network of care to provide long-term support • Have a rich and nurturing spiritual life lived in regular prayer, study and meditation that grows one’s friendship with God • Adopt high standards of behavior and performance and maintain a confident attitude, authentic sense of self • Model a balanced professional and personal life by maintaining healthy boundaries • Take all vacations and sabbaticals; stay rested and refreshed • Make family and friends a priority

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT US…

• Pets are welcome in the office. • Our clergy and staff are extremely collaborative, complementary and non-competitive, and clergy take semi-annual retreats together. • Some of our clergy stay at Christ Church for a long time; others become rectors or bishops. Either way, we are a greenhouse for priestly development.

Participate in our research

1) Tell us how to contact you: Name / Address / Preferred phone / Preferred email

2) Provide your current position and location

3) Identify your diocese of canonical residence

4) Help us get to know you by submitting the following:

• An updated OTM portfolio • A resume • Answers to our questions (on the next page) • A 500-word autobiographical statement • Letters of recommendation from three people – a clergy, a layman, and a member of the clergy or laity not supervised by you and not related to you. Please ask your references to read our materials and then focus their comments on what in your life and ministry makes you a good candidate for this unique calling.

5) Send us your documents: Send your documents electronically to: [email protected].Deadline for submission of complete application files: April 15, 2022

Our schedule

Application deadline: April 15, 2022
Interviews: to be determined
Call made: TBD
Start date: Negotiable

Contact us

If you would like to have a conversation to learn more about this position, contact Chip Edens, Rector, at [email protected] or email the search committee at [email protected].

Questions

Please answer these five questions in 500 words or less each:

1) Describe an experience that has been healing and restorative for you. How do you practice spiritual wellness in your own life?

2) How do you currently approach spiritual well-being in your professional ministry?

3) What ideas do you have for providing spiritual growth through worship, teaching, retreat, community, pilgrimage, and other experiences?

4) How could you use technology to lead or facilitate a spirituality and wellness ministry?

5) Describe an experiment you conducted. What went well? What went wrong? What would you change? What did you learn from this experience?

WE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU…
Once we get to know you better, our conversations could cover the following topics: • Where do you find the humor? Joy? Beauty? What energizes you? • What life experiences have enriched you, allowed you to connect more deeply with people, helped you see God’s grace at work? • How do you stay connected to your community, your city and the world? What apps are on your phone? What music is playing in the background? What are you reading? When you go out for dinner, what type of restaurant do you look for? • What credentials would you be open to exploring (eg, spiritual direction) or do you already have? • How do you stay spiritually centered while at the same time being digitally connected? • What are your Sabbath practices? • Your career so far. Did you have a previous calling? What brought you to the Church?

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