9:38 Apprenticeships at St Peter’s Church, Harold Wood

About St Peter’s Church, Harold Wood

We are a conservative evangelical church of about 400 adults and 100 children spread across all ages and stages of life.

We are an “ordinary” local church located in Harold Wood (which is 30 minutes by train from the City of London and five minutes from junction 28 of the M25).

We are together seeking to grow in godliness and to reach Harold Wood and beyond with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Our mission statement calls us to:

• Reach the lost with the gospel

• Tend the flock in the love of God

• Teach disciples from the word of God

• Send out workers into the service of God

The church is led by David Banting. His colleagues on the staff team include an associate minister, curate, youth worker and assistant, and normally two apprentices and further support staff.

Apprentices

We are looking to appoint up to two apprentices to join the team from 1 September 2012. We are deeply committed to helping individuals lay down foundations for a lifetime of serving Christ.

Our apprenticeship scheme at St Peter’s helps individuals grow in character. We want to produce servants who are willing to get their hands dirty even when nobody is noticing. Practical jobs such as washing up, child-minding, chair moving, photocopying etc. are all vital parts of the training.

We also train our apprentices to grow in competence. They spend one day per week in Cambridge training on The East Anglia Ministry Training course, where they are taught biblical theology, doctrine, bible-handling tools and practical ministry skills. They also get hands-on experience in teaching and – if appropriate – in preaching. Apprentices also meet regularly with senior staff members for guided reading and discussion.

Apprentices come to us with a wide range of backgrounds and experience, though normally immediately after graduation from university. We tailor the training for each individual, with many opportunities in youth and children’s work, speaking, and 1-2-1 discipleship. Thorough review and feedback is a feature of the scheme. Many of our past apprentices are now serving in full-time paid gospel ministry.

Who are we looking for?

Young men or women who love Christ; are willing to work hard and responsibly; are committed to the Bible as God’s Word to be both obeyed personally and taught to others; are growing in maturity and have shown some abilities in Bible-teaching in small groups and 1-2-1.

The appointment will be subject to an enhanced CRB disclosure.

Finance

We do not ask Apprentices to raise any money towards their time with us. We will provide full board and lodging with members of the church family and a monthly allowance currently set at £180 plus all working expenses.

What do I do next?

Contact the vicar, Revd. David Banting, for an initial conversation. We will then request a C.V. and contact details for two referees (one from a term-time church and – if possible – from a home church). David can be contacted:

15 Athelstan Road, Harold Wood, Essex, RM3 0QB

01708 349418 / 01708 342080

Or use this contact form.

In addition you may wish to contact one of our current or former apprentices and find out first-hand what an apprenticeship at St Peter’s offers:

• a current apprentice, Alice King, who is about to begin her second year with us.
• a former apprentice, James Croucher. James is now training for ordained ministry at Oak Hill theological college.
• a former apprentice, Lauren Fenn. Lauren is still a member of St Peter’s.
  

Use this contact form and we'll put you in touch.