Parish Assistant St Dunstan and All Saints Stepney
St Dunstan’s is the parish church of Stepney and has been called the Mother Church of the East End. The Church is a lively and inclusive Church of England Community of faith where a variety of people from many walks of life join together for prayer, worship, fellowship and explore together what it means to be the people of God in Stepney. There are 107 people on the electoral roll, and there are normally 60-100 people in church on a Sunday morning for the Mass. There are a number of families with children, and there is a Crèche area.
It is one of the largest parishes in the London with a population of more than 29,000. It is in one of the most deprived parishes in the Diocese of London (360 out of 403). There are however pockets of affluence, with Canary Wharf and Docklands a short distance away to the South east and the Parish touching the City of London in the West.
St Dunstan’s is based in the middle of a large Churchyard and has a large footfall of people walking past it. St Dunstan’s has some of the attributes of an old fashioned village church. Many of the local families remember coming to the Church as children and it is seen as the family church for many. The younger generation want their babies Baptised at the same church that their parents and often their grandparents were married in. Funerals bring many of those families together.
St Dunstan’s has 10 schools in the parish and a similar number of Nursery Schools. Sarah Smith is the Children and Community worker at St Dunstan’s who organises school visits, a mother and toddler group and a youth group.
There is a City farm opposite, which is a vibrant community visited by lots of the local families and young people of the area. There is a good relationship with the Farm and for two years, in conjunction with the local Salvation Army there has been a nativity play for the local community.
The Arbour Community Centre, a short distance from the Church, has traditionally responded to local needs and has supported the changing local population made up of different migrant population. It was established by St Dunstan’s after World War II as a response to local social and economic deprivation.
Post Details
The Parish Assistant is an internship which lasts one calendar year and is usually offered to those discerning their vocation after university.
Normally the Parish Assistant starts in September and ends in August the following year.
The stipend is £6,000 per annum paid through the Stewardship payroll service into a bank account.
A pleasant furnished two bedroom flat is provided free of charge and council tax. The parish assistant is responsible for paying their share of electricity, gas. Telephone and internet are provided.
The Parish Assistant will be answerable to the Rector.
The normal day off for the Parish Assistant is Monday but this can be changed by negotiation with the Rector.
Post Description
Attend the daily offices of Morning Prayer (9.30am) and Evening Prayer (4.30pm) Tuesday to Friday.
Serve at the daily Mass and occasional; funerals, memorials, carols and weddings.
Lead, read or intercede at the daily office in rotation with other members of the team.
Prepare for and serve at the Sunday Parish Mass at 10.00am. It is envisaged that the Parish Assistant will learn each of the liturgical roles during the year.
Open and close the church daily, Tuesday to Saturday and keep an eye on the building in rotation with other members of the team.
Thursday is normally a day free from duties on the church site for project work and visiting.
Edit and print the weekly liturgy sheet and other occasional liturgy sheets.
Answer telephone, e-mail and other written enquiries and/or redirect to the correct people.
Maintain the databases of contacts and mailings.
Help keep our social media up to date and interesting. Training will be given if required.
Learn to give guided tours of the church to school groups of varying ages, tourists and other visitors and help with the school visits programme.
Visit parishioners in their homes and take communion to the sick in rotation with other members of the team.
Participate in the bi-weekly full staff meeting.
What we believe you will learn and experience
How a variety services are constructed and structured.
The full cycle of the liturgical year in an Anglo-Catholic setting; Lent, Holy Week, the Tridium, Patronal Festival, Advent and Christmas.
Leading, reading and interceding at the daily office.
How to serve at the Mass and other services.
How the administration of a church works.
Other sources of information
Parish Web Site: http://www.stdunstanstepney.com
Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Dunstan's,_Stepney