Apprenticeships

The opportunity

Gunnersbury Baptist Church is an evangelical church located in Chiswick, West London.. Approximately 130 attend our Sunday morning service, with a smaller meeting in the evening. The congregation represents the full range of ages and backgrounds of local people. We have an ongoing programme of Sunday and weekday activities.

We have appointed an Assistant Pastor in January 2008 to work alongside our full-time Pastor, Lewis Allen. We wish to add one male and one female apprentice to this team.

The Role

An apprentice's role would depend on their gifts and experience. However, our desire is to see the youth and children's work developed and the apprentices would need to be gifted in this area. We have Sunday morning classes and a Friday night youth club which need enthusiastic and mature leaders.

Alongside the church's weekend activities with youth and children we have good links with local schools, where we take assemblies and other teaching opportunities. Whilst strengthening these links we are looking to develop other activities for younger people.

Bible teaching skills could also be developed in other areas such as home groups, one to one discipleship, Christianity Explored and in Sunday leading and preaching (for the male apprentice).

Some possible practical duties and administrative tasks could be involved.

We are flexible on the model of apprenticeship that we adopt. We would consider part-time training with us and part-time secular employment. Our preference is for a two year appointment.

The training

There would be a programme of mentoring and training worked into the apprenticeship scheme. The ideal model for our apprenticeships is to have the apprentices studying two days per week on the Cornhill Training Course in Central London, whilst working with us for the rest of each week.

The apprentices will be paired with an Elder or other senior member of the church. This person will ensure regular meetings to discuss their work and study and ensure necessary support and guidance.

The person

Applicants must have:

• A personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, and a mature understanding of Biblical Truth.
• A desire to live a life pleasing to God, and to grow in learning and service.
• A love for people, and for helping them to understand and grow in the Christian faith.

The nitty gritty

The church will seek to put seek to put the applicants in touch with those who could offer accommodation but did not accept any responsibility of finding suitable accommodation or of finding alternative accommodation if the first was considered inappropriate. The church will reimburse all approved expenses incurred as a result of duties at Gunnersbury.

It is expected that the apprentices will be entirely self-supporting.

Starting date from September 2008.

For further information, please contact Lewis Allen at Gunnersbury Baptist Church, Wellesley Road, London W4 4BE, 020 8987 2965. Email: lewis.allen@onetel.net