VACANCIES

Job title: Kids Pastor

Department: Rising Generations

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible

Working days/hours: Full-time

Rate of pay: Enquire for salary details

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Negotiable

Other expectations: Whilst the role will usually be Sunday to Thursday, the role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church—praying at prayer meetings, serving on team, giving financially, and growing as part of a Hangout.

● Oversee River Church’s mission and ministry to Kids (0-11s) and their families, leading significant growth in number and depth of discipleship

● Lead, pastor, co-ordinate, train, and grow the River Kids Team

● Oversee, plan and lead kids-focussed aspects of Sunday services, working to expand capacity and grow numbers of children and families involved

● Plan and lead midweek groups, activities, courses, and events aimed at children and families, such as Baby Love (our group for parents, babies, and toddlers), the Parenting Course, and other future groups (including a new service for kids and families)

● Lead kids ministry within local primary schools and nurseries, such as taking assemblies, leading after-school or lunch clubs, RE lessons and similar activities, as opportunities arise, building on existing contacts and developing new partnerships

● Make contact and build relationships with unchurched and de-churched kids and families in Ipswich, and lead them on a pathway of discipleship, equipping the Kids Team to do the same

● Inviting parents and carers to Alpha and creating opportunities to run Alphas suitable for this demographic (i.e., through providing childcare or at strategic times and locations)

● Collaborate with the Social Transformation department where their work serves children and young families, to build their connection with River Church

● Train, mentor, and prepare members of the Kids Team to ensure the provision of excellent kids worship, mission, and ministry, and to release team members into leadership where appropriate

● Work with Senior Leaders and other ministry staff to plan events, meetings, and services

● Manage the kids department budget

● Manage and mentor Kids Team River College Students (interns), releasing them into appropriate levels of leadership

● Lead and contribute to Alpha, Staff Meeting, Department Meetings, Prayer Meeting, Hangouts, Focus, and Sunday Services (including some preaching and/or teaching)

● Collaborate with the Communications and Media Manager to curate River Kids social media channels

● Work with the Student Pastor to assist in River Church’s ministry to young people (11-18), and to ensure a smooth transition from River Kids to River Youth

● Ensure that kids team volunteers are recruited safely, following the safer recruitment policy, and that all regulatory requirements regarding safeguarding and health and safety are met, attending training as required

● Manage DBS checks and safeguarding training across River Church, working closely with the Safeguarding Officer

● Ad hoc tasks and other project work which enhances the ministry and mission of River Church

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

● has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

● Believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible and in accordance with the CEEC basis of faith and declarations

● is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church, and passionate about seeing people coming to know Jesus in Ipswich

● has a passion for reaching children with the gospel and to seeing them grow into all that God has created them to be in Christ

● has the capacity to provide spiritual leadership within the kids team and to contribute to the spiritual direction of the wider church

● is theologically astute

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

● has the ability to teach, train and develop kids team volunteers

● has excellent teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

● has excellent organisational skills and time management

● is self-motivated

● has excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to connect with children

● has outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal

● has a high attention to detail and high production values

● is able to manage a departmental budget

● is flexible, with a can-do attitude

● is teachable, has a desire to learn and grow, and is willing to undergo any necessary training

● understands the importance of confidentiality and has good self-awareness

● has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

● has experience in leading services, prayer, and worship for kids

● has outstanding ability to communicate Christian teaching to kids

● has confidence ministering in the Holy Spirit

● has a thorough understanding of statutory Child Protection/Safeguarding requirements

It is desirable that the role holder:

● has relevant degree-level qualifications connected to children, education, and/or theology

● is experienced in and/or has the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and ChurchSuite

● has an eye for design and aesthetics

● is able to use digital technology and social media to contribute to kids ministry

● is able to preach to and teach adults, as well as children

● has other skills which could contribute to the wider life and ministry of River Church

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Worship Pastor

Department: Worship and Production

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Principal location: River Church Ipswich

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible.

Working days/hours: Full-time (Sunday to Thursday)

Salary: Up to £26,000 (dependent on experience)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Initial 2 years with the option to extend or become permanent

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church, committed to praying, serving, giving financially, and growing as a disciple of Jesus in a Hangout.

• Work with Senior Leaders to oversee all aspects of worship, production, and services at River Church

• Ensure that worship and production at River Church embody our goals to be Spirit-filled, people-empowering, fun-loving, and abundantly-living, and exhibit musical excellence

• Lead the worship and production team, training, pastoring, managing, mentoring, and discipling volunteers, ensuring that team members are modelling mature Christian discipleship, and growing in their faith

• Recruit and audition new team members to meet future demands (i.e., sufficient team for additional services and church plants to be sent without level of bands dropping)

• Run weekly Thursday evening rehearsals for worship bands and production volunteers serving on any given week, as well as regular team nights, and group and one-to-one sessions to up-skill worship and production team members

• Train and release new worship leaders to serve across River Church, and to resource future church plants

• Lead worship as required on Sundays, Alpha, River College, Overflow (prayer and worship nights), 7am Prayer, and at other services and events

• Oversee the planning and delivery of Sundays, ensuring that deadlines are met, service plans are created and published, team rotas are filled, and that logistical factors relating to production, staging, and worship are considered

• Manage MultiTracks, preparing set lists and tracks for all worship sets

• Ensure compliance with best safeguarding practice across the worship and production team

• Manage worship and production departmental budget

• Ensure that all relevant licenses relating to worship and production are in place, including PPL, PRS, CCLI, MultiTracks, and OFCOM Wireless Equipment licenses

• Manage all worship and production equipment, keeping an inventory and overseeing maintenance, repair, and upgrades of staging, instruments, and production equipment

• Preach and teach, particularly on subjects related to worship, on occasion, as required

• Work with other team members to write, arrange and produce worship music, including producing new worship songs for use in worship sets and for commercial release; organising songwriting with appropriate members of team, and recording, for distribution and use on MultiTracks

• Contribute to River Church’s Students and Collective (20s-30s) ministries, leading groups and sessions as required, and frequently discipling students and young adults, as part of the Rising Generations department

• Attend and contribute to Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting

• Regularly pray for the Worship and Production ministries and teams

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a mature personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible and in accordance with the CEEC basis of faith and declarations

• is passionate about worship

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent and proven leadership, teamwork, and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has outstanding vocal and instrumental abilities (including acoustic guitar and, ideally, other instruments utilised in contemporary worship) and a superb musical ear

• has excellent organisational skills and time management

• is self-motivated

• has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, and grammar

• has superb attention to detail, a commitment to excellence, and very high production values

• is confident giving feedback, including critical feedback in musical and discipleship contexts

• is able to manage an organisational budget

• is flexible, with a can-do attitude

• is teachable, humble, servant-hearted, and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• is confident and experienced leading ministry in the Holy Spirit

• has extensive experience rehearsing and teaching other musicians to a high level of excellence

• has good IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Logic Pro, MultiTracks, ChurchSuite, and Expense Plus

• has extensive prior experience leading worship

• has an expert understanding of production equipment, including sound, visuals, lighting, and staging

• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of statutory child protection and safeguarding requirements

It is desirable that the role holder:

• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification), ideally in a field related to the role

• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting or another large church

• has other relevant qualifications in a field related to the role

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role or other areas of ministry

NOTES FOR APPLICANTS

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview once applications have closed.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Sports Ministry Lead

Department: River Active

Reports to: Senior Leaders

Direct reports: River Active and Bridge the Gap volunteers

Principal location: River Church Ipswich; MOVE Gym; Portman Road Stadium

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: August 2025

Working days/hours: 20-24 hours (Mon-Thu)

Salary: £24,570 (pro rata)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: 1 year (extension possibly subject to funding)

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services (Christmas, Easter etc.), annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church (praying, serving, giving, and growing).

• Work with Senior Leaders to develop and implement strategy for River Active in line with the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• Manage MOVE gym including subscriptions (via Squarespace)

• Liaise with the University of Suffolk and Student Union to deliver inductions, sessions, and other support to users of MOVE gym

• Ensure that all safeguarding and health and safety requirements are met, including twice-weekly equipment safety checks at MOVE gym

• Support the Bridge the Gap Ipswich team in delivering football sessions for men at Portman Road, working to expand to offering Bridge the Gap Youth sessions in partnership with River Youth

• Deliver River Active running sessions for varying abilities alongside volunteer team

• Actively disciple and pastor those attending River Active sports sessions, sensitively sharing the Gospel with those who are not yet Christians, and making frequent invitations to Alpha and Sundays

• Oversee, recruit, train, and pastor the River Active volunteer team

• Manage River Active departmental budget

• Contribute to other River Church events including Alpha and Sundays

• Support other areas of Student and Collective (young adults) ministry as required

• Work with Comms and Media Manager to curate River Active and Bridge the Gap Ipswich social media accounts and webpages

• Track impact data and report to Senior Leaders, as well as external partners and funders

• Explore and implement opportunities to expand River Active provision

• Attend and contribute to Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting, and when required also, Sunday Services and other River Church events such as Focus

• Regularly pray for all River Active ministries

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible and in accordance with the CEEC basis of faith and declarations

• is passionate about sports and evangelism

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has good organisational skills and time management

• is self-motivated

• has good communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, and grammar

• has good attention to detail and high production values

• is able to manage an organisational budget

• is flexible, with a can-do attitude

• is teachable, humble, and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has, or is willing and able to undertake prior to starting the role, fitness instructor and/or PT training qualifications, and first aid training

• has good IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, ChurchSuite, Squarespace, and Expense Plus

• has prior experience in sports ministry or bringing together faith and sport in another context

• has a good understanding of sports and fitness equipment and facilities

• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of statutory child protection and safeguarding requirements, health and safety legislation, and other legal aspects of operations

It is desirable that the role holder:

• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification), ideally in a field related to the role

• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting or another large church

• has prior experience working in a gym or sports setting

• has other relevant qualifications in a field related to the role

• has an eye for detail and aesthetics

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role or other areas of ministry

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.

Job title: Fundraiser

Department: Operations

Reports to: Executive Pastor

Principal location: River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ

DBS check required: Yes

Special conditions of employment: There is a genuine occupational requirement that the post-holder is a Christian, as permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Start date: As soon as possible (flexible for the right candidate)

Working days/hours: Part-time (negotiable, usually Monday to Friday)

Salary: up to £25,000 (pro rata)

Travel: May be required on occasion

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata)

Probation period: 6 months

Contract length: Initial 1 year, subject to successful completion of probation period, with potential to be extended or become permanent subject to funding.

Other expectations: The role holder will need to be available to work some other key dates outside the usual working pattern, such as special services and events, annual meetings, and Focus (our annual one-week church holiday in the summer). It is expected that staff members will be active members of River Church.

• Work with Senior Leaders and Executive Pastor to develop a fundraising strategy for River Church

• Research grant funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, major donors, and corporate partners, and assess feasibility and affordability of upcoming ministry projects, matching and monitoring need and opportunity

• Maintain an accurate database of prospective, outstanding, successful and unsuccessful applications

• Write and submit regular high-quality grant funding applications to grow the financial capacity of River Church

• Submit high-quality and timely reports to external funders, maintaining a reporting schedule to track these

• Work with the Executive Pastor and Finance Team to match expenditure against restricted external funding lines

• Administrate twice-yearly ‘Dream Offerings’ (gift days) and other fundraising campaigns

• Hold relationships with philanthropists, local businesses and other partners

• Promote a culture of generous individual giving as part of Christian discipleship, managing donor relationships, systems for giving, and where appropriate contributing to teaching on giving

• Assist the Executive Pastor to recruit, lead, develop, and co-ordinate the volunteers within the Finance Team, discipling and pastoring Finance volunteers and staff

• Undertake other financial and operational tasks as required, and assist other staff with the planning and development of grant-funded projects

• Manage volunteers as appropriate, enabling them to work independently and efficiently

• Collaborate with social enterprises at River Church to maximise profitability and financial stability

• Attend and participate in Staff Meeting, and Tuesday morning Prayer Meeting

• Regularly pray for the financial and operational life of River Church

• Ad hoc tasks and other project work

Personal qualities and beliefs

It is essential that the role holder:

• has a mature, personal faith in and relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• Believes and embodies the orthodox Christian teaching revealed in the Bible and in accordance with the CEEC basis of faith and declarations

• is demonstrably committed to their own discipleship (i.e., praying, serving, giving, and sharing faith) and is intentionally discipling others as followers of Jesus

• is committed to the dream, purpose, and goals of River Church

• is passionate about church finances and operations

Personal skills and abilities

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent organisational skills and time management

• is self-motivated and resilient

• has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, including an excellent level of English spelling, punctuation, grammar, and mathematics

• has strong teamwork and team-building skills, and is able to manage, motivate, and encourage others

• has a high attention to detail and high production values

• is able to understand and navigate a large organisational budget

• is flexible, with a can-do attitude

• is teachable, humble, and has a desire to learn and grow

• understands the importance of confidentiality, and is trustworthy and reliable, with a good self-awareness

• has enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and a sense of humour

Knowledge, qualifications, and experience

It is essential that the role holder:

• has excellent IT skills, and experience in and/or the ability to learn to use Mac OS X, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, ChurchSuite, and Expense Plus

• has excellent financial management skills and familiarity with financial documents

• is able to efficiently produce large numbers of high-quality grant funding applications

• has a track record of previous successful grant applications

• has experience producing invoices and other financial documents

It is desirable that the role holder:

• has prior experience in a church or business fundraising role (or similar)

• has other relevant experience or skills related to the role, or other areas of ministry and church life

• holds a bachelors degree (or higher level qualification) related to the role

• holds financial or accounting qualifications

• has worked within the HTB Network of churches (or is able to demonstrate a strong level of familiarity and alignment with the Network’s vision, values, and ecclesiology), in a city centre resource church setting, or another large church

• has a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the requirements of financial compliance for charities, and churches with the Church of England

We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose ethnicities are underrepresented in the Church of England. We would welcome informal conversations with anybody considering applying for this position. Email matt.key@riverchurchipswich.org to get in touch. When completing the application form, please feel free to continue your answers on separate pages if you require more room.

There is no specified closing date for applications for this role. We reserve the right to close applications and/or shortlist at any time. As such, we recommend applying for this role at your earliest convenience.

We will inform you as to whether or not you will be invited for interview within 5 full working days of applications closing.

Interviews will be held in person at River Church Ipswich, Key Street, IP4 1BZ.

Please bring your passport (and, if necessary, proof of right to work in the UK) and a document showing proof of your home address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, to your interview.

Please note that any offers made are subject to: the receipt of satisfactory references; satisfactory completion of a DBS check, safeguarding training, and any other training necessary for the role; proof of right to work in the UK; satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period; and agreement to adhere to the policies and procedures of River Church.

When you apply for this role, please also complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form at the bottom of this page.