The Hub Belfast Ministry Internship - Information Pack Sept 19 - July 20
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The Hub Belfast Ministry Internship Sept 19 – July 20 Information Pack
1. Introducing The Hub Belfast 2. Ministry Internship - the role/s 3. Church Life and Service 4. Discipleship, Formation and Development 5. Living Allowance, Accommodation & Benefits 6. How to apply & Contact Details
Who we are The Hub Belfast is a chaplaincy partnership between the Church of Ireland and Methodist Church in Ireland to share in ministry and mission across University and College Campuses in the city of Belfast. We are home to a student residential centre, a worshipping Church community and a campus café. In 2017/18, we embarked on a new and exciting phase of ministry, seeking to grow people and ministries in and through our existing communities, and in new opportunities which have been opening up across the colleges and universities of Belfast. In 2019/20 we want to continue building on this new phase as many opportunities and challenges present themselves for the delivery of the gospel across campuses in Belfast. Our life is centred around the Worship of God, the growth of Christian Community, and Outreach in the world around us. Our commitment is to develop and grow people who, in their own lives, and in serving the mission of the Chaplaincy, will be marked by a commitment to Worship, Community and Outreach. Our desire is to be known by our welcome, hospitality, and our generosity in working with and alongside others to grow worship, community and outreach across campuses in the city. The Hub Belfast is but one expression within two traditions of the Christian Church of seeking to dwell within the city and be salt and light. We cannot do it alone, and our heart will be to work with other churches, communities, groups and organisations who are seeking to share God’s love in a hurting and broken world. Our opportunity is to work with a demographic, 18-25, that is largely missing from many local churches. We will seek to do this through growing chaplaincy ministry to this itinerant and largely transient group of people, and by nurturing and growing settled communities of faith who can both welcome in and reach out. There are around forty thousand students living in Belfast City and many of them live in South Belfast. This area is home to Queen’s University, and Stranmillis and St. Mary’s teaching colleges. The academic institutions in the area have a combined student body of around twenty-six thousand students and a staff cohort of four thousand. In the words of Jesus, “the harvest is plentiful…” (Matthew 9:37). From our Centre on Elmwood avenue, we run prayer gatherings for both staff and students of all campuses as well as weekly times of worship and discipleship. All of our staff members are trained in pastoral care and are
available for anyone who needs a listening ear or just someone to pray with. We also use the Centre as a base for different kinds of outreach and evangelism that take place throughout the academic year. The Centre is also a residency that is home to forty-nine students. Historically, this has been most closely associated with chaplaincy at Queens University, but students from other academic institutions have lived, and continue to live, as part of the community. Students have been living in chaplaincy accommodation since the 1950s. The Church of the Resurrection on Elmwood Avenue was built in the 1960s to primarily provide a place of worship for the staff and students of Queen’s University. This worshipping community is now either a permanent or temporary home for people of all ages living, studying and working in the city. Finally, The Hub Café is a vital part of our life, opening its doors throughout the academic year to students, staff, and anyone who simply wants a good place to be for a while. At the centre of Belfast is the city’s beating commercial heart – home to local and international businesses for decades. The city centre is set to receive £500 million worth of development over the next decade, evolving in its provision of residential space, offices, retail units and hospitality elements. Belfast Metropolitan College’s Millfield campus sits a stone’s throw away from the city centre. The campus is home to students studying everything from photography to bricklaying, from graphic design to joinery, and from journalism to fine art. Our friends at St. Stephen’s Church of Ireland are next-door neighbours with the College and we’ve been able to work together over the last couple of years to plant a burgeoning chaplaincy in the footprint of Belfast Met. Every Tuesday, students from the college can walk the thirty seconds over to St. Stephen’s and find some hot food and a friendly face. Through this ministry, we’ve met some young Christians studying at the college and have been able to come alongside them in their journey. We’ve also been able to host some seasonal events in the area, celebrating Easter on the campus’ doorstep and inviting staff and students to join us for a campus carol service at Christmas time. Belfast Met, however, isn’t the only student epicentre in the area. Within the last year, Queen’s University has completed construction of two brand new student residencies in the city centre. Named Elms BT1 and Elms BT2 after their postcodes, the two residencies provide rooms for around one thousand two hundred students. Independent student housing is also springing up in the area with other organisations creating space for a further two thousand three hundred students to live in the area. All of these residencies are places where we can meet, encourage, support, care for and disciple students in the city and we’ve already been able to break some ground in this area over the last two years. With the ongoing transition of Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus to the Belfast Campus in the Cathedral Quarter, the area is increasingly becoming home to a growing student population. This cultural hotspot in the city is being transformed by the living, moving, studying, socialising, mass of people from a wide range of social, ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds
Two buildings dominate the skyline of the Cathedral Quarter – the Belfast Campus of Ulster University and Belfast Cathedral. These two centres of gravity sit right beside one another and represent huge opportunities for mission and ministry in the city. In Ulster University, we work as part of an ecumenical chaplaincy team offering pastoral care, encouragement and support to all students and staff. Students can meet us through the events we run on both the Belfast and Jordanstown campuses, in the student residencies, and over a cup of tea and a chat in the UUB Students’ Union space on a Monday morning. In Belfast Cathedral, we’ve hosted a prayer and worship gathering to meet and pray into and over the colleges and universities of the city and we’ve also been able to use the iconic building as a centre for welcome and hospitality to students arriving in and studying at the campus next door. The area will continue to change as Ulster University moves most of its course provision in the Cathedral Quarter. Several student residencies are being built in the area and there is the potential to see over three thousand students housed in the quarter over the next few years. Building on our experience of working together in covenant, the two churches are now investing in growing chaplaincy ministry across university and college campuses in the city of Belfast. Our key priorities in this new season are: 1. To develop and grow our existing expressions of worship, community and outreach in South Belfast on the Queens University campus, namely the residential student centre and the Church of the Resurrection. 2. To continue to invest in missional opportunities planted on campus at Stranmillis College, Belfast Met and Ulster University’s Belfast campus.
3. To identify, grow and develop servant-hearted leaders through employment, an internship year, and the
discipleship of student and church volunteers, and in turn, help these individuals discern their wider
vocation and role within the church and society.
•Oversee the Chaplaincy
Chaplains •Chaplains to QUB, Stranmillis College and Ulster
University.
•Responsible for discipleship, formation and
Lead Pastor development
•Pastoral oversight
Operations •Oversight of staff, personal, finance, regulation
and compliance
Manager •Strategic administrative support for Ministry Team
•Oversees the Residential Centre
Centre Manager •Administrative support for Ministry Team
•Three Individual Team Leaders - Worship,
Ministry Team Community, Outreach
•Represent chaplaincy on campuses across Belfast
Leaders •Deliver and supervise Ministry Actvity
•Work under Ministry Team Leaders and chaplaincy
Ministry Interns staff
•Cafe Supervisor and Hub Cafe volunteer
Cafe •Supported by staff, interns and external volunteers
•Household, cafe and church cleaning
Cleaners responsibilities
The internship runs from the beginning of September 2019 until the end of the first week of July 2020, following the participation of The Hub Belfast at Summer Madness - a Christian youth and young adults’ festival held every summer. To provide an opportunity to live and work in a full-time ministry context, developing character and giftings through servant-hearted leadership. To develop and equip men and women to grow in their faith, discern God’s call on their life, and then to release faithful followers of Jesus into the next phase of life and ministry. To resource existing and plant new ministries of The Hub Belfast in worship, community and outreach. If you’re graduating in 2019 or just want to take a year out from your current course of studies, our internship might be for you. It is designed for those who perhaps have little experience, other than volunteering, of ministry in a full-time context. It may provide an opportune space for those exploring what to do next in their life. Ideally, our internship team will be made up of graduates or gap year students who understand something of what it means to live and/or study at college or university. That said, if you don’t come from this context but feel that you have experience which would help you to empathise with and relate to students in the city, we still want to hear from you. The ethos of the chaplaincy is very much to support and encourage one another with all delivery and activity. Further, ministry may be required to be carried out across a range of locations in Belfast. You will be required to be flexible. Each Intern will also have administrative responsibilities, including key-holding and acting as a duty warden for on-site events. You will be required to be responsible. Each intern will be encouraged to help shape the ministry as well as serving it. We need your energy, enthusiasm and ideas to help us become more Christ-like in His mission. You will be required to be imaginative. If you live outside of the United Kingdom, we still welcome and invite your application. We are, however, somewhat limited in the number of visas we can sponsor. To that end, we will realistically only be able to appoint one successful applicant from outside of the UK. At this point we are not aware of any additional complications due to the UK’s exit from the European Union, however we are monitoring this situation and will work with potential applicants as required.
Commitment to worshipping God, following Jesus, and living in the Spirit You will have a clear and demonstrable faith in Jesus Christ, a wholehearted commitment to serving and worshipping God alone, and a dependency not on your own strength but on that of the Holy Spirit. Commitment to living in a Christian Household You will live in a community household with the other Interns, growing and developing a rhythm of household prayer, bible study and worship. Commitment to serving the ministries of The Hub Belfast You will work in a team in which no Godly idea is too big and no Godly task too small. The role will be demanding, physically, spiritually and mentally. Resilience, a willingness to serve, emotional maturity and good humour are vital and will be developed. You’ll also serve as part of the staff team in the Church of the Resurrection which will be your primary place of worship for the duration of the internship. Commitment to personal study, formation and development You will commit to your own personal growth and formation through the internship discipleship program and the personal support provided for you. Our work at The Hub is shaped by our heart for Worship, Community and Outreach. It’s our hope and prayer that everything we do, from the smallest task to the biggest event, grows the Worship of God, a love for Community, and passion for Outreach around the College and University campuses of Belfast. We really want our internship team to grow in areas, ministries and giftings that they are passionate about. We’ll try and ensure that you get an opportunity to plant new ministries or invest in current ministries that you have a heart for. We’ll also commit to growing you as a person throughout your time with us. You’ll meet with, be mentored by and work alongside each of our team leaders to ensure that you leave your time with us with an increased appreciation of and passion for the all three areas of our DNA. A summary of each strand of our Core DNA is given below. The worship of God is our main priority here at The Hub Belfast, and we love to worship Him in a variety of creative ways including - and reaching beyond - sung worship and corporate prayer. We believe that everything that happens within The Hub should be borne out of a place of worship and prayer, and we build that into the life and rhythm of The Hub, meeting several times in the week to gather around scripture and to fix our eyes on Jesus. Worship at The Hub is shaped by James Turner, our Worship Team Leader. James has been leading worship for ten years. He graduated in 2013 from the London School of Theology with a degree in Theology and Worship
and has been part of the worshipping life of the Chaplaincy for five years. James
is married to the lovely Elise and in his spare time he loves eating good food,
supporting Coleraine FC and cycling his bike.
James’ vision is to facilitate times and spaces in which people can worship God
and encounter His presence. In the midst of all of the activity that happens
within The Hub, we want to remain people who are continually orienting
James Turner
ourselves towards and pointing others to God. James’ hope for the whoever
takes on the internship is that they will grow deeper in their relationship with
God, study what it means to worship Him and be equipped and trained to lead
God’s people in praise in every context and gathering.
The different areas of work that are central to shaping worshipping life at The Hub include, but aren’t limited
to: participating in worship groups; supporting volunteers; running the PA desk and supporting audio/visual
requirements; song preparation and distribution to team members; service and event set-up and preparation;
set-up, tidy-up and management of equipment; developing prayer rooms and supporting prayer initiatives;
assisting at worship events; leading in other Churches that we support.
Community is at the heart of chaplaincy ministry. We want to cultivate and grow individuals who value
community - both the enjoyable and difficult parts. We seek to do this by creating and facilitating a programme
of worship, teaching and prayer where the whole residential community meet together in a variety of ways. We
also meet and spend time with students who have connected with the chaplaincy - getting to know them,
walking with them in their faith journey and supporting them in any way we can.
Our community life at The Hub is overseen by our Ministry Team Leader for
Community - Lesley Donaldson. Lesley graduated from Queen’s University where
she studied Drama and Theology. She has been part of the Church family here at
the chaplaincy for five years and in her spare time she likes sunshine and reading
books.
Lesley’s vision for community at The Hub is to create safe spaces where people
know they are loved and supported along their journey of faith. Her hope is that
Lesley Donaldson
growth and connection both with God and each other happens not just in shared
times of worship, teaching and fellowship but also at the ordinary, everyday level -
in walking to class and sharing a meal together.
Growing Christian community involves a whole range of activities, such as supporting those responsible for
residential houses on campus in developing Christian households; supporting the work of the community
ministry team for welcome, hospitality and events; assisting with planning and delivery of residentials and
other community building initiatives; supporting ministries of discipleship, bible study and prayer; encouraging
social activities; developing links between flats, households and chaplaincy residency; supporting initiatives to
help with those who are lonely or isolated on campuses.Mission and outreach is central in the life of The Hub. As well as our desire to reach the students of this city with
the good news of Jesus, we support and partner with a number of agencies and charities across Belfast and
beyond and have a huge heart for staying engaged with these partners in wider Kingdom work. We believe
outreach is and should be an overflow of our love for God, passion for Christ and compassion for people and so
we are always seeking to grow in our giving, serving and reaching others through any way we can.
Outreach at The Hub is driven by Rachel Kennedy, our Ministry Team Leader for
Outreach. Rachel is a graduate of Queen’s University where she studied English
and Drama, and of Crown Jesus Ministries’ School of Evangelism. She is from
Portadown and loves literature, writing, theatre and the arts. She loves seeing
students grow in their passions and giftings and was previously an intern herself at
the Presbyterian Chaplaincy at Queen’s.
Rachel’s vision for Outreach at The Hub is that we as a Christian community would
Rachel Kennedy always look beyond ourselves to the communities and people around us who are
in need - in need of God, and in need of the hope that we hold. It is Rachel’s
prayer that whoever fills this internship role will, by the end of their year with us, have grown in their
compassion for the lost and been stirred to love in action. Rachel is excited to grow the areas of outreach in
The Hub and has a particular heart for creating platforms for evangelism and prayer around the campus at
Queen’s and on Ulster University’s Belfast campus.
Working in outreach in a student ministry context has many facets, including assisting with planning and
delivery of outreach initiatives and events on campuses; encouraging volunteers and supporting the student
outreach team; assisting in planning and delivery of mission teams; supporting promotion and delivery of social
action; developing links to release outreach in halls of residences; supporting outreach to international
students; assisting with the delivery of courses such as Alpha; assisting with training students in evangelism and
apologetics.The Church of the Resurrection is one of our central communities here at The Hub Belfast. It’s a multi- generational place of worship where a church family meets every Sunday morning. Sunday mornings usually begin with some tea, coffee, croissants and toast in The Hub Cafe, before we move into the Church of the Resurrection for teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, all (we humbly hope in spite of our human limitations) to the glory of God. We place a high premium on making sure that everyone is welcome, principally through a cuppa, some good food and hopefully a decent conversation. We are open to people of all ages, run activities for kids during the service through our Godzone and Young Disciples programs, and invite those who so wish to be a part of our fortnightly Community (small) Groups or, for the kids, Club at The Hub which meets fortnightly on Saturday evenings. As part of our staff team at The Hub, the Church of the Resurrection will be your worshipping home for the year that you’re with us and we sincerely hope that you’ll be blessed by your time as part of our church family. We want to be a people who live by the example set for us by Jesus. In Acts 20:35, Paul encourages us to “[remember] the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” We want to carry those words with us as a staff team into our worshipping life at the Church of the Resurrection and give as much as we can to the family that we worship alongside. Practically, this means that the whole staff team is involved in different ways on a Sunday morning and beyond. Drawing alongside and supporting our church volunteers you will be there to welcome church members, guests and visitors in through our doors. You will help provide breakfast, tea, coffee and hospitality before and after the service. You’ll spend a morning every now and again with our kids and young people, helping them to learn more about what you do at The Hub and pouring some of your passion and wisdom into their lives. You’ll genuinely be an inspiration to our young people through engaging with our Club@TheHub groups who meet on Saturday evenings, and provide leadership on at least one of the youth or children’s residentials that happens through the Church of Ireland and Methodist Church. Depending on your own gifts and talents, you might also want to be involved in our praise band or on the sound or audio-visual team. In all of that busyness, however, we will work with you to ensure that you’re not only being fed in your own walk but that you also get a chance to explore opportunities that being a part of the church staff team affords. Perhaps you want to grow in your own ability as a congregational worship leader or you’d love the opportunity to teach from God’s word. Maybe you’re considering and discerning a calling on your life into full-time ministry. Whatever your heart and passion for congregational life and worship is, we’ll help you to explore it.
“This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you
may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit
of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.”
Paul, writing to the church in Philippi, c. AD 60-62
We will be committed to investing in you for who you will become after you leave
us, as well as for who you will be during your internship. The role of Lead
Pastor/Associate Chaplain exists to ensure, amongst a range of other
responsibilities, that we are helping you to grow in faith, character, gifting, and
servant-hearted leadership.
Discipleship, formation and development is headed up by our Associate Chaplain,
James Diffin. Jim’s heart for staff development in The Hub is that we would grow
James Diffin in our knowledge and love of God through study and prayer, invest in one another
across our community through mentoring and guiding and access the best
training, teaching and coaching that’s available to us both within The Hub and through organisations across
Northern Ireland and Beyond. As Scottish minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote “above all things, cultivate
your own spirit… The work of God would flourish by us if it flourished more richly in us.”
Discipleship, Formation and Development will be both shared and bespoke. It is our aspiration to provide the
following layers of support
1. One-to-One – you will meet one-to-one for study, discipleship and mentoring with the Lead Pastor, the
Ministry Team Leaders and other key individuals within the life of chaplaincy.
2. Bible Study – you and the rest of the internship team will meet for a weekly bible study with the whole
ministry team, growing together as a team and individually in your knowledge and love of God.
3. Internship Development & Formation – We’ll provide a monthly programme of personal and
professional development in key areas including – communication, spiritual disciplines, character and
leadership, understanding culture and context.
4. Individual Development – We have set aside a budget to allow our internship team to access excellent
training opportunities across the country. This will vary for each individual, focussing on growing your
giftings and skills but in 2018/19 our interns attended conferences, training courses, and evening
classes in areas like youth and kid’s ministry, spiritual disciplines, worship leading and evangelism.
5. Living in Community – is a vital component of the year and your growth. Living, praying, studying the
word of God together to form patterns for life, all in a beautiful Victorian house on Elmwood Avenue in
Belfast. This house is set aside for you and the other interns as a place of prayer, study, education and
mutual support.You will be provided with: 1. Free living accommodation in a community household; 2. A monthly living allowance of £400 per month; 3. A budget for training and development, agreed with the Lead Pastor; 4. Practical direction and support from the wider staff team; 5. Personal discipleship and support. The structure of a working week will vary according to ministry demands and term timetables. You will be serving on Sundays primarily in the Church of the Resurrection but also, where opportunity permits, other churches. Your working week will encompass time for development, with your overall pattern of work being agreed with the Lead Pastor and Ministry Team Leads.
The Online form is available either through The Hub Belfast website, or directly at
https://form.jotformeu.com/90624883915365
Applications will close on Friday 10th May 2019. Applicants successfully shortlisted will then be interviewed by
chaplaincy staff. Interviews are expected to take place on week beginning 20th May 2019.
For further details on how to apply, if you have any trouble with the online form, if you wish to discuss any
aspect of the Internship year, the roles involved and areas of ministry, or if you have any broader questions
about the vision and mission of The Hub, please contact our Associate Chaplain, James Diffin at
jim@thehubbelfast.org.
The Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy
22 Elmwood Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6AY
Tel: 02890 667754
www.thehubbelfast.org
….for taking the time to read this. There has been a lot
of information! However, we have simply sought to
give you as much of a picture of who we are to help
with your discernment about your next step. Please
prayerfully consider whether or not our journey may
become part of your journey. In any application process
there may be high hopes that become fulfilled or get
disappointed. We will seek to work with anyone who
puts themselves forward to discern God’s heart for the
next step – whether with us or elsewhere. Be assured
of our thoughts and prayers, and may God bless
whatever it is you have to do or complete in the months that lie ahead.
Rev. Barry Forde & Mrs Gail Mercer, Chaplains.You can also read
