Overview
The Head of Growing Younger will provide visionary leadership to reverse the generational decline in church engagement and embed a culture of intergenerational mission and discipleship across the Diocese of Salisbury.
The postholder will shape and deliver a bold strategy for growing younger, supporting churches, leaders, and communities to engage confidently with children, young people, families, and the missing generations.
This role will catalyse cultural change, embed sustainable models of ministry, and develop leadership capacity so that all generations might encounter the love of God made known in Jesus Christ.
Duties
Strategic Leadership
* Lead the implementation of the Diocesan 'Growing Younger' strategy, ensuring integration with the wider diocesan vision and Mission Hubs strategy.
* Champion a theological and missional vision for intergenerational church actively addressing the generational gap across all traditions and contexts.
* Collaborate with the Director of Mission & Ministry and Mission Hub Leaders to embed vibrant, sustainable ministry with under 25s.
* Challenge structural and cultural barriers that limit the participation of GMH/UKME, neurodivergent, disabled, and LGBTQ+ children and young people
* Engage with DBE/ Trusts and local school / church leaders to develop opportunities for deeper partnership working in line with the Diocesan Vision and the Flourishing vision from the Church of England's Education Office
* Maximize the opportunities for deepening partnerships across the DBF/DBE Church/School/Trust partnership
* Provide strategic input into diocesan-wide transformation initiatives, including funding bids, governance reporting, and resourcing decisions.
Mission Hubs & Discipleship Pathways
* Oversee the design and delivery of 0–25s discipleship pathways across Phase One and Phase Two Mission Hubs, ensuring scalability and contextual flexibility.
* Enable the planting of Youth Congregations and the development of worshipping communities in schools, colleges, and digital spaces.
* Lead on the evaluation, refinement, and scaling of pilot initiatives such as YouthScape Launchpad, YouthSpace Essentials, and Flourish.
* Ensure a clear strategy for engagement in rural and coastal communities with limited youth provision or leadership capacity.
Leadership Formation & Young Leader Development
* Support Diocesan and local leaders to develop effective strategies and mechanisms to enable the voice and leadership of children and young people to be heard across the diocese, ensuring that their voice is actively sought in diocesan decision making.
* Collaborate with colleagues to shape IME and CMD provision to embed children, youth, and family ministry as a core element of clergy and lay formation.
* Develop and deliver high-quality learning pathways for employed and voluntary youth and children's workers.
* Establish discernment and formation pathways for young leaders, working in collaboration with vocations, schools, and lay ministries
* Lead the development of creative models of school/ Schools Trust chaplaincy (lay & ordained, paid & volunteer) maximising the opportunities of The Schools Trust landscape that intentionally enables the flourishing of children and youth ministry.
* Embed mentoring structures, peer networks, and leadership opportunities that enable young people to grow in confidence and responsibility.
Collaboration & Cultural Change
* Work alongside the Racial Justice Development Officer to ensure strategies address under-representation in leadership and vocations from diverse backgrounds.
* Ensure the diocese's mission and communication platforms reflect the voice, culture, and justice concerns of young people—including inclusion, climate justice, mental health, and safeguarding.
* Promote a diocesan culture of spiritual curiosity, Gospel confidence, and innovation in engaging with younger generations.
* Develop partnerships with national agencies, charities, and third-sector youth organisations to enrich diocesan provision.
Monitoring & Evaluation
* Lead the development and implementation of impact measurement tools to assess participation, discipleship growth, and leadership engagement.
* Facilitate communities of practice and reflective learning across the diocese, enabling evidence-based strategy refinement.
* Provide regular reports to diocesan leadership on the effectiveness and outcomes of Growing Younger initiatives.
Digital Engagement
* Champion the creative use of digital platforms for engagement, discipleship, and communication.
* Equip churches to develop hybrid models of worship, discipleship, and community building that include and reach younger people.
* Collaborate with other teams in the DBF to provide Growing Younger Themed content on Optra (the Diocesan Learning Hub).
Team Oversight & Delivery
* Line manages the Growing Younger Enablers, fostering a collaborative, high-trust, and outcome-driven team culture.
* Oversee the development and distribution of children's and youth ministry resources, training programmes, and diocesan-wide networks.
* Support the recruitment, commissioning, and deployment of youth-focused ministers, interns, and leaders.
* Ensure safeguarding policies, practices, and culture are embedded across all aspects of delivery.
Requirements
* A relevant qualification or substantial training in theology, ministry, education, youth/children's work, or leadership development.
* Evidence of ongoing professional development
Experience
* Proven strategic leadership experience in children's, youth, intergenerational ministry or education.
* Experience of leading teams and supporting others in their development.
* Experience of designing and delivering discipleship and/or leadership formation pathways.
* Demonstrated ability to lead change and engage stakeholders across a variety of traditions.
* Experience of working with strategic stakeholders, both within and beyond the Church of England system.
* Proven expertise in organisational evaluation, enabling evidence of impact and the identification and mitigation of risk.
Competencies & Behavioural requirements
* A confident, collaborative leader with the ability to inspire and influence others.
* Passionate advocate for the spiritual lives of children, young people, and the missing generations.
* Strong strategic thinking and planning skills, with ability to implement vision.
* Blend of educational thinking and theological reflection
* Excellent communication and relational skills, including working across traditions and generations.
* Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and justice, particularly relating to young people.
* Resilient, self-motivated, and adaptable to change.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £48,668.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Employee discount
* Free flu jabs
* On-site parking
* Paid volunteer time
* Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Salisbury SP2 0FG