Church at the Margins Pioneer sought

Church at the Margins Pioneer, Cumbria

Are you a Pioneer that can grow new Christian communities?
Do you have a desire to nurture and grow new disciples?
Can you inspire others to grow and create new Christian communities?

If so, we are keen to hear from you…..

The Role

North West England District is seeking to appoint a Pioneer into Cumbria, based from Re:new, a partnership project of the Methodist and United Reformed Churches in Cumbria. Re:New is based around a charity shop and community hub located in Barrow in Furness. The Pioneer will lead on the cultivation of environments and opportunities for the development of a new Christian community in a space already making a tangible difference to the local area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZvCMVGmb7M

Re:new

Re:new is a partnership of the local URC and Methodist churches in the Cumbria Methodist Mission Area & URC Missional Partnership, working together to provide resources for the effective running of the shop and developing a new worshipping community. The pioneer will use the learning gained in Barrow, particularly the Core Values of Church at the Margins (CaM) and contextual discernment, to support the development of further CaM projects across Cumbria.

About the Area

Barrow is a large town in Cumbria with a population of approximately 55,300 people. Over half of this population is recorded as deprived in at least one dimension. It has higher than national average levels of unemployment and for those in employment, most are in skilled labour, care and hospitality roles.

Recognition of these demographics led to the churches identifying that a charity shop presence in the town would help those on low incomes to access pre-loved items at a low cost. This enterprise, re:new charity shop, has run successfully for almost 5 years and has helped the churches to build relationships with the community and learn what else would be beneficial in the area.

https://cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/17217/4393711482.pdf

The Church at the Margins project is one strand of a Methodist Cumbria-wide strategy for New Places for New People.
The successful candidate will therefore be expected to work both locally in Barrow, and across Cumbria to support and encourage and enable new Christian communities which are contextually appropriate.

This focus on those marginalised due to economic poverty is also in line with the URC ‘A Church with People at the Margins’ strategy.

In accordance with the Equality Act 2010 it is an occupational requirement that the successful candidate is a practising Christian.

Find out More

The application closing date is 30th October 2026
Interviews to be held w/c 9th November 2026

Please contact Grace Cauldwell (District NPNP lead) for an informal conversation - cauldwellg@nwedmethodists.org.uk

The application pack can be requested from recruitment@nwedmethodists.org.uk

Please note CVs will not be accepted for this role.