Verger (Maternity Cover), St Martin-in-the-Fields

Ensuring a safe, professional, and welcoming space
• Providing a ministry of presence and welcome in church, liaising with clergy over those who visit with specific pastoral needs;
• Ensuring that our church is conducive to worship and that visitors understand the nature of the space;
• Answering questions and being available for visitors and worshippers;
• Demonstrating care for the church building, including the clergy and vergers’ vestries;
• Ensuring the church is set up for services, concerts and events as required;
• Helping to maintain the decorum and security of the building, with the assistance of the security and maintenance teams; and
• Ensuring that the church is accessible in line with our disability awareness policy.

Communications
• Engaging constructively as part of the Chops team to quickly raise any challenges and be part of looking for constructive solutions; and
• Responding to communications from the wider organisation promptly and positively.

Maintenance and administration
• Supporting the work of the Maintenance team and Group Administrator to maintain the Church building, reporting all repairs needed;
• Liaising with Clergy, Events, and organisers of external special services and taking part in meetings with those organising special services as required;
• Emptying, counting, and recording money from collection boxes and special services, keeping accurate records, and forwarding details to the Finance team;
• Recording and dealing with any lost property left in the church and ensuring no unattended bags are left in the church;
• Working constructively with the Concerts team, to ensure smooth transition between church and concert use as needed; and
• Completing administrative tasks relating to the role, including completion of the daily handover book.

Liturgical role and working with Clergy
• Preparing the church building, Dick Sheppard Chapel, and church related rooms for the various services, i.e. Sunday service, additional Saturday and weekday services, weddings, marriage blessings, memorials, funerals and for all the worship taking place throughout the week;
• Supporting clergy with Sunday and midweek services;
• Being responsible for the set-up of choir stalls and furniture in chapel, hall, and sanctuary;
• Preparing service books and the altar for Communion;
• Taking part in processions, crucifer, or assist as and when required;
• Assisting with leading Morning and Evening Prayer when required; and
• Being responsible for checking the PA system in the church, setting up of microphones and the setting of levels during the services making sure that sound checks are carried out before services.

Health and safety
• Having knowledge of evacuation procedures and the ability to take responsibility for leading the evacuation of the church, in the event of an emergency;
• Having knowledge of security procedures for dealing with people who are disruptive; and
• Making sure that if any health and safety issues arise, they are properly responded to and recorded.

General duties
• Participating in regular team meetings and whole site meetings;
• Learning and following all working procedures and routines;
• Ensuring the church is never left unstaffed;
• Ensuring the church is locked, when necessary;
• Ensuring all signage is correct and updated;
• Maintaining tidiness of the worship environment and verger’s office/vestry;
• Reviewing altar linen, clean silver, and glassware;
• Changing altar hangings as appropriate; and
• Clearing votive stands and replenishing candles, trimming altar candles, and replacing where necessary.

To be effective in this role you will need to demonstrate knowledge and experience (giving evidence where necessary) of the following, including formal training where appropriate:

• A sense of vocation for the Verger role;
• Experience in a verging or church operations role is desirable but no essential;
• Excellent interpersonal and pastoral skills and an ability to get on with a diverse range of people;
• Excellent organisational skills;
• Ability to understand and enthusiasm for Anglican liturgies;
• Ability to work both alone and as part of a team and confident in taking the initiative;
• Experience in a verger or verger-like role in a similar church environment;
• Numeracy and computer literacy skills, and ability to work with technical equipment;
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to work methodically; and
• Familiarity with the teaching of St Martin’s.