Recruiting : Alongsider(s) 6 - 24 months
Overview of the role
Updated February 2025
Day to day life and ministry at Sheldon is varied and productive. So many shared tasks that combine to create a beautiful retreat where weary souls can rest. Being part of a small, dedicated and enthusiastic team of community, staff and volunteers makes even the apparently mundane jobs interesting and enjoyable. There are always practical things to do like hang out the washing, peel the potatoes, weed the veg garden, wash up, welcome guests, run the bar, lay the table, hoover the floor, make the tea, make the beds, tidy the library, arrange the flowers, fold the leaflets, and much, much more!
In other words, it's not like being on retreat yourself the whole time, but it is a great way to be part of a wonderful place, doing steadily paced work alongside colleagues in a way that is meaningful and rewarding.
Skills and aptitudes
- Track record of a reasonable range of practical 'household-type' skills such as cooking, running repairs, gardening
- A kind manner and attention to detail
- Collaborative mindset, able to work under instruction on your own or as part of a team
- Basic computer literacy to use emails, messaging apps, etc
About you and your experience
- You enjoy caring for people through practical service
- You are willing to learn from the experience and expertise of the existing team what works well in the Sheldon context
- You have a Christian faith, even if it's a bit wobbly
- You have sufficient physical stamina and emotional stability to sustain 5 or 6 day week with hours that can be quite flexible
- You are looking for a new challenge in your personal pilgrimage for 6 - 24 months
How it works
You come and live at Sheldon. We house and feed you but otherwise you are self-supporting. One of the community acts as your overall line manager but you work across the various teams. You join the basic rhythm of our community day including work and worship. One week off in every six.