Director of Youth & Families Ministry
If you have a deep and living relationship with Jesus Christ consistent with the United Methodist tradition, a college degree, a call to minister to youth and their families, musical ability to lead worship, and a contagious faith, we encourage you to apply for this full-time ministry position.
PRIMARY MINISTRY PURPOSE:
Highland Youth Ministry challenges youth (grades 6-12) and their families to a life of discipleship where they are led by Christ and inspired by Christ, to go out and live for Christ. The full-time Director of Youth & Families Ministry provides vision, goals, and leadership for all youth staff and volunteers and provides opportunities for youth to meet Christ and deepen their relationships with Him.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Youth Involvement
- Provide vision and leadership in coordinating and interweaving the student ministries into the overall Highland ministry. Includes taking teaching opportunities with adult groups, and creating intergenerational ministry opportunities.
- Provide a nurturing, accepting, safe climate for spiritual growth, including Bible study, fellowship, missions and service projects, retreats, fund-raising, and Christian leadership opportunities.
- Target an average of over 40 Middle & High School students involved weekly in some ministry of the church.
- Plan and promote all major youth events (including conference and district events) and weekly programming in such a way that the targeted number of youth participates.
- Recruit and equip youth for worship leadership in Sunday morning worship services.
- Emphasize youth involvement/attendance in Sunday School.
Personal Contact
- Know the names of every youth and parent on the rolls.
- Personally contact (text, email, or call) at least 5 inactive students or parents each month.
- Be visible at student events (eg. plays, sports, etc) on school campuses as time allows, and invite volunteer leaders to accompany you at those visits.
- Recruit all weekly youth ministry volunteers, confirmation mentors, and Youth Ministry Team members on a timely basis as needed.
- Offer training opportunities for volunteers, and ensure they have completed Safe Sanctuaries training and completed all volunteer forms before beginning.
- Meet personally with each weekly youth ministry volunteer at least once a year, and check in with them at least quarterly.
- Attend all Youth Ministry Team meetings (at least quarterly) for development and support of youth ministry.
- Actively participate with clergy and staff in the development and coordination of the general Highland ministry plan.
Pastoral Care
- Provide youth, parent and family counseling, making appropriate referrals as needed.
- Make youth aware of scholarships, grant and loan opportunities through HUMC and assist with the application process in a timely manner.
- Maintain the connection with graduating seniors as they make the transition into early adulthood.
- Create and maintain an environment where all youth regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or socioeconomic status, education, politics, physical or mental ability or health, and faith history are welcome and may grow as Christians
- Contact and visit youth and close relatives in times of hospitalization, recovery, or death of a loved one.
- Actively encourage youth participation in the planning and leadership of worship opportunities within Highland, maintaining a presence across each of Highland’s Sunday morning worship services.
Specific Ministries
- All year: Oversee youth Sunday School program, provide curriculum and teacher recruitment for Middle School and High School programs.
- January-Easter: Organize and direct weekly Confirmation classes for students in 8th grade or older. Includes recruiting and training of one-on-one adult mentors, and organization and leadership on Confirmation Retreat in March.
- Oversee Winter/Spring Retreat opportunity.
- May: Oversee celebration of graduates.
- June: Assist the Highland Service Project team by serving as the liaison for participating youth and their families, participating in the events, and ensuring spiritual formation elements are in place.
- August: Oversee student and adult volunteer involvement in a local middle-school outreach event, ensuring spiritual formation elements are in place (eg. City Servants, SLAM!, etc)
- September-June: Organize and direct weekly Sunday night Middle and High School UMYF. Includes recruiting and training of adult volunteers and facilitating the youth music ministry.
- October: Oversee Pumpkin Patch fundraiser.
- November: Oversee Pilgrimage Fall Retreat.
Reports to:
Senior Pastor, SPRC (See “Evaluation” below)
Evaluation:
- The Senior Pastor, aided by the Staff Parish Relations Committee will conduct an annual review of the Youth Pastor’s performance and compensation, the development and review of goals, objectives, and responsibilities. The Senior Pastor will also provide periodic feedback on job performance.
Qualifications:
The preferred candidate should have the following qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited institution.
- Youth and Family Ministry Education and two years minimum experience in Youth Ministry
- Have a sound base of Biblical knowledge
- Strong inspirational speaking skills
- Counseling skills
- Understand our Methodist heritage and context
Core Competencies:
- Mission Ownership: Demonstrates understanding and full support of the mission, vision, values and beliefs of Highland United Methodist Church. Can teach those values to others. Leads his/her leadership teams to identify unique mission and vision, which is in line with the mission and vision of Highland United Methodist Church.
- Spiritual Maturity: Has a personal growth plan based on the traditional spiritual disciplines. Models and develops humility, teachability, accountability and servant leadership in all relationships. Be a Christian role model for youth to help develop leadership qualities and personal development. Demonstrate an understanding of how God is working in their growth in faith and development as a person.
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to lead others. Demonstrates the skills of active listening and openly accepts criticism. Productively engages and resolves interpersonal conflict. Holds others accountable in a spirit of love. Engages people positively, with a demeanor of optimism and abundance. Demonstrates the ability to build personal relationships with the youth of the church as well as provide discipline and structure.
- Management Skills: Demonstrates commitment and flexibility in scheduling regular coaching sessions with those in his/her span of care. Understands his/her leadership style and temperament type and adapts leadership behaviors to meet the needs of the situation. Delegates, empowers and holds leaders accountable. Marshals resources (people, funding, material, support) to get things done.
- Team Building Skills: Guides leaders in the process of sharing best practice, identifying and solving common problems. Works with leaders to regularly assess the health of teams and groups. Recognizes dysfunctional team behavior and redirects it into functional behavior. Creates and communicates vision, direction and goals for the team.
- Leadership Development: Is a good judge of talent and spiritual giftedness. Can accurately project how people are likely to perform in a variety of settings. Stretches people to try new skills and accept new levels of responsibility.
- Organizational Skills: Organizes not only task of ministry in a professional timely manner, but also neatly and professionally organizes their office, youth room, and all of the spaces for which they are responsible for. Takes personal ownership of all of the church buildings and endeavors to keep them neat and professional.
INTERESTED CANDIDATES:
Send a cover letter, résumé, statement of faith, and three professional references to youthdirector@highlandumc.org. Questions about the position and its requirements can be directed to that address as well.