Reports to: Lead Pastor
Status: Full-time Benefits Eligible
Summary:
This role equips a team of volunteers to serve alongside them. The Youth Pastor/Student Ministry Director is committed to partnering with parents to help guide them in the discipleship of their children. They demonstrate experience leading a relationally-driven model of ministry with students.
Responsibilities:
1) The Youth Pastor/Student Ministry Director is primarily responsible for providing training, leadership, and care to students in grades 6-12. They will do so in alignment with the vision and core values of Oakwood Church.
This is accomplished primarily, though not exclusively, through:
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with volunteers, parents and students.
• Creating a discipleship culture with students through student programs, special events, and discipleship opportunities.
• Strategizing, planning, and implementing long-term ministry curriculum.
• Encouraging, equipping, and empowering parents while appropriately partnering with other church staff.
• Recruiting, training, and equipping a team of volunteers (adults and students) to serve alongside them.
2) Ministry through Relationships
• Establish a healthy rhythm for recruiting, training, equipping, and encouraging volunteers.
• Prayerfully and strategically lead volunteer leaders to create opportunities for events, retreats, and mission trips for students.
• Ensure that all students in grades 6-12 establish and maintain positive and encouraging relationships with volunteer leaders.
• Host regular parent meetings to build relationships, encourage them, and gain insight.
• Establish and maintain weekly volunteer huddles for prayer and ministry alignment.
• Use relevant technology for relationship building, inspiration, and information.
• Team with office staff to maximize effective communication and promotion.
• Maintain communication with parents and volunteers and develop an event calendar.
3) Discipleship through Relationships
• Ensure that biblical programs are offered to support discipleship.
• Create a safe, inclusive environment where programs, groups, and events show students they are valued.
• Establish a culture of mutual learning and encouragement inside and outside of programming.
• Ensure all teaching agrees with Oakwood’s Statement of Faith.
• Provide opportunities for students to regularly worship together (Ex: prayer, singing, etc.)
• Equip and provide opportunities for students to use their gifts, talents, and passions.
• Create and maintain a list of resources that can be helpful for discipleship.
• Partner with the Kids Ministry Director for successful transition between 5th and 6th grade.
4) Evangelism through Relationships
• Evangelize by starting with prayer (teach it, model it and practice it).
• Train, equip, and empower students and leaders to evangelize through building relationships with people and sharing the Good News.
• Help students to know and be able to express their testimony with others.
• Regularly provide opportunities for students to pray for, love, serve, and learn from our community and beyond.
5) General Pastoral and/or Directoral Expectations
• Participate in staff meetings.
• Attend/participate in continuous learning, networking, training, and district events hosted by the EFCA-Forest Lakes District, as well as other organizations.
• Actively participate in staff development activities.
• Willingly use their gifts, talents, passions, and abilities outside of their primary role, if needed, for church-wide unity, health, and development opportunities.
• Provide updates to elders.
• Support church wide events, holiday services, hospital visitations, etc.
• A Youth Pastor would be expected to support funerals, weddings, and deliver pastoral messages, as needed.
Qualifications:
• Follows Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
• High School diploma and 7 years related experience, or an associate degree and 5 years of related experience, or a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Education Ministry, or related field, and 2 years related experience.
• Candidate is ordained, or has a Certificate of Christian Ministry, or has obtained licensing through the EFCA. Candidates without credentialing would be required, at minimum, to obtain licensing within 18 months of hire.
• Must be or become an Oakwood Church member within 6 months of hire.
Knowledge, Abilities and Traits:
• A genuine, authentic love for God and a persevering love for God’s people.
• An active participant in ministry and community at Oakwood Church.
• In full agreement with our Statement of Faith, mission, vision, and values.
• A working agreement with our policies and statements regarding social and cultural issues.
• A person that exhibits integrity, discipline, humility, and compassion in their prior community and at home.
• One who is committed to biblical peacemaking; initiates reconciliation when others have wronged them and are quick to repent when they have wronged others,