Youth Ministry Leader

To apply - please send a Resume and Cover Letter to youthministry@firstchurchburlington.org

College Street Church and First Congregational Church are seeking a gifted minister to lead a combined Christ-centered peer group of 6-12 graders in Christian discipleship through theology, service, fellowship, and fun.

Purpose: To oversee programs and service-learning opportunities which facilitate the spiritual development of the youth (6th-12th grade) in our two congregations.

Supervised by: College Street Congregational Church Pastor, in consultation with the Lead Pastor of First Congregational Church. Works collaboratively with the lay leadership at both churches.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years relevant experience.
• Preferably experience in Christian youth ministry, Biblical studies or a related field.
• A vital Christian faith life evidenced by action, attitude, and behavior.
• A love of kids and understanding of today’s youth culture, pressures and concerns.
• Strong communication skills (ease and comfort with e-mail communications, social media, and other basic computer skills including contributions to web page).
• Examples of skills in working collaboratively as part of a team.
• Self-starter with ability to exercise independent judgment and initiative as needed.
• An understanding of, and agreement with College Street Congregational and First Congregational Church’s mission statements and a willingness to gain knowledge about the United Church of Christ and its Statement of Faith.
• *College Street Congregational Church and First Congregational Church hereby reaffirms their openness to people of all faith or in search of faith, without regard to race, age, sex, economic condition, disability or sexual orientation. We invite all people to share in the worship, life, leadership and employment opportunities of the church.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

This position is a 22-hour a week position and includes, but is not limited to, these responsibilities:

Develop and lead a sustainable Christ-centered peer group.

Help youth connect to the deep and unconditional love of God, centered upon the life and teachings of Jesus, with an emphasis on love and all its possibilities as the basis of our identities in this world.

Create regular ongoing opportunities for youth engagement, including:

• Sunday morning faith formation gatherings equally accessible to youth of both churches.
• Regular weekly events that nurture meaningful relationships, active learning, fun, spiritual discovery and service.
• Participation in the overall life of the church, including leadership in intergenerational church activities (including the Annual Advent Youth Service).
• An annual service trip and fundraisers to raise money for this trip
• Occasional special events.

Lead ongoing program development, including:

• Selecting and implementing faith formation curriculum that has meaning in the daily lives of youth.
• Recruiting, leading, and empowering youth volunteers
• Collaborating with other staff and lay leadership of both churches
• Working with the pastors to develop a meaningful and spiritually transformative Confirmation process for our older youth.
• Welcoming new families.

Model an active presence during worship.

Attend staff and lay leadership meetings as necessary to maintain healthy communication and program sustainability

SECONDARY DUTIES:

• Contribute to current information on youth programs on the church website and occasional communication outreach (Sunday bulletins, weekly email announcements, monthly church newsletters).
• Maintain accurate and up to date records on youth and volunteer background checks.
• Provide a monthly Youth Leader’s Report to lay leadership at both congregations.
• Contribute to churches’ Annual Reports on youth programs.
• Maintain and order church supplies related to youth programs and youth church school.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

This job has elements of office work including sitting and working at a computer. It may require lifting and moving things to set up spaces, traveling up and down stairs to different parts of the church, and traveling offsite from the church.