Director of Youth Ministry
The Joint Youth Group of Gig Harbor, Washington, seeks its first Youth Director. The JYG is a newly established, multi-church/multi-denominational organization combining the efforts and resources of four local churches to establish a full-time program for middle and high school youth in the Gig Harbor community.
The four churches (Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Methodist, United Church of Christ) have set an intent to fund and support a three-year pilot program with hopes of its ongoing sustainability.
The five articulated goals for this program are:
• Faith formation
• The fostering of healthy Christian community, inclusive of LGBTQ members
• Social and environmental justice
• Stability and dependability
• Fun!
The Director of Youth Ministry will be responsible for developing, coordinating, and administering an effective and comprehensive ministry for youth in grades 6-12, and to their families. This person will work closely with and report directly to the supervising pastor who heads the JYG Board (comprised of the four pastors and congregational representatives from the participating churches) to establish a vision for the ministry as well as to build the infrastructure necessary for a sustainable model of youth-ministry, including an intention to remain in the position throughout the three-year pilot program.
Skills and Job Requirements:
Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of an undergraduate degree and experience working with and leading youth in a religious setting. A graduate or seminary degree/experience is preferred, as well as experience working with LGBTQ youth.
We seek someone who is energetic, resourceful, and self-starting who will be able to carry out the ministry with minimal direct supervision. The position will require spiritual and theological maturity in articulating a vision of the Christian faith that is relevant for youth coming of age in this era (and consistent with the missions of the sponsoring congregations and denominations); strong team building skills with the youth, staffs, and volunteers; strong written and verbal communication skills for engaging the youth, pastors, and congregations; and leadership skills in carrying out weekly programming and directing adult volunteers.
Responsibilities will include:
• Developing and leading separate weekly programming for middle school and high school students
• Organizing and carrying out special quarterly events, including a significant summer mission trip/pilgrimage-type event
• Rotating attendance at the four sponsoring churches, including preaching at least once a year in each of the churches
• Reliable verbal and written communication with the JYG Board
• Participating in required staff meetings
• Providing regular communication and publicity with the congregations
• Submitting Annual Reports to the congregations, including program evaluation
• Being available for one-on-one meetings with youth and parents, attending extracurricular events
• Attention to the recruiting, spiritual development and team building of adult volunteers
• Fostering a climate to encourage positive youth participation and volunteer experiences
• Advocating for meaningful participation of the youth in worship activities
• Networking with community and denominational agencies and resources
• Maintaining approved budget
• Completing recurring training requirements and opportunities as available
Salary, benefits, and administrative:
• Full-time (40 hours/week),
• $55 – 62,000 annual salary (depending on training and experience)
• Health insurance stipend, retirement, paid time off
• Dedicated full-time office and ministry space
• Must have a valid driver’s license and means of transportation
• Must clear national and Washington State background checks
• Must clear all denominational children/youth safeguarding qualifications
We value all employees and job candidates as unique individuals, and welcome the variety of experiences they bring to our Youth Ministry. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply!
We are looking to hire as soon as possible with hopes of starting this ministry in Fall 2022. We will be accepting applications until the position is filled. Please send resumés and cover letters to: Denise Iversen, jointyouthgroupgigharbor@gmail.com.