The Glenpool Church of Christ is seeking a qualified Youth & Family Minister to take on a full-time work with the congregation. We are a growing congregation of about 200 members in a suburb of Tulsa with a young and vibrant community.
Applicant Expectations
- Could live on $45,000 salary
- Member of the Church of Christ
- A Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Ministry and Youth Ministry or a comparable educational background
- 1-2 years of ministry experience preferred
- Could start work around August
- Prefer married candidates
Purpose of a Youth and Family Ministry
The youth and family ministry at the Glenpool Church of Christ exists to:
- Develop families that are equipped to take an active role in the faith formation of their children.
- Develop students in the 6th-12th grade into life long members of faith equipped to apply Biblical values to everyday situations
- Foster an environment that encourages/equips parents and other adult volunteers to make disciples of the youth at Glenpool.
Families
Families are vital to the growing faith of adolescents. The youth and family minister will help to equip our parents by:
- Regular communication on the needs of the youth and family ministry.
- Recruiting parents to take an active role in the teaching of youth classes, sponsoring youth events, being involved in the various activities of our youth outside of the church setting (attending concerts, plays, ball games, etc.)
- Provide education, whether through regular class times or through special events, for parents on how to handle the faith formation of their children in today’s culture.
Students
Raising up future members of the faith is what youth and family is all about. In order to help ensure the students at Glenpool become lifelong members of faith and feel apart of and involved in the overall ministry at Glenpool the youth and family minister will:
- Regularly meet with students throughout the week in order to build relationships (Bring lunches, go get coffee or ice cream after school, etc.) whether one on one or with more than one student.
- Teach classes that encourage students to think and apply Biblical principles to their everyday life and give them concrete ways to live out life as a Christian.
- Provide opportunities (service projects, retreats, camps, Winterfest, etc.) for students to put into practice what they have learned.
- Find ways to encourage the students to be part of the congregation at Glenpool on a regular basis. (Serving at the table, leading prayer, reading scripture, teaching classes, etc.)
Adult Volunteers
Studies show that most students who end up being lifelong members of faith have 5 adults pouring into their lives and taking an interest in their faith development. The youth and family minister cannot do it all and will equip other adult volunteers by:
- Building relationships with adults with no immediate involvement in the youth ministry (ie they don’t have students in youth ministry) in order to recruit them to help teach classes and sponsor youth events.
- Equip these adults to be able to teach classes and reach out to the youth at Glenpool.
- Provide opportunities for these adults to mentor the students at Glenpool through service projects, retreats, camps, youth conferences, etc.
Personal Development
In order to maintain a healthy spiritual life, the minister is expected:
- Take an additional day off during the week to offset the hectic Sunday schedule
- Practice spiritual disciplines such as prayer, devotion, and study
- Continue to develop his professional skill set through reading and training
- Attend one conference or event per year for personal development
Congregational Identity & Vision
The Glenpool Church of Christ is:
- A Church of Christ in the Restoration Tradition, committed to the restoration plea of fundamental New Testament authority and the unity of all believers.
- Within the Church of Christ fellowship, the Glenpool Church of Christ would likely be considered “right-of-center” doctrinally, though not radical in any direction.
- The Glenpool Church of Christ is also diverse, including people from all backgrounds united in faith.
- The congregation is demographically younger than most churches in our fellowship.
- The church strives to develop disciples through a process of (1) Belonging, (2) Learning, and (3) Service.
Current Programs
While a new youth and family minister would have considerable flexibility in amending the way the church conducts youth and family ministry, the following programs are currently in place.
- Faith Week camp session at Frog Road Christian camp in early June (directed by the pulpit minister)
- Vacation Bible School in late July
- Sunday morning Bible classes
- Sunday evening youth program
- Wednesday evening Bible classes
- Early childhood Bible class curriculum currently overseen by experienced volunteer
- Attended nursery for Sunday AM worship hour
- Monthly devotionals for youth hosted by members or onsite
- Youth led devotional for congregation on 3rd Wednesday night of each month
- Young Family/Adult Class on Sunday AM
- Young Family fellowship meal on 2nd Sunday night of each month
- “Nerd Nite” board game event on 3rd Friday night of each month
- Sporadic annual lock-in
Oversight & Workplace Relationship
The youth minister would work under the oversight of the eldership and in collaboration with the pulpit minister and deacons. The pulpit minister would serve as a mentor and as a “first among equals,” but not as a manager for the youth minister. Frequent meetings and fellowship between the two ministers is strongly encouraged. In addition it is expected that the Youth & Family Minister could help with the Pulpit Minister’s responsibilities in the event of an absence. This would include sermon delivery or class responsibilities.
To Apply
The application process is fairly simple.
- Email some sort of résumé to benjamin.j.williams@gmail.com by April 30, 2016.
- Include some sort of recommendation, as personal and professional references will be highly weighted in the evaluation process.