FT. WORTH, TEXAS 76105

FULL TIME

Director of Child and Youth Empowerment

The Central Texas, North Texas, and Northwest Texas Conferences, pending approval of the Southcentral Jurisdictional Conference in July, will become one Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. The Joint Personnel Committee for these three conferences announces a search for the Director of Child and Youth Empowerment for the newly named Horizon Texas Conference and invites inquiries and resumes for the position. The conference is committed to fostering inclusion, understanding, and respect for diversity within our churches and community. Rooted in our faith-based values, we aim to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, celebrated, and valued.

The Central Texas, North Texas, and Northwest Texas Conferences have been in conversations since early 2023 to explore the process of unification. Throughout the spring and summer of 2023, Bishop Saenz, along with clergy and lay leaders from all three conferences, worked together on a plan to unify the three conferences. Working together as one body with a unified vision and strategic priorities, the Horizon Texas Conference will be well-positioned to multiply Jesus followers following the widely anticipated adoption of new conference boundaries by the summer of 2024.

The Joint Personnel Committee seeks a strategic leader responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy for promoting spiritual formation in the Wesleyan tradition (Love God, Proclaim Christ, Serve Others, Do Justice), empowerment, and well-being of Children and Youth within the Church and in the world.

Primary Roles:

• Cast a vision, expand and strengthen the conference’s missional mindset for the spiritual and temporal well-being of children and youth.

• Foster a culture of prayer, discipleship, and call among children and youth throughout the conference.

• Collaborate with the Directors/Team Leaders, as well as children’s and youth ministry staff and volunteers in congregations, to support the success of children and youth ministry and advocacy.

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders in the conference, as needed to meet goals and objectives for children and youth formation and advocacy.

• Develop plans and strategies to achieve conference goals and objectives for youth empowerment and advocacy.

• Leverage the connection by facilitating the sharing of local churches' ideas, best practices, and resources across the conference.

• Develop tools, templates, resources, forms, and implementation strategies and make them accessible to clergy, laity, and congregations to enhance their ministry.

• Procure and allocate resources to ensure the success of Conference and department team goals, objectives, and key results regarding youth empowerment and advocacy.

• Enter into partnerships and collaborative efforts to enhance capabilities and achieve shared objectives.

• Assess strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for child and youth spiritual formation and advocacy and work with child and youth adult workers to develop strategic plans that outline goals and action steps for growth and improvement.

• Develop age-appropriate programs, activities, events, or initiatives that support the spiritual, emotional, and social needs of children and youth and their families.

• Organize training sessions or workshops for parents and children/youth workers for developing skills in mentoring, teaching, counseling, pastoral care, addressing current issues and challenges faced, child protection policies, and creating safe spaces for young people.

• Equip congregations to create environments where children and youth feel valued, respected, and connected to the larger faith community.

• Ensure congregations implement child protection policies to create safe environments for children and youth.

• Develop initiatives to equip and empower parents to participate in the faith formation of their children.

• Design and implement effective training and development systems for effective child and youth ministries.

• Develop and implement a system for attracting, equipping and retaining laity to serve as children’s and youth ministry staff in congregations.

• Foster collaboration between congregations to share best practices related to effectively engaging and advocating for children and youth.

• Support and resource the launching of outreach initiatives to reach unchurched or marginalized children and youth with the gospel, ministries that empower agency, alleviate suffering, and heal.

• Regularly assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the elements of the faith formation system, making adjustments as needed to meet the evolving needs of constituents.

• Promote partnerships with organizations working on behalf of the needs and rights of children and youth.

• Lead the conference and congregations to advocate for policies at local, regional, and national levels that prioritize the rights and well-being of children and youth.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in theology, social work, education, or a related field is required. A master's degree in a related field is preferred as is a master's degree in divinity.

• Proven experience of working with children and youth in a leadership capacity within a church or organization.

• Experience in program development and implementation for child and youth empowerment is highly desirable.

• Strong understanding of child and adolescent development, as well as knowledge of current issues affecting young people such as mental health challenges, social justice concerns, and diversity/inclusion issues.

• Deep commitment to fostering spiritual growth and holistic development of children and youth.

• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, including the ability to set goals, develop actionable plans, and measure and achieve results against objectives.

• Proven ability to analyze and resolve complex situations and leverage opportunities to achieve favorable outcomes for the organization.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams effectively and inspire others towards the vision of empowering youth within the faith community.

• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple programs simultaneously.

• Experience in project management, including the ability to lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives successfully.

• Ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders to support strategic initiatives.

• Proven track record of advocating for the needs and rights of children and youth at various levels (congregational, community).

• Familiarity with policies related to child protection/safeguarding.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.

• Excellent verbal and written communication to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders including parents, clergy, laity, youth ministers, and young people themselves.

• Ability to deliver engaging presentations and facilitate discussions of relevant topics.

• Commitment to continuous growth in cultural awareness and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Commitment to continuous learning, improvement, and professional development.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications.

• Member of The United Methodist Church is required.

Additional Considerations

• Hybrid work environment

• Generous health and welfare benefits

• 22 Vacation Days

• 12 Holidays

To apply please visit: https://www.really.com/job/director-child-and-youth-empowerment-c6ef587648fb502d

Closing Date: June 14, 2024

No Staffing Agencies or Recruitment Firms

Organization: The New Unified Conference of The United Methodist Church

Contact: Monica Reid

Phone: 6153692313

Closing Date: 06/14/2024