Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit would lead a mature, Godly, and passionate candidate to fill the role of Youth Pastor/ Director. This full-time position will focus on Youth ages 13-18 and Young Adults 18-35. Pay is competitive and we are willing to provide opportunities for career advancement and professional development.

Mission of Youth Ministry
The Mission of Youth Ministry at Maitland River Community Church falls under the Mission of the church which is “Growing Together to Love and Serve Jesus.” As a result, it will also be guided by the Church’s core values. However, being that the ministry is directed to youth and young adults, the implementation of the mission and core values will be contextual which allows for ministry leaders to develop a vision specific to youth and young adult ministry.

It is our belief that youth and young adult ministry should encapsulate 8 core elements as found below:
1. Relational- The youth and young adult ministry at MRCC should be characterized chiefly by relationships over and above programming.
2. Discipleship- On the platform of relationships, ministry leaders should seek mentorship opportunities and teach or instruct students in faith.
3. Worship/ Praise- There must be opportunities for students to praise and glorify God through musical worship which includes opportunities for charismatic expression.
4. Spiritual Encouragement- Ministry leaders should be willing and able to provide Biblical encouragement, direction, and help to students who are wrestling with a variety of issues.
5. Community- Ministry leaders must provide opportunities for youth to find community, whether that be small group gatherings, denominational ministries, or local ministries.
6. Service- Youth and Young Adults should be encouraged to put their faith in action and serve with whatever gifts the Spirit provides.
7. Evangelism- It is crucial that students learn how to share their faith with the lost, lonely and hurting, particularly, those in their own generation.
8. Outreach- Similar and yet distinct from service and evangelism, ministry leaders should provide opportunities for outreach, whether it be fun events in the community or hanging out in the high school, representatives of the Gospel should be rubbing shoulders with people in the community.

Goal of Youth Pastor/ Director Position:
The Youth Pastor/ Youth Director is to be a person whose primary purpose in ministry is to, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, lead youth and young adults into a closer relationship with God and help develop them into Christian leaders. Our hope is that this relationship with God will yield a profession of faith accompanied by faith that moves from being a receiver to a giver. In order to accomplish this, he/she must be a leader, a teacher, a recruiter, a motivator and a coach. He/she must be a loving and caring example to students by being a good listener, a gentle counselor, and a prayer partner, able to empathize in their sorrows and joys, and be consistent in their emotional ups and downs.

Purpose:
The purpose of a written job description is to give the congregation and the Youth Pastor/ Director a clear understanding of work expectations. The job description protects the Youth Pastor/ Director from being assigned tasks beyond his/her immediate responsibilities. The job description also gives the congregation a specific way to evaluate the work performed by the
Youth Pastor/Director.

This job description has been designed for that of a full-time position. The board must approve any major changes to the job description.

Qualifications:
The Board of MRCC needs to ensure that they are committed to hiring the best possible person to fill the position of Youth Pastor/Director. Criteria to be considered in the evaluation process shall include the following:
➢ Spiritually, he/she must be intentional about embracing the spiritual disciplines regularly
and be Biblically literate. He/She must have an experiential and charismatic approach to faith. He/She must be an example of Godly character in both public and private spheres.
➢ He/she must have confidence in God’s calling to this ministry.
➢ He/she must accept the Bible as the Infallible Word; the full and complete revelation of God.
➢ He/she must be willing to teach and lead in light of the statement of faith and the creeds of the Christian Reformed Church, and will become a member of the Maitland River Community Church
➢ He/she must display a love for and the ability to work with youth, young adults, volunteer leaders, parents, council and demonstrate intelligence and sound judgment.
➢ Must be able to motivate youth and possess good organizational and communication skills.
➢ Good ability to work in a team environment both as a manger and participant.
➢ Develop relational ministry with youth and young adults.
➢ If possible, he/she should have a minimum of college/university degree with at least one year of training in youth ministry, educational administration, Bible and theology. Preference would be given to an individual that has previous experience working in youth ministry (even if that includes time spent as a volunteer).
➢ In the absence of any degree the qualified individual should have attained equivalent experience having worked with youth for at least three to five years and be willing to pursue further education.

Training and Development:
The Youth Pastor/Director is to keep him/herself and the volunteer leaders informed of current trends and development in youth ministry, visitation ministries, and leadership training by attending professional development courses each year. The youth Pastor/Director must work towards commissioned (ordained) pastor status if possible.

Accountability:
No job description can cover every situation or circumstance in ministry. This accountability section of the job description describes the process by which the Youth Pastor/Director can function at his/ her potential within the church. Depending upon how this ministry develops this aspect of the job description may require further evaluation after one or two years.

The Youth Pastor/Director will meet with the Lead Pastor weekly and with the Board on an as needed basis to communicate plans, goals and problem areas. Youth Pastor / Director should provide a report and a list of visits to the board monthly. The Youth Pastor/Director is accountable to the Board and supervised by the Lead Pastor.

The Board will evaluate the Youth Pastor/Director position annually. This will also include annual review of remuneration package, taking into consideration performance, experience and inflation adjustments. A written report will be provided and reviewed with the Youth Pastor/Director every 3rd year.

Should the Youth Pastor/Director feel mistreated by staff, church member or committee in the congregation, he/she may discuss any grievances in confidence with the Board or the Lead Pastor.

Responsibilities:
1. Recruit, train, encourage and support lay people in the various youth-related volunteer ministries within our congregation.
a) Provide training sessions for adult leaders and youth volunteers involved in youth and young adult ministry.
b) Work with the adult youth leaders to identify and recruit potential volunteer youth workers.
c) Locate and use valuable youth ministry resources such youth ministry articles, podcasts, or training videos.
d) Lead the group spiritually (organize devotions, challenge youth to participate in worship, organize praise teams, etc…)

2. Youth Group Night – Currently held every Tuesday night of the school year.
a) Pray for youth individually and corporately both in their presence and in private.
b) The Youth Pastor/Director takes a large responsibility for this night. It should be the focus of the week. It brings together youth for a social gathering, but more importantly it should challenge them in their faith. It should also be a night to welcome friends of the youth into the group.
c) The Youth Pastor/Director will co-ordinate all aspects of the youth ministry programming with the goal of developing young people’s spiritual, social, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
d) Organize a “fun night” approximately once a month. (i.e. laser quest, tubing, games nights, etc …)

3. Meetings and Activities
The Youth Pastor/Director together with volunteer Youth Leaders will:
a) Help organize the meeting and come prepared with topics to discuss.
b) Help organize a once-a-year retreat before the youth season commences. Here they will plan the whole year (i.e. layout of meetings, events, fundraisers, and assign positions and duties for adult and student leaders).
c) Help to organize the fundraisers the youth group undertakes. Parent volunteers are also expected to help out in this area.
d) The Youth Pastor/Director will help to promote and coordinate attendance of special events the youth group attends, such as Fall Retreats, Convention, Serve, …etc.

4. Communication within the Church
a) The Youth Pastor/Director will also show an interest in the lives of youth, and an excellent way to do this is by meeting with them one-on-one, taking into consideration any policy held by the church in regard to abuse prevention policy.
b) The Youth Pastor/Director will encourage youth to be involved in church-run activities, such as Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, Gems or Cadets.
c) He/she should maintain contact with Gems and Cadet leaders to keep them informed of events that may be of interest to young teens, with the goal of encouraging these teens to attend youth group in the future.

5. Communication within Classis Huron and other Youth Leaders
a) The Youth Pastor will encourage the youth group to participate in events organized by Classis Huron and by the other youth groups in the area. This will foster a sense of ecclesial unity and mission.
b) The Youth Pastor will make efforts to organize the events with other youth leaders from other Wingham area youth groups and Classis Huron, or at least arrange rides and attend some of them.
c) Network with other Youth Pastor and Youth Leaders in the Wingham area, Classis Huron, and Ontario.
d) Attend any local or Classis Youth leaders’ meetings.
e) The Youth Pastor/Director will, in some ways, also try, where appropriate, have the Youth or Young Adults involved within the local community (i.e. Youth for Christ Ministry, 515 Lunch ministry, the Salvation Army etc…) recognizing that we are part of the larger Christian community and need to be a shining light unto others.

6. Young Adult Ministry for MRCC
Young adults represent those young adults that no longer attend youth group. This group typically represents those that are over 18-30 years of age. Areas for consideration include:
a) The Youth Pastor/Director should be involved in developing and leading small group ministries for Young Adults.
b) The Youth Pastor/Director will also encourage the Young Adults to participate in events organized in the region.
c) Maintain periodic contact with young adults in college/university.
d) Research and encourage mission trips or conferences for young adults.

7. Build relationships with the parents of the youth.
a) Youth Pastor/ Director should be asked to periodically meet with Parents to address concerns for youth and young adults.
● Elders also should inform Youth Pastor/Director of any concerns that they receive from home visits with parents. If a concern is of grave importance, they could be invited to an elders meeting to share that concern.
a) Provide and encourage opportunities for parent seminars.
b) Care for youth and parents in times of crisis such as sickness or death
c) Help plan and implement a “parent night” at a youth group meeting.

8. Attend workshops, personal growth conferences, or Bible College and Seminary courses to stay informed on new and effective ways to implement ministries.

9. Work as a professional and support other MRCC staff and volunteers involved in other church ministries. Provide encouragement and offer guidance as they implement long-range goals and short-term objectives for their ongoing ministry.

10. Maintain a close relationship with lead pastor for MRCC identifying areas where he/she may require assistance from the lead pastor and opportunities for the pastor to address concerns within the Board and or the congregation that affect youth and young adults.

11. Pastoral care needs to be considered when dealing with youth and young adults. The Youth Pastor/Director must exercise care in this area since he/she may lack formal training in this area. It is important to work closely with the lead pastor (or associate
pastor as applicable) and or youth elder in this area. It is also important to ensure that the Youth Pastor/Director maintains confidentiality when dealing with pastoral care issues.

12. Communicate on a continual basis with youth and young adults that are not part of current youth group or young adult group.

13. Periodically lead or assist the congregation in worship services. Duties may include preaching (if able), leading prayer, or doing announcements.

The following is a guideline for allocation of time for completion of the above responsibilities:
50% – Relational Ministry
20% – Planning/Preparing/Research
15% – Office/Administration
10% – Outreach in the community (515, YFC…etc)
5% – Professional Development