Snapshot
Denomination: Presbyterian – PCUSA
Weekly Attendance: 175
Location: Huntsville, AL
The Role: Youth and Family Pastor
Meet Covenant Presbyterian Church:
At Covenant, we strive to follow God’s Word to make disciples of Christ. Our passion is to meet you where you are and to help you take your next step. At our core, we are a discipleship church with a heart for evangelism.
Following 65 years of powerful ministry in Huntsville, Alabama, Covenant Presbyterian has recently been on a journey of transformation as a congregation. In 2018, Associate Pastor David Kling, took over as Senior Pastor from a wonderful Senior Pastor of 33 years in a smoothly planned leadership transition. However, the congregation soon came to terms with the fact they had slowly been declining and were not seeing any adult conversions. Huntsville is a highly-educated, rapidly-growing town centered on scientific research. This meant from a missional standpoint that it was critical to begin growing again and to start sharing Christ with educated skeptics. In 2019 the congregation refocused the church’s priorities to be devoted to bringing people to Christ who had either never been in church or had walked away from Church. This became a regular prayer as a congregation. The church began researching the best practices of growing churches that were reaching unchurched people, and discovered that Covenant’s organizational structure needed to streamline and become more flexible. Most committees – except for the board of elders and the board of trustees – were shut down and instead, the staff was empowered to lead teams of volunteers. In 2020 all major systems went into a digital cloud-based setup (database software, ASANA, livestream, security etc.) so that the staff could work remotely from anywhere. The church reopened quickly during the pandemic, and was surprised to see that lots of new younger people came to worship. After two years of prayer, young adults in their 20s began to come forward for baptism and conversion. In 2021 the worship style was changed to fit a younger demographic (kind of a Nashville vibe) that connects with both older and younger generations. In 2022 the church worked with the Unstuck Church consulting firm to create a fresh 5-year vision for the congregation to become the best congregation at evangelism in the PC(USA) denomination. By 2026 they see themselves as a thriving medium-sized congregation of about 500 people on a Sunday with a healthy mix of children, youth, and adults and 12 adult conversions every year.
About the Youth and Family Pastor:
This position serves as the full-time Director of Youth and Family Ministries for Covenant Presbyterian Church, a multi-generational church located in the growing, dynamic city of Huntsville, Alabama. The Director reports to the Senior Pastor and supervises the work of the Director of Children’s Ministry and a dedicated team of volunteers. The Director directly manages the programming for 6th through 12th grade students and supervises the work of the Director of Children’s Ministry for lower grades. The goal of Youth and Family Ministries is to help students grow spiritually and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in their daily lives. This position encourages and supports the multi-generational family ministry of the church, connecting the body of Christ across all age groups. We offer our students multiple opportunities for fellowship, worship, and service in a friendly, safe, and accepting environment.
The Youth and Family Pastor’s Responsibilities Include:
- Organize, encourage, and assist the volunteer leaders by writing or selecting curricula and agendas for the weekly discipleship programs for our youth:
- High School & Middle School Sunday School and Youth Groups.
- High School Bible Studies.
- Confirmation Class.
- Parenting Classes
- Supervise the work of the Director of Children’s Ministry in selecting curricula and agendas for weekly discipleship programs for children.
- Foster an environment that is inclusive of all and make clear the biblical importance of respect and honor between students and adult leaders.
- Strongly and actively support the vision to grow the number of youths in the life of the church.
- Equip youth, make disciples, and engage in the transforming work of Christ in our community and in the world. Create opportunities for them to be involved in leadership roles in the church.
- Prepare and coordinate action plans for exciting and interesting weekly Youth Group meetings.
- Foster and support a high level of integration and collaboration between and among staff members and church leadership.
- Be in relationship with children, youth, and their families. Seek out and meet with families, sharing their joys and concerns, and challenging their spiritual growth. Minister to their needs and make appropriate care referrals when necessary.
Youth Contact and Support
- Personally know all youth and their families on the Covenant rolls.
- Attend extracurricular youth events where possible to show interest and support for our youth. Invite other volunteer leaders to attend.
- Spend face-to-face time with each actively participating student and be aware of signs that professional assistance is needed.
- Find ways to reach out to new youth and inactive youth (and their parents or guardians)
- Track student participation and follow up with visitors to youth programs.
Volunteer Recruitment & Training
- Build and train a team of adult volunteers to lead and support programming and spiritual growth for our youth. Maintain meaningful and encouraging relationships with volunteers to ensure they feel equipped and valued.
- Establish a strong team environment.
- Meet with volunteers on a recurring basis.
- Ensure that all volunteers have a current background check and have received and comply with safe child training for youth and children.
Major Events
- Schedule major events during the year, to include Mission trips, Youth Sunday, Senior Sunday, retreats, annual volunteer recognition, etc.
- Schedule recurring service and outreach opportunities for youth, and families.
- Partner with other church youth groups for events as opportunities arise.
- Encourage youth participation and support for church-wide events.
Communications
- With the assistance of administrative staff and existing software, create an effective informational network to communicate schedules and activities with the youth, families, and volunteers.
- Utilize the established church database programs to conduct business.
- Work with the Communications Director to promote programs and events.
- Establish a dedicated team that meets on a recurring basis to support all youth and family activities.
Administration Attend regularly scheduled staff meetings.
- Identify annual budget requirements for programs under the Director’s purview.
- Maintain required documentation (student rolls, calendar of events, student trip forms, etc.).
- Weekly supervision of the Director of Children’s Ministry.
Personal Development
- Be a participating and visible member of the Covenant Church family, attending a cross-section of programs and events.
- Attend Sunday morning worship regularly and participate as needed.
- Implement a healthy balance of priorities:
- Personal relationship with God.
- Bible reading.
- Maintain an active prayer life, praying regularly for youth and their families
- Continuing education.
What You Bring:
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
- 2-3 years ministry experience minimum.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Demonstrated experience working with youth and families.
- Have sound judgment, the ability to handle challenging situations, have grace under pressure, and a good sense of humor.
- Sufficient skills and experience to relate Bible teachings and applications to real life questions and situations that apply to youth and their families in an increasingly challenging culture.
- Ability to work in a Team Ministry environment with staff members, elders, volunteers, and family members.
- Ability to recruit, empower, and lead a team of dedicated volunteers.
- Proficient working with current communication technology, databases, and software applications.
- Possess good time management, organizational and administrative skills.
Personal Characteristics & Qualifications
- Firmly rooted and have a growing relationship with Christ.
- Support of and agree with Covenant’s statement of faith.
- A strong Biblical background.
- Participate in the life of Covenant as your home church.
What it’s Like to Live in Huntsville, AL:
Huntsville was voted the #1 place to live in America by the U.S. News and World Report for 2022 – 2023. It’s one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country but keeps a small-town suburban feel. It’s one of the most affordable cities to live in, but still has the amenities of a large city: sports, culture, art, music, medical care, colleges, parks, restaurants and more. Huntsville is home to NASA, and is a national hub for jobs in engineering, medicine, and the military. The city is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and opportunities for hiking and watersports are just a short drive away. Southern hospitality is a real thing here – it’s the perfect place to make lifelong friends or raise a family.