Youth Minister

Position Summary:

The Youth Development Coordinator is hired

to implement programs, perform activities and special projects as they relate to youth development with the objective of:

• Furthering the mission of The Salvation Army through ministry and spiritual development of youth and young adults (0-29yrs).

• Providing an example of holy living in order to fulfill the Army’s mission of saving the lost, serving suffering humanity and making disciples for Jesus.

• Being a person of prayer whose character is fully consistent with their Christian faith.
• Developing children and youth; their faith, character and person through the corps/church and other SA work.
• Increasing local corps ministry with young people in the neighborhood and community through purposeful outreach and service.
• Engaging their communities—neighborhood organizations, parents, teachers, children’s clubs, etc.—with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Youth Development Coordinators will work with youth, parents, corps (church) leaders, teachers, neighborhood organizations, and other interested individuals to:

• Oversee Corps youth evangelism & outreach.
• Teach or assist Corps youth programs.
• Organize collaboration between local ministry partners
• Build positive relationships with youth.
• Develop local resources.

Plan youth volunteer opportunities, and other activities/special projects as assigned.

Youth Development Coordinator

• Youth Development Coordinator will meet weekly with Corps Officer to review weekly activities and plans.
• Be regular and punctual in attendance according to the schedule developed with the corps officer.
• When you are unable to work due to illness or an accident, promptly notify you supervisor.
• Meet attendance guidelines as stated in Employee Handbook. (contact HR for a copy of the Handbook)
• Attend and participate in Corps staff meetings.
• Record and maintain statistical information regarding youth related activities and participants.
• Participate as needed in the Young People pastoral care council and/or Corps Council.
• Oversee and organize on-going training, development and discipleship programs for active local youth leaders; working closely with the YPSM and/or YPL leaders.
• Ensure that Safe from Harm guidelines are instituted and followed in the local setting.
• Meet dress code guidelines as stated in Employee’s Handbook (contact HR for a copy of the Handbook)
• Identify and encourage new leadership potential from within or outside of the corps to fill current and future leadership needs
• Build and maintain positive relationships with existing youth leaders

To Students

• Teach or assist in the four required youth programs. (VBS, Jr. Soldiers, Sunday school, Christian Education, Corps Cadets)
• Available to organize and conduct weekly Bible study/small group meetings for the youth.
• Plan monthly outreach events.
• Engage youth in The Salvation Army distinctive programs.

• Serve as an intentional mentor and role model: share meals and fellowship time; provide individual spiritual guidance when needed; remain available as much as possible which may require responding to emergency situations outside of normal hours of work.
• Provide opportunity/training for youth to participate in volunteer/ministry opportunities (thrift stores, disaster services, feed homeless, Community Care, Christmas effort, mission opportunities, active roles in Corps’ life and worship, etc.
• Plan, organize, and schedule youth activities for Spring Break and summer months and Christmas as needed in the community.
• Attend student extra-curricular activities.

Youth Development Coordinator Responsibilities to Parents

• Plan, develop, and distribute a regular newsletter via email, Facebook, and/or mail addressing the interests and needs of their children – promoting awareness, information and involvement in programs.
• Build relationship with the families of students attending youth programs
• Provide and collect all permission slips for related activities.
• Plan activities that include the parents.

Community Responsibilities:

• Build relationships with other agencies involved with or interested in youth to develop local resources:
• Meet with high school and college staff to find students who plan to go into the field of youth work/ministry and could be potential staff or volunteers.
• Speak to civic clubs, schools, and local businesses about corps program or opportunities within The Salvation Army who could become potential volunteers or donors.
• Work with community leaders to develop an environment for youth to thrive in all aspects of their lives. Seek to bring all youth representatives to plan, organize and implement needed programs/opportunities and to address problems and issues that
• Relate to the youth population in the local community and corps.

It expected that the Youth Development Coordinator under the Good Soil Initiative will:

• Be able to produce a list of the youth in the corps and those that live in the corps community.
• Have visited with the families of youth who attend the programs either at their home or in the community at social events, school activities etc.
• Have researched the key hurts and hopes of the youth in the community through interviews of the youth, parents/guardians, key leaders, and organizations working with youth.
• Have met with community leaders to establish what is being done in the community for youth.
• Establish a plan for addressing the hurts and hopes of the youth with a timeline and network strategy.
• Attend five meetings of each of the established youth programs to observe leader/youth interaction.
• Establish and conduct quality quarterly training and planning events for all corps leaders working with youth.
• Conduct an assessment of facility and leadership to guide future strategy for improvement of impact on youth and their development.
• Establish a youth advisory council that will give guidance to corps youth programs and initiatives. One member of the youth advisory council will be assigned to serve on the corps council for one year.
• Stay in touch with youth to keep them involved in the Christmas ministry of the corps as well as summer break activities (camps).
• Be available to help with Christmas fundraising and social service activities up to 10 hours per week (if possible with youth or interacting with parents in applications etc.).
• Put together a youth nurture team made up of local corps youth leaders that will meet at least four times a year to assess and evaluate youth development.

Pay Range for this position:  $35,000 to $40,000/year

Salary : $35,000 - $40,000