Youth Director
TITLE: Youth Director (part-time to full-time)
REPORTS TO: Proistamenos (Head Priest)
GENERAL SUMMARY:
The Youth Director shall be an Orthodox Christian in good standing who is actively living out his or her faith and is committed to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His Holy Church. The Youth Director will be under the direct supervision of the Proistamenos (Head Priest) and assist him as an extension of his non-liturgical ministry in the parish. They will be responsible for all the youth ministry in the parish, including Day School, Greek School, and Sunday School, along with any responsibilities assigned by the parish priest in the area of parish administration to advance our youth (YAL, College Bound).
The goal of the Youth Director is to continuously bring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the lives of both children and adults of the parish by example and through Christ-centered activities and teaching opportunities. The Youth Director will be responsible for developing and annual strategic plan to lead and advance the youth ministries of the church. This position provides the leadership required:
- To develop Orthodox Christian fellowship (Koinonia) among our young people,
- To involve them in Liturgical Sacramental life of the Church (Litourgia),
- To encourage the sharing of their Orthodox Faith with others (Martyria),
- To provide opportunities for serving the Church and the Society at Large (Diakonia), and
- To solidify Orthodox Christian beliefs in lives of parents and children.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:
Examples include the following (other duties may be assigned):
- Coordinate fellowship, youth events, and outings, and any aspect of parish administration required by the Proistamenos.
- Attend youth ministry seminars and retreats as requested for continued learning and bring back programs to our community.
- Design and develop a strategic plan to improve youth ministry programs including, but not limited to, Hope, Joy, Faith, Jr. GOYA, GOYA and YAL and find creative ways to incorporate them in the life of the Church.
- Develop an annual calendar schedule of meetings and activities for the youth groups such as Bible Study, etc. Review with supervisor and submit to Parish Council for review and approval.
- Establish, build and strengthen relationships with the directors of the Guardian Angel Orthodox Day School, Sunday Church School, and Pythagoras Greek School.
- Develop a program to stay in contact with youth as they go to colleges and universities and help them stay connected with the Orthodox faith.
- Incorporate technology familiar to youth in ministry outreach via social media, website, email, etc.
- Develop an ongoing program of missionary work and philanthropic work for both youth and adults, to teach the practice and importance of stewardship.
- Prepare and deliver a quarterly report to Parish Council on the status and progress of youth ministries.
- Design, develop, and report on metrics to measure the success of the youth ministry programs.
- Broaden our youth outreach to include other Orthodox jurisdictions, including Romanian, Serbian, etc.
- Establish coordination with other Hellenic organizations to advance our cultural knowledge.
- Manage and develop a budget, including grant applications and other fundraising efforts.
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Must be a member in good standing of the Orthodox Christian Church.
Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Education, Psychology or Social Work or equivalent work experience.
Master’s Degree in Divinity or Theology from an accredited Greek Orthodox school is considered a plus.
Experience:
Minimum of one year or two summers of experience in Christian ministry.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required.
- Ability to lead and engage youth with age appropriate topics.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage time effectively.
- Proven ability to direct multiple projects effectively and work with members from other organizations.
- Ability to plan and organize work processes and manage multiple priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to create and sustain excellent working relationships with others.
- Comfortable working in an unstructured environment.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Working environment is dynamic and as a result can be stressful for some people.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Rev. Fr. John Rallis c/o Angela Sinzianu
Posted by
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
2350 E. Dempster St.Des Plaines, IL 60016
Web: https://www.stjohnthebaptistgoc.org/
Email: FrJohnR@StJohntheBaptistGOC.org
Phone: 847-827-5510
Posted on: September 19, 2023