REPORTS TO: Rector

STATUS: Full Time (40 hrs/wk), Exempt

ORDER: Lay

SALARY: $40,000

BENEFITS: Compliant with HR policies of the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, and with the stated policies of the Church Pension Group regarding full-time employees of the Episcopal Church.

Medical Benefit: PPO80

Dental Benefit: Basic Dental 50/150

Retirement Benefit: 5% with up to 4% matching (total: up to 9% employer contribution)

Life Insurance Benefit: Equal to one year’s salary

Continuing Education & Allowance: Negotiable.

Vacation Days, Sick Leave, and Holidays: In accordance with diocesan minimums.

St. Timothy’s Church is in the heart of Wilson, North Carolina, the seat of Wilson County. St. Timothy’s is a welcoming, liturgical, prayer-centered church; a family church, where fellowship, outreach, hospitality, and service define our activities.

As a worshipping community since 1856, we have welcomed several local groups of believers, most notably the Greek Orthodox community and our two sister congregations, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and La Iglesia de La Guadalupana.

Our members seek to know God’s love and to extend the kindness and generosity of Christ to those around us. We wish to be builders of community. Through service to others, we will continue to nurture our personal bonds and to strengthen our connection with God and the world around us.

We are committed to our spiritual development as individuals and to the vibrancy of the parish. As we adopt new leadership, we hope to inspire and educate our youth through meaningful discussion, play, and music more effectively. We strive to engage parishioners of all ages and backgrounds so that together we may experience the supportive and healing love of God in Christ. We celebrate our history, and we are ready, with God’s help, our Rector’s guidance, and your leadership in forming young Christians to step into the future.

Overview

The Minister for Christian Formation will work primarily in partnership with the Rector, parish Christian Formation Commission, and volunteers to oversee and lead ministries with St. Timothy’s children (birth – 5th grade), youth (6th-12th grades), and families (parents and relatives of parish children and youth).

 Education, Experience, and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related discipline, OR equivalent work experience in a relevant field.
• Experience and understanding of child and adolescent development.
• Experience and/or skills in creating and building strong teams/programs that include in-person and virtual interactions.
• Experience and/or skills in evaluating/creating and implementing curriculum.
• Experience and/or skills in teaching students of various ages.
• Experience and/or skills in recruiting, training, and supervising volunteer staff.
• Awareness and aptitude for using all relevant social media platforms.
• Preferred, but not required:
  • Preaching competence.
  • Spanish language competency.
  • Musical ability.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate must be a baptized Christian, hold values consistent with the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church, and have an anchored prayer and devotional life. This should be a person who can comfortably share their personal faith journey and be prepared to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each essential duty. The candidate must enjoy working with children and youth and demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills for engagement with people of all ages and abilities.

The successful applicant must be well-organized, have a high energy level, a strong work ethic, healthy boundaries, and be able to work independently. This person must be solution-oriented and able to identify and address issues in a variety of situations. When necessary, this person must be willing to take initiative and research solutions via diocesan directives and websites as well as by working with other area episcopal youth leaders, or clergy.

Duties and Responsibilities

The MCF will form life-long disciples of Christ by fostering faith formation among parish children and youth, teaching them:

• to obey everything that Christ commanded (Mt. 28:20)
• to recognize and honor God’s activity in their daily lives
• to be sensitive to and cooperate with the movement of the Holy Spirit in creating opportunities to share the Gospel with others in word and deed.

This work will be accomplished by carrying out the following duties and responsibilities, here ordered by importance to the position with the same understanding of discerning in seasons:

• Cultivate Christian community though personal relationships with children, youth, and their families.
  • Regularly participate in the worship life of the parish.
  • Develop personal relationship with children, youth, and their families in un-programmed ways (e.g., attending sporting events or musical/theatrical performances, sharing meals, creating/participating in opportunities on school campuses, etc.).
  • Serve as both mentor and counsel to children, youth, and their families.
  • Provide spiritual guidance with the Rector
  • Utilize diocesan and community resources as appropriate.

• Create sustainable ministries with and facilitate corporate worship/church attendance by children, youth, and their families.
  • Discern, with the Rector and wider parish, what emphases are most important to and feasible for the growth of Christian community in the parish (e.g., what sorts of programs or lack thereof best facilitate communality in various age groups).
  • Identify, develop, and disciple young leaders by creating opportunities for children and youth to be involved with worship and ministry.
  • Coordinate appropriate regular programming for children, youth, and their families with individualized curricula providing solid biblical teaching and education about the Christian faith.
  • Plan special events for children, youth, and their families (e.g., Vacation Bible School, Christmas pageant, etc.).
  • Plan and lead age-appropriate outreach projects and other opportunities for service and fellowship both within our immediate (e.g., the Wilson area) and larger communities (e.g., the diocese).
  • Help coordinate youth involvement in regular worship offerings in conjunction with the Rector, head sacristan(s) of the Altar Guild, Acolyte Director, Lector Coordinator, Music Minister, and so forth.

• Recruit, train, and coordinate teams to support ministries with children, youth, and their families.
  • Identify and disciple parishioners with a passion and aptitude for Christian formation.
  • Encourage and grow the work of parish volunteers in nurturing children, youth, and their families alongside their own discipleship.
  • Procure and marshal resources to help parish volunteers succeed in their formational ministries as well as offering direct support as appropriate.
  • Oversee adherence to Safe Church policies with children, youth, and their families.
  • Supervise and, as necessary, hire nursery employees.

• Perform other administrative duties necessary to the creation of effective programmed and un-programmed opportunities for Christian formation and community fellowship.
  • Track expenses and submit monthly financial reports to Financial Coordinator and parish Treasurer.
  • Create an annual budget for relevant ministry areas for submission to the parish Vestry.
  • Contribute to parish-wide communications through the authoring of announcements for weekly e-news (the Twist) and bulletins, articles for monthly mailings (the Epistle), and parish web presences (e.g., Facebook; Instagram). Also, create digital assets for use in the preceding (e.g., via Canva).
  • Coordinate and participate in regular meetings of the Christian Formation Commission. Attend Vestry meetings as invited by the Rector.
  • Fulfill general staff requirements such as staff meetings/retreats.
  • Participate in professional development opportunities to continue one’s growth as Minister for Christian Formation (e.g., conferences; webinars; courses).