Irvington Presbyterian Church & St. Barnabas Episcopal Church

Irvington, NY

Position:  Joint Youth Group Coordinator 

Status:  Part Time, 10 hours/week average – September through May Compensation:      $300/week ($30/hour x 10 hours per week)

Program Year: September-May (~39 weeks with breaks following the school calendar)

 

St. Barnabas Church and Irvington Presbyterian Church are seeking a joint Youth Group Coordinator to work cooperatively with the Christian Education Committees of both churches to develop the overall direction and content of a new combined-church youth program. The position will be supervised by Irvington Presbyterian Church’s pastor and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church’s rector. The candidate will be relational in nature, working with other staff and members of the congregations to help ensure that this program is integrated into, and accessible as appropriate, to all teens in the life of the two neighbor churches.

 

The Youth Group

The purpose of the Youth Group Coordinator is to provide a safe, positive, fun, and nurturing environment for young people from two broadly similar church traditions, where they can develop relationships, learn the Christian faith, practice Christian values through service-oriented activities, and participate in highly engaging, interactive, and purposeful sessions. The Youth Group consists of two core groups: The Middle School Youth cohort (6-8th grade) and the High School cohort (9-12th grade).

 

Activities

The Youth Group Coordinator is responsible for planning each year’s activities and organizing and/or leading program components. These may include, but are not limited to:

Bi-Weekly Youth Group meetings for both the Middle School Cohort and High School Cohort on an alternate week schedule (i.e., 1st and 3rd Sundays for Middle School Cohort; 2nd and 4th Sundays for High School Cohort).

Periodic activities with the youth group might include:

Activity/Fellowship Nights (games, movies & discussion, dinner); longer-term projects (building an eco-friendly outdoor environment); seasonal events around Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter; or special activities, such as field trips.

 

Mission activities, most notably supporting work for Midnight Run, a program that provides services to the homeless of NYC; organizing food drives for the local food pantry, or serving in other capacities in the local community.

 

Responsibilities

  • Plan the annual calendar of activities and events
  • Lead and teach at regular youth cohort gatherings
  • Coordinate with parents or volunteers to recruit chaperones & drivers
  • Provide regular bi-weekly updates to clergy virtually or in person
  • Communicate with families about upcoming opportunities and group or individual issues as they arise
  • Maintain communication with both churches through email and social media platforms
  • Take or delegate picture-taking of youth events to be posted and shared
  • Participate in joint meetings of the Christian Education Committees at each parish to celebrate progress, reflect upon issues/challenges; help shape the ongoing vision of the program as well as explore future possibilities for the program to grow.
  • Keeping youth group expenditures within the approved budget.

 

Requirements:

The ideal candidate for this position should love working with young people, have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and listening skills. S/he should have good organizational and administrative abilities and be able to work effectively and collaboratively with clergy, staff, and lay volunteers. S/he should be willing to explore creative ways, both digital and otherwise, to support the spiritual needs of youth and have a desire to develop and expand this ministry in our community.

 

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
  • Demonstrated experience providing leadership in a church context
  • Working knowledge of basic computer programs (Word, Excel, Adobe, etc.)

 

Support

The clergy will provide supervision, support, and encouragement. The Christian Education Committees of each church will also support and assist, as needed.

 

Resumes and cover letters to: Rev. Gareth Evans and Rev. Dr. Blaine Crawford