Christ Church
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Youth Discipleship Director
Job Description
Draft: June 20, 2008
Objective: The Discipleship Director serves in a full-time capacity to steward Christ Church’s commitment to disciples its own youth, by building a team that works together to achieve the mission and goals of the Student Ministry of Christ Church. The Discipleship Director will provide leadership to the volunteers, parents and student apprentices, in consultation with the Youth Ministry Renovation Team and other Student Center staff; to disciple the youth of Christ Church and other youth who may not be connected to any church in the community.
Core Purposes: The following three core purposes have emerged as the rudimentary framework for the work of the Student Center:
1. Level One Programming: Providing Programs that Provide Student Apprentices With the Context for Introducing Their Peers to Jesus in a Positive Way.
2. Level Two Programming: Providing a Context for Discipling the youth under the care of Christ Church (“our youth group” members who have participated in the previous year + youth who were baptized or confirmed at Christ Church who are not active in other churches).
3. Level Three Programming: Developing a Kingdom-Driven School for Student Leadership
Key Results:
RELATIONSHIPS: In addition to building relationships with students personally, the Discipleship Director will empower a variety of adult leaders to be involved in students’ lives — establishing relationships with them, shepherding them and helping them develop their own relationships with Jesus Christ and with the community of faith at Christ United Methodist Church.
Result #1: The Discipleship Director knows every youth in the youth directory by name.
Result #2: The Discipleship Director knows 50% of the youth parents by name.
Result #3: All youth of Christ Church are actively pursued on at least a monthly basis by at least one member of the Youth Ministry leadership team of staff and volunteers.
SUPERVISION and INFRASTRUCTURE: The Discipleship Director will meet with all youth staff and hands-on youth volunteers regularly to ensure that their efforts are coordinated to maximize their effectiveness.
Result #5: All weekly youth ministry volunteers are recruited and receive training at least one month before their terms of service are to begin.
Result #6: The Discipleship Director plans and leads regular youth ministry leadership meetings in a way that nurtures and encourages the volunteers and staff to complete their assignments with deeper love for God and clarity of vision.
Result #7: I’m thinking we move this to the Executive Director’s role: The Discipleship Director protects the strategic progress of Christ Church’s youth ministry by ensuring that 1) three-year goals and one-year benchmarks for the youth ministry are updated annually, 2) the youth staff annually evaluates their progress based on those goals and benchmarks and 3) the staff is regularly attentive to and accountable for accomplishing the youth ministries one-year benchmarks.
PROGRAMS: The Youth Discipleship Director will be free from the vast majority of logistical concerns relative to the programs of the youth ministry (forms, transportation arrangements, payments, etc.) in order to focus on the creation of a youth ministry culture of discipleship, where emerging habits of faith and outreach can be developed.
Result #8: The weekly programs of Christ Church’s youth ministry are growing in participation, enthusiasm, and excellence.
Result #9: The Discipleship Director attends weekly youth ministry programs. His or her presence sets a tone of joyful enthusiasm.
Result #10: A curriculum design template is in place for the youth ministry, and all curriculum resources for each year are selected and distributed to Sunday school teachers at least one month before the school year begins.
Result #11: A Student Discipleship program engages at least 10 students who are seeking to intentionally introduce their peers to Jesus in a positive way.
Result #12: The Discipleship Director’s character and teaching serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth, both in a small and large group settings, as well as at outreach events and in everyday conversations with youth, leaders and parents.
Result #13: The Discipleship Director serves as a part of the Christ Church youth ministry staff team, maintaining a particular partnership and involvement in the programming that takes place at the Christ Church Student Center.
Reporting Relationship: The Discipleship Director is supervised by the Executive Director of the Student Center.
Note: While the above enumerates the broad responsibilities of this position, it is not to be regarded as an exhaustive list.