Next Generation Pastor

Purpose: The primary function of the Next Generation Pastor is to provide leadership, strategy, and alignment to help as many children and students take their next step towards becoming fully devoted and fully delighted followers of Jesus Christ. As the NextGen Pastor, you will own all aspects of ministry related to children and students. Some of the main things you’ll be responsible for include:

SMCC Kids (approx. 60% of time/energy)

• Provide vision and leadership in SMCC Kids
• Lead and assist ministry leaders with regard to curriculum, leader recruitment and development, scheduling, and encouragement (Pastor the leaders)
• Coordinate occasional family ministry events throughout the year

Student Ministry (approx. 40% of time/energy)

• Create and strive towards youth ministry-specific vision and mission
• Lead the coordination and facilitation of engaging weekly middle school and high school gatherings that are biblically accurate and culturally relevant
• Be the primary teacher to students
• Develop and sustain regular communication with parents
• Recruit, train, and lead a team of adult leaders and student leaders
• Love the students! Pastor the students and engage in their lives
• Help to integrate the student ministry into the overall ministry of the church
• Submit and manage the annual ministry budget and demonstrate financial responsibility
• Oversee the financial plans for MS, HS, and College ministries (NextGen)
• Set the vision for these ministries including an implementation plan to carry it out
• Partner with families by building and maintaining quality relationships with parents and families of students involved in the student ministry, and provide them with ongoing resources to help raise their students to know Jesus
• Maintain an effective process for helping students understand and respond to important faith milestones (milestone events, decisions to follow Jesus, baptism, etc.)
• Other duties related to NextGen, or NextGen volunteers, as assigned

ROLES OF THE NEXT GEN PASTOR

1. CHAMPION THE NEXT GENERATION – Inspire our church to say yes to the next generation, investing in their future now. The way we love kids now directly impacts who they will be as adults. As kids grow through the phases, they need loving and committed adults to show up and connect with them, share life with them, and invest in them, preparing them for what’s next. The NextGen Pastor ensures that kids have those adults in their lives, casts the vision for their potential, tells their stories, inspiring the church to love and treat each child like they are made in the image of God.
2. RECRUIT LEADERS – Recruiting teachers, leaders and coaches is the lifeblood of your ministry. All ministry depends on volunteer servant leaders and they must be found, trained, and appreciated.
3. ASSIST MINISTRY – Serve your leaders. Assist them in whatever way is needed to ensure not only their success but also their sense of joy and fulfillment in doing what God has called them to do. This includes making sure the tools and resources you provide are genuinely helpful, your communications systems are efficient and effective, your environments are inspiring and the messaging is engaging. The NextGen Pastor sets up the system that makes all this possible.
4. COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL – Craft core truths into engaging, relevant, and memorable experiences. This includes curriculum selection, development, and review. It also includes overseeing social media messaging, and other communications.
5. PARTNER WITH PARENTS – Find ways to genuinely partner with parents in raising their children. Provide what the church can provide best: a loving network of caring adults who are committed to helping them grow in faith, wisdom, and friendship. Engage every parent to have a positive influence in the spiritual development of their own kids. This includes resourcing parents and ensuring consistent communication with parents.

Required Qualifications

• Have a commitment to Jesus Christ and a maturing personal spiritual growth with a family and a social life that honestly reflects your spiritual life
• Meet biblical qualifications of a church elder/leader
• Agree with the doctrine of our church statement of faith
• Able to teach effectively
• Attend, participate in and support appropriate and corporate worship services and ministry events as one of the Pastors of the church
• Build relationships in church and provide pastoral care duties if needed (weddings, funerals, visitation, and counseling)
• Has a passion to pastor the next generation and their families and see them transformed by the Gospel
• Desire to reach students who don’t yet know Jesus

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of proven experience in student/kids ministry within a medium or large church, including recruiting and training volunteer teams
• Dynamic communication skills
• Experience with online digital ministry and formats (YouTube, Instagram)