Position Title: Director of Youth Ministry
Department: Youth Faith Formation
Reports To: Executive Director
Office: 1011 First Avenue, New York, NY
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
About the Department:
The mission of the department is build the Kingdom of God by supporting, training, and resourcing the parishes of the Archdiocese of New York in their ministry to evangelize and form young people and their families from birth to twelfth grade. Made up of a team of ministry experts and consultants that work collaboratively, the department marries the richness of Catholic Church with understanding of the needs of today’s young people and families to foster disciples of Jesus in the community of the Catholic faith.
Essential Position Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serve as the archdiocesan expert on facilitating effective ministry with children and families from sixth to twelfth grade
- Work collaboratively with regional specialists, pastors, and parish leadership to identify tools and methods for parishes ministry to young people and their families in a rich environment of cultural and economic diversity
- Work with all archdiocesan ministries to further the archdiocesan mission to live, proclaim, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ—specifically working closely and collaboratively offices of Adult Faith Formation, Catholic Schools, Ethnic Apostolates, Family Life, Liturgy, Respect Life, and Young Adult Outreach
- Work in collaboration with the staff of the Department of Youth Faith Formation to promote and support comprehensive parish ministry with young people and their families from birth to twelfth grade
- Identify and promote effective practices for parish ministry to middle and high school youth
- Identify and promote effective practices for preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation
- Identify and promote effective practices for ministry to and with young people with special needs
- Identify and promote effective practices for pastoral care of youth
- Offer research and recommendations to parishes on various models and provide guidelines and guidance on programs and resources that can be effective in their unique cultural ministerial environments
- Identify and promote resources that are in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church to supplement parish efforts such as instructional aids, digital resources, etc.
- In collaboration with the Family Life Office, identify and promote both spiritual and parental formation for parents of middle and high school youth
- Work collaboratively with the director of ministry formation and the director of children’s faith formation to develop and provide theologically and academically sound programs of preparation for parish faith formation leaders
- Identify formation needs for parish youth ministry leaders and work collaboratively with the director of ministry formation to develop effective opportunities to meet those needs
- Work collaboratively with the regional specialists to assist parishes in the development, support, evaluation, and problem-solving in their ministry to middle and high school youth and families
- Participate regularly in regional faith formation leaders’ meetings
- Liaise with regional youth-serving apostolates and ministries
- Remain up-to-date on the latest guidance regarding catechesis and youth ministry from the Vatican and the USCCB and archdiocesan safe environment policies
- In collaboration with other members of the departmental staff, evaluate and update archdiocesan faith formation policies and procedures
- Participate in the planning and implementation of departmental gatherings and events
- In collaboration with the project manager and Special Events Office plan and implement the annual New York Catholic Youth Day
- In collaboration with adult youth ministry leaders and regional specialists in the archdiocese, plan and implement direct services to youth such as retreats, service events, youth leadership development, etc.
- Oversee the Catholic Youth Leaders of the Archdiocese team
- Create and manage a budget for her/his ministry area
- Provide monthly content for departmental newsletter regarding her/his ministry area
- Collaborate with the department’s social media presence by creating regular social media content
- Collaborate on the planning and implementation of departmental events and gatherings
- Submit periodic project status reports to the Executive Director
- Attend departmental team and working-group meetings
- Liaise with others nationally who engage in a similar ministry area
- Complete other duties, as needed
Required Education, Experience and Skills:
- Master’s Degree with a concentration in theology, youth ministry, pastoral ministry, religious education, or education required
- 6+ years of related experience in full-time paid youth ministry
- Bilingual in Spanish/English preferred
- Actively growing in one’s faith and able to be a witness of Christ through a life of authenticity and integrity as a Roman Catholic in good standing
- Proven expertise on trends, methods, teachings, and research in youth, families, ministry, and education; interest in continually developing professional knowledge
- Thorough knowledge with the foundational and catechetical documents of the universal and United States Catholic Church, such as Catechism of the Catholic Church, Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council, Directory for Catechesis, Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, Renewing the Vision, etc.
- Strong interpersonal skills, organizational, time-management, and communication skills
- Interculturally competent with a strong sensitivity and awareness of the multicultural reality of the archdiocese
- Enjoys being an active member of a team in a joyful work environment
- Ability to work collaboratively with others as well as be self-motivated and work independently
- Have a valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the archdiocese
- Able to work flexible schedule that may nights and weekends as needed
- Proficient in MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and online navigation and research
- Very comfortable with a variety of technological tools used for learning and formation (e.g. digital projectors, laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc.)
- Familiarity with online team collaborative programs such as Slack, Sharepoint, Dropbox, etc. a plus
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to: Ela.Milewska@archny.org