Pastoral Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Full Time, Exempt

Dec 22, 2021

The Pastoral Associate is Director of and is responsible for two specific ministry areas:

• Youth Ministry
• Young Adult Ministry

As the Youth Minister, this member of the Pastoral Team will respond to the spiritual and social needs of all parish youth in Middle School, Grades 6-8, and High School, Grades 9-12.  The Youth Minister is the primary advocate for this age population in the St. Simon Parish community and is responsible for coordinating and overseeing catechetical, service, and social activities geared toward these age groups.  The mission of Youth Ministry is to attract, educate and retain all applicable youth in the life and leadership of the parish.  The program will provide participants with opportunities to form and grow their Catholic faith and identity by providing meaningful opportunities for youth to serve in ministry to the community and further develop their leadership skills.

As the Young Adult Minister this member of the Pastoral Team responds to the spiritual and social needs of this age group (ages 18-30) with the intention of retaining young adults in the life and leadership of the parish.

We believe that mission trips and outreach projects are a critical gateway for the spiritual development of the youth and young adults. As such, we expect the Pastoral Associate to Youth and Young Adults to play a crucial role in development and execution of all mission trips.

Candidates for this position should have significant experience in Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Care is taken to reflect the diversity of the Parish Community, thus candidates for this position include men and women of various ages, social and ethnic backgrounds, married and single.

QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS TO PERFORM THE JOB SUCCESSFULLY: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill ability or physical demands required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

• Must be able to attract, recruit, motivate, educate, and retain middle and high school age youth and young adults through service opportunities, mission trips, retreats and social experiences. Recruiting includes visiting local high schools to promote parish youth ministry programs and activities.
• Must be able to attract, recruit, motivate, form and retain volunteers in support of Youth Ministry (i.e. catechists, core team members, facilitators, chaperones, etc.).
• Must have a basic knowledge and understanding of scripture, theology, liturgy, catechesis, and youth faith formation.
• Must be able to articulate the faith of the Catholic Church in a professional and pastorally appropriate manner.
• Must model for our youth and young adults full, conscious, and active participation at Mass and other liturgical services.
• Must have good verbal and written communication skills, and be proficient in basic Microsoft Office functions, Google collaboration suite, use of social media for engagement, and the use of technology.
• Works in collaboration with Middle School, High School and Young Adult Core Teams in the development of programs appropriate for each age group.
• Must be organized and able to work in collaboration with parents, the Pastor, Director of Children Faith Formation, volunteers, as well as members of the school and pastoral staff to develop appropriate plans for implementation of the various components of comprehensive Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
• Must exhibit pastoral and professional demeanor at all times.
• Will participate in on-going formation courses as required.
• Must follow guidelines for youth ministry, safe environment policies, and meet standards and policies as outline by the Diocese of San Jose.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Include THE FOLLOWING:(other duties may be assigned)

General Responsibilities

All ministry in and by the Church is substantially different from secular involvement. Church ministers must conduct themselves in a manner which is consistent with and supportive of the mission and purpose of the church. Their public behavior must not violate the faith, morals or laws of the Church or the Diocese. Ministers should carry out all duties and responsibilities in a manner that meet the needs of the Parish Community and is within policies and guidelines of the Roman Catholic Church. They should maintain the confidential nature of all work. Care is taken to reflect the diversity of the Parish Community, thus candidates for this position include men and women of various ages, social and ethnic backgrounds, married and single.

Responsibilities:

• Recognizes the importance of bringing the youth and young adults into fuller participation in our faith community.
• Plans, develops and coordinates youth catechesis into a comprehensive ministry for middle and high school youth in the community. These plans include regular meetings, retreats, mission trips, service projects. Prior to May 1 each year, generates an annual calendar and updates YM google calendar in order to upload to the parish website.  Maintains changes to the YM calendar and works with parish communications to keep the website current and relevant.
• Plans develops and coordinates a comprehensive Confirmation Preparation Program
• Works in partnership with St. Simon Parish School personnel to plan, develop and coordinate faith formation of Middle School students including:
  • Participation in the Parish Confirmation Program
  • Participation in annual retreats for Middle School students
  • Encourage participation in parish wide service learning projects and opportunities to further develop leadership skills.
  • Visit the classrooms (5^th– 8^th) during the year to promote parish programs and opportunities.
• Plans, develops and coordinates a comprehensive program for Young Adults.
• Collaborates with all parish leadership Councils to promote Youth Ministry and Young Adult involvement in leadership opportunities and service projects.
• Assures that the youth and young adults of the parish are visible in the community.  Engages the parish including the parents of the young parishioners concerning the vital role the community plays in evangelization of the young parishioners.

Education and experience

• Academic: BA or equivalent. Course work in Catechetics, Youth Ministry, Religious Education a plus.
• Certification: Current certification as a Basic Catechist according to the California Catholic Conference Guidelines and an Advanced Catechist Certificate. Ideally this person would be in process as a Master catechist.
• Experience: At least five years’ experience working as a volunteer or employee within a parish catechetical and/or Youth program. Experience as a parish Catechetical Coordinator or Youth coordinator is preferred. Experience working with Young Adults preferred.

Language Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills; proficiency in composing reports, correspondence and letters and in publishing newsletters and flyers in English; ability to develop and facilitate workshops, training and presentations; ability to read and understand Church documents, guidelines and professional journals; ability to understand and explain policies and answer questions. Bilingual in Spanish a plus.

Computation Skills:: Ability to read and manage a budget and contribute to building a budget.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and respond to a variety of situations related to catechetical ministry.  Ability to understand and apply guidelines and organizational ability required.

Physical Demands: While performing duties of this job, the employee must be able to transport materials and equipment (up to 30 pounds) to and from various locations. The employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, use hands in repetitive motion tasks, handle objects, talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Working Conditions: The employee is expected to work a 40-hour workweek. The 40 hours will be on a flexible schedule as work demands.  Evening and weekend work is required.

Other Requirements: The employee must demonstrate a history of effective leadership, good judgment, initiative, confidentiality and discretion. Must be a practicing Roman Catholic.