Middle School Pastor

The Middle School Pastoris a compassionate shepherd who prioritizes authentic relationships and genuine connection over simply running a program. At the heart of this role is a passion for the “Jesus > everything” discipleship model, which comes to life by actively knowing and caring for 6th through 8th-grade students so they truly feel seen and loved. Rather than just hosting events, this pastor serves as a leader of leaders, pouring energy into equipping dedicate students,

Application Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• 3 or more years of relevant experience in a church setting.

• Volunteer Development:
  Ability to recruit, onboard, and train adult volunteer teams to effectively disciple students.
• Event Management:
  Skill in creating, planning, executing, and evaluating successful ministry events, retreats, and camps.
• Curriculum Selection & Teaching:
  Knowledge and ability to appropriately select, prepare, and teach curriculum tailored for middle school students.
• Strategic Alignment:
  Ability to align the student ministry’s vision, small groups, and overall programming with overarching church strategies and values.
• Administrative Ability:
  Strong administrative skills, including the ability to plan the ministry budget and responsibly monitor financial spending.
• Pastoral Care:
  Ability to provide pastoral care and direct appropriate resources to students and families navigating times of crisis.
• Public Speaking & Communication:
  Skill in communicating relationally to both large and small groups, and the ability to cast ministry vision with clarity and conviction.
• Technical Proficiency:
  Good technical skills for operating computers, sound boards, and lighting equipment.
• Safety & Compliance Knowledge:
  Understanding of safety protocols, including managing volunteer background checks, ensuring student liability release forms are completed, and avoiding dangerous activities.
• Small Group Oversight & Discipleship Planning:
  Ability to organize small groups and implement targeted discipleship paths, such as creating a specific 8th-grade plan to prepare students for high school.
• Cross-Ministry
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Collaborative skills to work seamlessly with other church staff to ensure smooth student transitions and church-wide serving opportunities.
• Guest Integration:
  Ability to implement effective follow-up systems to intentionally welcome newcomers and swiftly connect them with peers and leaders.

• Highly Relational and Magnetic:
  The individual must be a “people magnet” who naturally draws in and easily connects with both students and their parents.
• Energetic and Dynamic:
  They must bring a high energy level that resonates with and remains relevant to today’s middle school student culture.
• Compassionate and Empathetic:
  The role requires a deep sense of care and empathy, ensuring that middle schoolers feel genuinely seen, nurtured, and valued.
• Self-Starter:
  They should be a driven “go-getter” and “doer” who takes initiative to execute ideas, preferring to act rather than needing their hand held.
• Humble, Hungry, and Smart:
  This individual must display a healthy balance of personal humility alongside an ambitious drive to build God’s kingdom.
• Humorous and Thick-Skinned:
  The pastor needs a fun-loving attitude, the ability to embrace middle school silliness, and the capacity to take jokes or constructive critique without taking offense.
• Unflappable:
  They must remain calm, steady, and composed even when students unexpectedly bring difficult or sensitive personal struggles to them.
• Galvanizing Visionary:
  They need to be a passionate vision-caster who can effectively call people forward, exciting and rallying others around the student ministry.
• Uncomfortable with the Unconnected:
  The candidate must possess an internal drive and restless desire to reach out to unconnected kids, intentionally pursuing students who are not yet plugged in.
• Shepherd’s Heart:
  They must genuinely love the students, maintaining a deep, nurturing care for people rather than viewing the role as merely managing a program.
• Team Player:
  They should work collaboratively, supportively, and seamlessly with the overall church staff, easily sharing successes across different ministries.
• Spiritually Grounded:
  Their motivation must be rooted in an overflowing, natural passion for Jesus, demonstrating deep personal spiritual maturity.
• Strategic Thinker:
  They must possess a clear internal compass of where the ministry is going and the focus to organize leaders effectively to achieve that vision.