Opportunities at Parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago

Posted 5/20/2021

Job Title:

Director of Lifelong Faith Formation

Hours:

Full time

Parish:

Our Lady of the Wayside
434 W. Park St.
Arlington Heights, IL

Description:

Job Summary:

The Director of Lifelong Formation is responsible for assisting the Pastor with overall lifelong formation efforts to ensure everyone in the parish encounters Jesus Christ and deepens their commitment to Him and His Church. The scope of this role is to discern, design, and implement ongoing formation opportunities for everyone in the parish.

Responsible for the development, implementation, evaluation and ongoing improvement of the formation initiatives.

Must demonstrate strong leadership skills necessary to identify, develop, and retain strong teams, including volunteer leaders critical to the success of parish ministry.

Essential Job Functions:

• Energize the faith community through Religious Education Program (REP) for all grade levels.
• Implement lifelong faith formation initiatives that allow parishioners to encounter Jesus Christ and encourage them to grow spiritually and intellectually as disciples
• Develop faith formation initiatives for people of all ages in the community, including children, youth, adults, and families.
• Seek new methods and implement ways to regularly engage parents and families in faith formation (including hospitality, prayer, learning and service opportunities).
• Identify, form, and support spiritual growth of catechists and volunteers.
• Support catechists and volunteers in lesson plan development to ensure programs achieve overall goals, objectives and vision for strong lifelong formation in parish.
• Train and supervise staff and volunteers to ensure that formation strategies and materials comply with Church teachings, align with Archdiocese of Chicago policies, and are appropriate for age or cultural setting.
• Communicate available faith formation opportunities to parishioners through multiple forms of media.
• Collaborate with staff members and community leaders to ensure that opportunities are provided that bring all levels of faith formation beyond learning to missionary discipleship.
• Collaborate with the Principal of the Catholic school to resource and assist with the faith formation of the school children and their families (if parish has a school).
• Manage annual budget for Lifelong Formation in collaboration with Pastor and Director of Operations.
• Ensure that ministry complies with the guidelines for Protecting God’s Children for those who minister with and to children in accordance with the Archdiocese of Chicago policies.
• Maintain membership in professional ministerial organizations and seek opportunities to grow personally, spiritually and intellectually.

Requirements:

Job Requirements:

• Previous experience participating in a parish faith formation program. Demonstrated ability to collaborate with clergy, staff, parish leaders and volunteers.
• Practicing Catholic with understanding and support for Catholic Church teaching, mission, and values.
• Understanding of Lifelong Formation and its key methodologies, components, and strategies; comfortable with various methodologies and pedagogies in developing disciples.
• Comprehensive vision and understanding of evangelization.
• Ability to form and nurture a community of missionary disciples through encounter, accompaniment and sending forth.
• Fluent in related Church documents, especially national and local.
• Mature discipleship evidenced in ability to comfortably witness to one’s own faith journey.
• Developed skills in leadership and management; strong commitment to collaboration and teamwork.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Familiarity with technology used for communicating and presenting.

Preferred Job Skills and Experience:

• Master’s Degree Theology, Pastoral Studies, Faith Formation or equivalent. Certification as a Catechist.
• Previous experience directing some component of a parish faith formation program.
• Priests, Deacons, Religious, and Lay Ecclesial Ministers are preferred for this position or applicant is open to ongoing formation / education as needed.
• Ability to apply knowledge of stages of human development and faith formation best practices across all ages.
• Language skills as needed (depending on needs of community).
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, collaborative, faithful, joyful witness, persistent, available, fair and balanced, dependable, person of integrity, sensitive to cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity and openness to the needs of the parishioners.
• Ability to deal with multiple projects, flexible, sound judgment, and comfortable with change.
• Available to work evenings and weekends when necessary.

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