Posted 4/29/2019
Job Title:
Coordinator of Children’s Ministry, Divine Mercy Parish, Winnetka
Hours:
Full time
Parish:
Divine Mercy Parish
1077 Tower Road
Winnetka, 60093
Description:
The Archdiocese of Chicago is the third largest diocese in the United States and serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in The Archdiocese, pastored by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, has more than 15,000 employees across its ministries, including Catholic Charities, the region’s largest nonprofit social service agency. The Archdiocese also has one of the country’s largest seminaries. The Archdiocese’s elementary and secondary schools comprise one of the largest U.S. private school systems.
Position Summary
The Coordinator of Children’s Ministry coordinates the parish efforts to equip children and their families to encounter Jesus Christ as part of a lifelong process that engages and encourages them to grow spiritually and intellectually as missionary disciples in the world. The scope of this position is to discern, design and implement ongoing formation opportunities for children and their families in collaboration with the Director of Evangelization and Lifelong Formation. The Coordinator shares responsibility for developing, implementing, evaluating and improving ministry to children and their families in the parish. In doing so the Coordinator must demonstrate leadership skills necessary to identify, develop, accompany and retain many volunteer leaders critical to the success of parish initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Coordinate planning and implementation of the Children’s Ministry calendar, scheduling sessions, meetings, prayer and sacramental celebrations.
- Coordinate faith formation programs for all children and their families in the parish community (pre-school to Grade 8) with attention to particular cultural implications in the community.
- Coordinate sacramental preparation that uses most current methodologies and includes parents; plan rituals for the reception of the sacraments.
- Design the children’s ministry in collaboration with the Director of Lifelong Formation and Evangelization in accordance with the vision outlined in the National Directory for Catechesis.
- Recruit, train and provide training and spiritual growth opportunities for catechists and ministry leaders
- Incorporate intentional ways for engaging parents and families in faith formation that include hospitality, prayer, learning and service opportunities.
- Maintain accurate records that follow Archdiocesan policy and guidelines for sacraments, enrollment, attendance, medical and legal matters
- 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
- Collaborate with the Director of Lifelong Formation and Evangelization and others to prepare an annual budget for parish Children’s Ministry.
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.
- Comfortable using various methodologies and pedagogies for helping children to encounter Jesus Christ and develop a relationship with Him.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the developmental needs of children with ethnic and family subcultures, as appropriate.
- Ability to form and nurture a community of missionary disciples through encounter, accompaniment and sending forth.
- 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.
- Open to ongoing formation / education as needed.
- 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
Preferred Job Skills and Experience
- Comprehensive vision and understanding of evangelization.
- Comprehensive vision on ways to form and nurture families through encounter, accompaniment and sending forth.
- Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies, Theology, Faith Formation or equivalent.
The Archdiocese of Chicago is in the midst of exciting changes as we renew our local Church. With a variety of opportunities to contribute your professional talents and experience, we invite you to consider any of our current openings at archchicago.org/careers. We offer competitive salary and benefit packages, as well as opportunities for professional and personal growth and development.
Special Directions:
Internal Candidates (existing employees) – Please complete the subject field of your email with the following: “Internal Candidate – Job Title – Full name”
External Candidates - Please complete the subject field of your email with the following: “Job Title – Full name”
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