Posted 6/2/2025
Job Title:
Director of Faith Formation
Hours:
Full time
Parish:
Ss. Peter and Lambert
8116 Niles Center Rd.
Skokie, IL
Description:
Job Summary
The Director of Faith Formation assists the Pastor with faith formation efforts in the parish with key responsibilities in the areas of:
• Children’s Faith
• OCIA
• Baptismal Preparation Sessions for parents
Essential Job Functions
Children’s Faith Formation
•Oversee planning and implementation of the Children’s Faith Formation calendar, scheduling sessions, meetings, prayer and sacramental celebrations.
•Direct faith formation programs for all children and their families in the parish community (pre-school to Grade 8) with attention to cultural implications in the community.
•Direct sacramental preparation that uses most current methodologies and includes parents; plan rituals for the reception of the sacraments.
•Select appropriate formation curriculum and materials based on the USCCB and Archdiocese of Chicago guidelines.
•Recruit, train and provide training and spiritual growth opportunities for catechists.
•Incorporate intentional ways for engaging parents and families in faith formation that include hospitality, prayer, learning and service opportunities.
•Direct the maintenance of accurate records that follow Archdiocesan policy and guidelines for sacraments, enrollment, attendance, medical and legal matters.
•Establish a Children and Family Faith Formation Advisory Board to ensure quality; use the board to help to evaluate the formation initiatives annually.
•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 Pastor and others to prepare an annual budget for parish Children’s Faith Formation.
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
• Planning, executing, and coordinating the OCIA process according to the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults approved for use in the United States, the National Statutes on the Catechumenate and other relevant Church documents.
• Prepares and coordinates Rites on the parish level as well as Archdiocesan level Baptismal Preparation.
• Meets with parents inquiring about Baptism.
• Coordinates Baptismal Preparation Sessions.
• Collaborates with the staff in setting a schedule for Baptisms.
Requirements:
•Previous experience directing a parish faith formation program.
•Demonstrated ability to expertly collaborate with clergy, staff, parish leaders and volunteers.
•Practicing Catholic with understanding and support for Catholic Church teaching, mission, and values.
•Expertise in 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 to the faith community being served.
•Comprehensive vision and understanding of evangelization.
•Ability to form and nurture a community of missionary disciples through encounter, accompaniment and sending forth.
•Ability to direct the work of staff or volunteers and to drive key initiatives and programs.
•Consistently exhibits expertise in faith formation and can coach and mentor others in their formation process.
•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. 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.
•Open to ongoing formation and education as needed.
Preferred Job Skills and Experience
•Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies, Theology, Faith Formation or equivalent.
•Previous experience directing some component of a parish faith formation program, particularly Children’s Faith Formation program.
•Priests, Deacons, Religious, and Lay Ecclesial Ministers are preferred for this position.
•Language skills as needed (depending on needs of community).
Mental and Physical Essential Job Functions
The employer needs to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees to perform the essential job functions. The organization offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and benefit programs. Information about our benefit programs is available here.
This position has an annualized salary range of $28,000 – $67,661. An employee’s pay within the salary range will be based on many factors including but not limited to: relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, geographic location, and organizational needs.
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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