Westlake United Methodist Church is seeking a Director of Family Ministries.

Do you love to work with students of all ages?
Are you looking for ways to share your life with Christ with others?
Are you drawn to an inclusive church with a family feeling?
Are you excited by planning a monthly child-focused Children First worship service?
Are you ready to take on a Director of Family Ministries leadership position?

You may have just found your match! Westlake United Methodist Church has a thriving three-pronged Family Ministries program that forms young people from cradle to college graduation:
• a preschool program that serves the community (Westlake United Methodist Preschool)
• a children’s ministry that instills faith in our school-age children
• a youth program that keeps youth plugged into the church in their adolescent years

Our Church.

We are a family-oriented community church, focusing on quality of relationships within our church community. We are inclusive by design and are a United Methodist Reconciling congregation, celebrating that all persons are created in the image of and are equally loved by God. As followers of Christ, whose love is boundless, we invite, welcome, and affirm all people into full participation in the life, ministries, worship, and sacraments of this faith community. All includes, but is not limited to, people of every age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, economic standing, education level, physical and mental capacity, national origin, and family configuration.

Our Culture.

We are a church with a family feeling, where members know one another and are invested in touching each other’s lives as Christ has touched us. We have persisted through the pandemic with vibrant online worship and small group participation, careful reintroduction to fully masked in-person gatherings, and continue to follow local health guidelines as we transition to masks optional. We are passionate about forming our youngest members in faith and leadership and offer a child-led worship service called Children First on the first Sunday of the month. We engage our middle and high school students through our contemporary and traditional services. We strive to be authentic in our communication, loving in our approach, and dedicated to service through our many mission and outreach programs.

Our Vision for the Position.

The right candidate will work to develop a cohesive program that unites all of our age-level programs under common vision and leadership. We are open to new ideas and to empowering the right candidate to impact the shape and direction of our program by engaging all stakeholders in discussion and creating a program that fits our Church and furthers our mission to make and form disciples of Jesus Christ.

We are seeking a dynamic Director of Family Ministries who wants to make a difference in our church and in the lives of our younger members, cradle through college. We are looking for a Christian who is mature in their faith and actively engaged in ongoing personal spiritual growth. They will deepen our youngsters’ faith by developing and implementing a strategic Family Ministries program:

• that forms children and youth spiritually by building relationships with children and youth, families, and volunteer leaders.
• that invites children, youth, and adults into a deeper, lifelong relationship with Christ in an inclusive church.

We are a United Methodist Church and welcome anyone who follows Christ that is familiar with or willing to learn about and lead from a United Methodist theology.

Job Responsibilities
• Design/select engaging, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for children and youth Sunday School, VBS, and Confirmation.
• Strategically design and implement a dynamic Family Ministry program by engaging and collaborating with nursery, children, families, and youth coordinators.
• Supervise 3 permanent, part-time staff: Nursery Coordinator, Children’s Ministry Coordinator, and Youth Ministry Coordinator; supervise temporary, part-time Youth Ministry Interns, as needed.
• Nurture the next generation of disciples by helping children and youth identify, develop, and use their spiritual gifts.
• Engage young members and attenders in Family Ministry, creating excitement and connection to Church and a caring adult community.
• Liaise with staff and Church committees to garner input into and create excitement for Family Ministries’ vision and programming.
• Plan and participate regularly in worship, including leading efforts in our children’s programming: acolyte recruiting/scheduling; monthly Children First services; and targeted youth-centered services, e.g., Confirmation, Graduation, and Mission Sundays.
• Lead planning and execution of summer mission trip, mid-winter retreat, and other overnight activities for middle and high school students.
• Create learning opportunities (programs, small groups, events) and teach spiritual practices that deepen/develop young faith and build connection to Faith community.
• Guide and approve Nursery Coordinator’s staffing plans for nursery school and for child-care support for Church events.
• Develop a strategic communication plan for student, family, and engagement in Family Ministries programs and events.
• Recruit, train, and coordinate an adult network of teachers, confirmation mentors, role models, and prayer partners to support Family Ministry programs; build a pipeline of the next generation of adult Family Ministry leaders through effective youth programming.
• Connect and engage all children and youth, including those beyond the Church community, leveraging community engagement and new outreach events.
• Record and analyze data on children, youth, student, volunteers, budget, and events; recommend changes, such as activity elimination or creation to support WUMC Vision.
• Network with other churches to stay current in Family Ministries, create shared resources, and bring new ideas to the Church.
• Provide pastoral care/compassion for young members, cradle through college, and their families in a spirit of openness and active listening.
• Lead the student experience of the Confirmation process by planning sessions, presenting, and recruiting session leaders, as well as planning field trips to enhance the program and an understanding of the larger Austin faith community.
• Ensure Safe Gathering Initiative training and program compliance.

Job Requirements
• B.A. in Education or Religious Studies (or equivalent) preferred
• 5 years’ experience accepted in lieu of a B.A.
• Understanding of United Methodist theology or willingness to learn
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Demonstrated active listening and empathy skills
• Presentation skills in small- and large-group settings (children, youth, adults)
• Familiarity with preparing liturgy and leading worship
• Working understanding of spiritual formation as an individual and communal journey
• Enthusiasm for working with children and youth, including mentoring spiritual gifts

Starting annual salary: $50,000
Signing bonus: $500
Cell phone reimbursement: $50/month
Workplace: Hybrid (at-home/on-site)
Send resumes to: jobs@westlake-umc.org

An Equal Opportunity Employer
We are dedicated to fostering a culture that celebrates unique backgrounds, ideas, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

Please note that an expected requirement for this role is vaccination against COVID-19. Qualified candidates who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or because of a sincerely held religious belief may request a reasonable accommodation to this policy.