Youth Director

Upper Room Youth Director

Hours: Part time, approximately 30 hours per week, including Sundays and weekly youth gatherings 

Reports to: Lead Pastor 

Collaborates closely with: Formation Pastor and Hope Kids Director
Leads: Upper Room volunteer leaders and mentors
Ministry ages: Sixth through twelfth grade

Position Summary

The Upper Room Youth Director provides spiritual, relational, and organizational leadership for Hope Church's ministry to students in sixth through twelfth grade. The Director will develop Upper Room as a community where students are deeply known, grounded in Scripture, connected to trusted adults and peers, and formed as apprentices of Jesus — learning to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus would do if he were them.

This is not simply a program leadership position. The Director will invest in students throughout the week, build relationships with parents, recruit and develop adult volunteers, and advocate for students within the full life of Hope Church. The aim is to continue developing a ministry with a clear identity, a strong sense of belonging, and a sustainable culture of discipleship.

Primary Responsibilities 

Teaching and Weekly Gatherings

• Plan and lead a consistent weekly gathering centered on Scripture, prayer, discussion, community and mission, with distinct approaches for the differing needs of middle school and high school students.

• Teach students to engage Scripture thoughtfully rather than relying on entertainment or simplified answers.

• Create space for students to ask honest and difficult questions no matter the subject.
  Help students understand how the way of Jesus shapes their choices at home, at school, in
  relationships, online, and in the broader community.

• Keep gatherings relational and participatory rather than a smaller version of a Sunday worship service, and build small groups where students are known, supported, prayed for, and challenged.

Relational Discipleship and Pastoral Care

• Build consistent relationships with students beyond the weekly gathering, attending games, performances, and school activities as time and healthy boundaries allow.

• Ensure students feel seen, remembered, encouraged, and genuinely known — including those who are disconnected or irregularly involved — and respond to inconsistent participation with relationship.

• Create opportunities for personal discipleship and prayer, and connect students with regular service alongside Hope Church and its ministry partners so that service becomes a rhythm of discipleship rather than an occasional event.

• Build trusted relationships with parents and guardians, communicating regularly about ministry direction, schedules, and opportunities, and helping them understand the discipleship approach and how to reinforce it at home.

• Serve as a supportive bridge when students and parents need pastoral wisdom, while respecting the authority and responsibility of parents.

• Advocate for students within the wider church — helping the congregation know, pray for, and celebrate them, and creating opportunities for students to participate in worship, hospitality, and service alongside trusted adults.

• Follow clear boundaries and safety policies in every interaction, and refer concerns involving mental health, abuse, self-harm, or family crisis to the Lead Pastor, Formation Pastor, elders, parents, or qualified professionals as appropriate.

Volunteer Development

• Recruit, screen, train, schedule, and support a dependable team of youth volunteers.

• Cultivate a culture in which youth ministry is shared by the church rather than carried by one staff member.

• Provide regular training for volunteers in discipleship, adolescent development, small group leadership, boundaries, safety, and pastoral care, alongside genuine community and encouragement.

• Develop additional leaders who can teach, facilitate, and maintain ministry rhythms when the Director is away.

Planning and Administration

• Build a sustainable annual calendar that reflects the academic year and the rhythms of family life, without over programming students and families.

• Plan events with clear goals, appropriate staffing, and responsible budgeting, and evaluate regularly whether they contribute to discipleship and connection.

• Maintain volunteer schedules, permission forms, emergency contacts, attendance, and incident records, and manage the Upper Room budget with church leadership.

• Work with the Hope Kids Director and Formation Pastor to ensure a cohesive discipleship approach and a smooth transition from kids ministry into youth.

• Develop a cooperative relationship with Young Life while maintaining a distinct Upper Room identity, ensuring the ministry does not depend on an outside organization for leadership or long-term sustainability.

• Participate in staff and planning meetings, and communicate challenges, pastoral concerns, and resource needs proactively.

Qualifications 

Spiritual life and character

• A growing apprentice of Jesus committed to being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus would do.

• Demonstrates spiritual maturity, humility, integrity, emotional health, and teachability.

• Possesses a genuine love for middle school and high school students.

• Listens well, receives feedback, and works collaboratively with students, parents, volunteers, and leadership.

• Demonstrates sound judgment, healthy boundaries, and relational wisdom.

• Willing to become an active member of Hope Church and aligns with the church's statement of faith.

Leadership and Ministry Capacity

• Able to teach Scripture clearly and faithfully, facilitate honest discussion, and respond wisely to difficult questions.

• Able to recruit, equip, encourage, and lead adult volunteers.

• Able to organize gatherings, events, and communication with initiative, dependability, and consistent follow-through.

• Able to remain calm and exercise sound judgment in challenging or unexpected situations.
  

Experience and Requirements

• Three to five years of youth ministry, teaching, mentoring, volunteer leadership, education, or counseling experience strongly preferred.

• Bachelor's degree in ministry, theology, education, counseling, or a related field preferred.

• Must successfully complete a background check and all required safety training.

• Must obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certification.