GRACEPOINT STUDENT PASTOR INFO

 
 

We're excited that you stopped by! Here’s a little glimpse into the vibe and culture of GracePoint. We’d love to have you look around and see if this feels like a place you want to belong to!

ABOUT US:

GracePoint started on a napkin in Panera Bread in 2009. It was a dream. A venture. A dare, if you will. Some say a long shot. What if we could “do” church differently? Most people think of church as boring. Outdated. Irrelevant. Judgmental. We began to think. To dream. To plan. What if we could create a church that unchurched people love? Would it work? Would it survive? Could it happen? By the grace of God the dream became a reality.

Starting with just twenty-four people and a bunch of empty chairs, the doors were opened in September of 2009. Almost fourteen years later, hundreds and hundreds of people show up each week to be a part of this amazing story. Before our current building, we were a mobile church in a banquet center and then an elementary school gym. Volunteers showed up at 5:00 a.m. to unload the semi-truck and began setting up everything. It was nuts…and awesome!

Today we have a 20,000 sq. ft. building where people from all walks of faith walk through our doors. We’re located in Valparaiso, Indiana; 1 hour southeast of Chicago. Our environment is modern, rustic, and welcoming. We love to create a “wowing” atmosphere because first impressions matter.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

We’re extremely excited to hire a Student Pastor to oversee, lead and guide our church's middle and high school students! The role of our Student Pastor will be to provide the overall leadership and direction for GP Students. By leading well and casting vision, the ministry should experience overall attendance growth, engagement growth through volunteering, a stronger invite culture and more spiritual next steps taken by the attenders-students and adults alike. If you naturally connect with adult leaders and students and you’re passionate about leading well, casting vision, and love connecting people to Jesus, check out what this role will look like. Students are growing up fast and need a place where they can learn how God sees them. Our goal is to create a community where every student knows they matter and belong. The road through middle school and high school may be bumpy, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. While the goal is often to survive these years, our student group is here to help students make the most of them. In a large group setting on Sunday nights, students experience games, music, and teaching designed to set up a great small group discussion. Small groups are at the core of what we do. Small group conversations are guided by adult leaders who care about them. These groups are created to provide a safe environment for students to share what's going on in their lives and ask tough questions. Ultimately, this is designed to help students discover a faith of their own.

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Build an inspired volunteer leadership team.

  • Align leaders to work together around common strategies, values, and language.

  • Provide the direction and vision to the volunteer leadership team to ensure it is running with excellence.

  • Champion the vision and values of student ministry throughout the church.

  • Identify and inspire adult attenders to take a next step into serving in GP Students.

  • Ensure that volunteer leaders are well placed based on gifts, passions and skills.

  • Implement a system to recruit and train volunteer leaders. Provide ongoing training and development.

  • Create a relational atmosphere among the adult leaders to make sure they feel needed and known.

2. Create an excellent GP Students experience.

  • You must have the ability to create a compelling culture and environment that students are excited about and into which they are excited to invite their friends!

  • Recruit people to help you knock it out of the park with creativity and production. We highly value this in the experience!

  • Choose a curriculum for teaching and events. Currently we use both XP3 and Grow Curriculum which are phenomenal.

  • Encourage students to participate in serving in the life of the church.

  • Follow up with students, leaders, parents, and individuals who attended for the first time or made a decision for Christ.

3. Provide additional leadership on Sundays.

  • Be active in the lobby and connect with families in order to share about GP Students, connect with students about serving on Sundays and connect with adults regarding leading GP Students.

  • Occasionally, the Student Pastor may be called upon to provide communication from the stage on the weekend. This may include casting vision about any number of GracePoint related events, announcements, and even preaching.

  • We’re looking for a team player who will at times be willing to collaborate with all ministries on Sundays when needed.

4. Engage every parent.

  • Engage every parent and guardian to partner with ministry; equipping parents to be the primary faith trainer in their homes.

  • Connect with parents to establish teamwork and trust.

  • We realize that students are only at church for up to 0.6% of their year. That means that 99.4% of that time they are with someone else. Fortunately, a lot of that time is spent with parents. We want to resource them and do whatever we can to help support them.

  • Design strategic opportunities to help every parent stay inspired, informed, and connected.

  • Provide resources and experiences that help parents win with their own kids.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

  • Have a passionate and contagious enthusiasm for teenagers.

  • Have a proven track record in building and growing a team of people.

  • Ability to cast vision and inspire others to action.

  • Awesome at communicating and relating to others, especially young people and their parents.

  • Capable of having tough conversations.

  • Able to identify, train, and inspire adult volunteers and student leaders.

  • Effective at multi-tasking and time management.

  • Experience with programming events for students.

  • Must demonstrate the ability to be a problem-solver.

  • Have a clear understanding of the challenges and needs of young people.

  • Excellent computer skills, and proficiency with social media.

  • Excels with organizational skills.

  • Dodgeball skills are a must. :)

 

WE EXPECT YOU TO…

  • Have and maintain a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.

  • Live with a standard that exemplifies a loving passion for God.

  • Must be called and passionate about our vision, culture, and core values.

  • Display a positive, fun, enjoyable, and life-giving attitude.

  • Be teachable and have an attitude of constant improvement.

  • Be a generous and worshipful giver.

  • Be an effective collaborator who works well with others, cultivates a team-building atmosphere, and nurtures relationships with both staff and volunteers.

  • Be loyal, show compassion, and have the heart of a servant.

  • Manage equipment and become knowledgable on new technology.

  • Communicate with other youth leaders/pastors and watch other church services to gain insight and develop ways to improve the effectiveness.

Education and Experience

  • High School Diploma or GED, but would prefer bachelor's degree in theology, biblical studies, or youth ministry.

  • Previous youth ministry experience is an advantage, but not required.

  • Being a fit with our church’s culture is more important to us than credentials.