Snapshot
Denomination: Presbyterian - PCUSA
Weekly Attendance: 175
Location: Huntsville, AL
The Role: Director of Youth and Family
Meet Covenant Presbyterian Church:
At Covenant, we strive to follow God's Word to make disciples of Christ. Our passion is to meet you where you are and to help you take your next step. At our core, we are a discipleship church with a heart for evangelism.
Following 65 years of powerful ministry in Huntsville, Alabama, Covenant Presbyterian has recently been on a journey of transformation as a congregation. In 2018, Associate Pastor David Kling, took over as Senior Pastor from a wonderful Senior Pastor of 33 years in a smoothly planned leadership transition. However, the congregation soon came to terms with the fact they had slowly been declining and were not seeing any adult conversions. Huntsville is a highly-educated, rapidly-growing town centered on scientific research. This meant from a missional standpoint that it was critical to begin growing again and to start sharing Christ with educated skeptics. In 2019 the congregation refocused the church’s priorities to be devoted to bringing people to Christ who had either never been in church or had walked away from Church. This became a regular prayer as a congregation. The church began researching the best practices of growing churches that were reaching unchurched people, and discovered that Covenant’s organizational structure needed to streamline and become more flexible. Most committees - except for the board of elders and the board of trustees - were shut down and instead, the staff was empowered to lead teams of volunteers. In 2020 all major systems went into a digital cloud-based setup (database software, ASANA, livestream, security etc.) so that the staff could work remotely from anywhere. The church reopened quickly during the pandemic, and was surprised to see that lots of new younger people came to worship. After two years of prayer, young adults in their 20s began to come forward for baptism and conversion. In 2021 the worship style was changed to fit a younger demographic (kind of a Nashville vibe) that connects with both older and younger generations. In 2022 the church worked with the Unstuck Church consulting firm to create a fresh 5-year vision for the congregation to become the best congregation at evangelism in the PC(USA) denomination. By 2026 they see themselves as a thriving medium-sized congregation of about 500 people on a Sunday with a healthy mix of children, youth, and adults and 12 adult conversions every year.
About the Director of Youth and Family:
This position serves as the full-time Director of Youth and Family Ministries for Covenant Presbyterian Church, a multi-generational church located in the growing, dynamic city of Huntsville, Alabama. The Director reports to the Senior Pastor and supervises the work of the Director of Children’s Ministry and a dedicated team of volunteers. The Director directly manages the programming for 6th through 12th grade students, and supervises the work of the Director of Children’s Ministry for lower grades. The goal of Youth and Family Ministries is to help students grow spiritually and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in their daily lives. This position encourages and supports the multi-generational family ministry of the church, connecting the body of Christ across all age groups. We offer our students multiple opportunities for fellowship, worship, and service in a friendly, safe, and accepting environment.
The Director of Youth and Family's Responsibilities Include:
- High School & Middle School Sunday School and Youth Groups o High School Bible Studies o Confirmation Class
- Parenting Classes
Youth Contact and Support
Volunteer Recruitment & Training
Major Events
Communications
Administration Attend regularly scheduled staff meetings.
Personal Development
- Personal relationship with God.
- Bible reading.
- Maintain an active prayer life, praying regularly for youth and their families
- Continuing education.
What You Bring:
Education & Experience
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Personal Characteristics & Qualifications
What it's Like to Live in Huntsville, AL:
Huntsville was voted the #1 place to live in America by the U.S. News and World Report for 2022 - 2023. It's one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country, but keeps a small-town suburban feel. It's one of the most affordable cities to live in, but still has the amenities of a large city: sports, culture, art, music, medical care, colleges, parks, restaurants and more. Huntsville is home to NASA, and is a national hub for jobs in engineering, medicine, and the military. The city is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and opportunities for hiking and watersports are just a short drive away. Southern hospitality is a real thing here - it's the perfect place to make lifelong friends or raise a family.
Think you're a great fit for this role? Become a candidate below.