Date Posted: 10/9/2024

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Horizon Texas Annual Conference, n/a, TX

Job Description

Area Coordinators will be responsible for coordinating connections and serving as support for collective plans for children, youth, families, and workers. This includes service days, learning days, social events, summer camp, and more. Given the geographical size of the Horizon Texas Conference, support at a local level is required. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of and connections within the United Methodist Church (UMC) and will work to develop a network that offers mentorship and support for those in their area so that every director, new or seasoned, is within one hour of a conference children or youth worker that can provide support and care, especially for rural churches.  

Primary Roles

Relational

• Build relational connections within the assigned area and across the conference through engagement with Conference-utilized communication streams, including social media groups.
• Connect with every Children and Youth Director within 90-120 minutes of the assigned, primary church.
• Act as a feedback loop for emerging trends, needs, and situations as they arise in the ministry of the church in the area you serve.
• Build a leadership team from across the region to support and multiply relational connections. Meet regularly with this team.
• Inspire and encourage churches to connect to host something together that benefits workers, parents, youth, children, and communities.
• Attend gatherings of area coordinators for collaboration, training, and long-term visioning with the Director of Children and Youth Empowerment.

Tasks

• Cultivate an environment that supports innovative ideation and execution, reinforces healthy feedback, and builds confidence and enthusiasm for regional and conference-level programming.
• Plan and execute a gathering four times per year for children’s and/or youth ministry leaders to provide relational opportunities, training of best practices for the Conference, program support for children’s ministry leaders.
  • This includes both the contextual and the system events in your area:
    • Each semester, plan a Service Day where students can learn about a local opportunity to share or a Learning Day for Parents/Pastors/Directors/Workers can learn how best to move forward on a topic based on expert sharing.
    • Execute one conference-wide event per year.
  • Gather for meals, coffee, etc., as needed for the connection of your area.
  • Enthusiastically support Conference-level children’s and youth ministry events and programming through timely communication, collaborative planning, supportive presence, and involvement at the events.
  • Support new children’s and youth ministry leaders within the area, help onboard them to the available resources and connections and communicate the Conference goals and vision.
  • Create and sustain Holy Club communities amongst the areas’ children and youth directors.
  • Commit to particular events for the conference, depending on availability, with an expectation of three below per year:
    • Annual Conference support as chaperones for youth (or chaperones and representatives of your church).
    • Participation as needed in other area events across the conference as available.
    • Summer Camp volunteer for at least one week.
    • Participate in the collective, collaborative mission trip. 

Skills Needed

Communication

• Maintain communication across assigned areas and with conference.
• Recognize when pastoral support is required and ensure care is taken.
• Connect people with resources needed.
• Ensure all documents are updated, digitally stored for easy access, and distributed timely (including the ministry leader directory, the District/Region Intergenerational Event Calendar, Safety and Safe Church protocols, and District/Regional and/or Conference Registration Forms).
• Support children’s and youth ministry leaders in a way that builds confidence in and enthusiasm for the district, area, and Conference children’s and youth ministry programs, whether in writing, through technology, or in person.
• Work to cultivate an environment in which children’s and youth ministry leaders feel welcome to bring their concerns, suggestions, and requests.
• Inform the Director of Children and Youth Empowerment of leaders/ministries in crisis and/or needing additional support.

Connection

• Create a culture of mutual sharing and uplifting best works and innovation beyond the area for all in the conference and outside the conference to grow.
• Ensure every congregation in the coordinator’s assigned region has a children’s and/or youth ministry contact (full time, part-time, or volunteer) with current contact information. Ensure this contact information is regularly updated.
• Provide the Director of Children and Youth Empowerment with input and feedback, informed by interaction with the district/area’s children’s and youth ministry leaders.
• Collaborative work with others in your area to recruit and support the ongoing connectional needs, including with children and youth directors and students for events, service days, learning days, and more. 

Qualifications

• Previous experience working at the Central Texas, North Texas, or Northwest Texas Conferences is strongly desired.
• Previous experience in event programming in the church is required.
• Required to submit Ministry Safe completion certificate and background check verification within two weeks of acceptance.
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Suite highly recommended.
• Proven project management skills.
• Leadership skills and ability to work with student leaders and directors to develop basic leadership skills for student-driven and community-driven requests.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and will ensure the inclusion of all children, youth, families, and workers into the greater community and connection found in the UMC faith. Each team member will understand and respect the need for diversity in our churches and communities.
• Commitment to supporting the spiritual growth and development of children and youth, their families and communities.
• Ability to work in a team and individually.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Work in building connections and relationships between churches.  

Additional Considerations

• Part-time position – approximately 5 – 7 hours per week.
  • Commit to a minimum of 30 hours per month average for connection and events.
  • Additional times of year may require more work, while other times (December, May) may require less as this is based on the work of the directors in your area.
• Remote work.
• Contract work – contract will require a commitment of a minimum of three years of service.  

How to Apply

Send resume and cover letter.
Contact Email: [email protected]
Contact Phone: (615) 329-3393