Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Organization : Bellarmine Chapel & St. Xavier Church (Jesuit Parish Family)

Position Title: Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Status: Full-time, Exempt, 12 months

Reports to: Pastor of Jesuit Parish Family (Young Adult Ministry)

Director of Parish Life, Bellarmine Chapel (Youth Ministry)

Primary Function

The Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry oversees parish ministry for Bellarmine Chapel’s young people (grades 7-12), and acts as organizer, coordinator and liaison for both Bellarmine Chapel and St. Xavier Parish young adults (app. 21-35). This role emphasizes empowering young Catholics to embrace lives of faith, service, and justice within the Ignatian tradition.

Administrative Responsibilities

1. Meeting Participation and Coordination: Attend and actively engage in all staff meetings, staff planning days, and parish meetings to contribute to organizational planning and decision-making.
2. Community Engagement and Representation: Act as a liaison and ambassador for youth and young adults, developing relationships with participants, parents (as appropriate), and individuals or groups both within and outside the parish, including Xavier University and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, to foster meaningful connections.
3. Compliance and Safety: Ensure strict adherence to Archdiocesan policies, guidelines, and training concerning Child Protection; maintaining a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all youth and young adult activities.
4. Leadership Development: Provide supervision, training, and ongoing development opportunities for adult and youth leaders involved in youth and young adult ministry programs, this includes conducting regular evaluations and assessments of ministry leadership and effectiveness.
5. Mission Support: Fulfill additional responsibilities and tasks assigned by the Pastor of the Jesuit Parish Family and the Director of Parish Life at Bellarmine Chapel, contributing to the advancement of the overall vision and mission of Bellarmine Chapel and the Jesuit Parish Family.
6. Financial Oversight: Manage and oversee budgets allocated for youth and young adult ministry initiatives, ensuring responsible stewardship of financial resources.
7. Internship Program Leadership: Direct the Bellarmine Chapel internship program through hiring and onboarding interns for particular parish departments and helping to support relationships between interns and supervisors as needed.

Faith Formation Responsibilities

1. Youth Faith Formation: In ministry and catechesis with youth, our primary focus at Bellarmine Chapel revolves around three key goals: empowering young individuals to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, encouraging responsible participation in the Catholic Church, and fostering personal and spiritual growth in the Ignatian tradition. Additional responsibilities include:

• Plan, coordinate, and supervise Bellarmine Youth Groups for middle school and high school students.
• Collaborate with parents, the youth leadership team, and parish faith formation leaders to develop and implement youth faith formation aligned with the vision and mission of Bellarmine Chapel and the Jesuit Parish Family.
• Oversee and lead the sacramental preparation process for Confirmation for teens at Bellarmine Chapel on a biennial basis.
• Advocate for creative outreach and inclusion of all parish youth, ensuring diverse programming and events that address their varying needs.
• Infuse Ignatian spirituality into all youth programming, emphasizing relational ministry and community building.
• Work closely with the Family Ministries Coordinator to support the transition of sixth graders into middle school youth ministry; and to provide teen leadership for the summer children’s camp.

2. Young Adult Faith Formation: In ministry and catechesis with young adults, the director works with young adults of the Jesuit Parish Family to foster a relationship with Jesus Christ, building community through opportunities for fellowship, formation, and service.

• Fellowship: coordinating social events and fostering opportunities for building relationships within a faith community.
• Formation: providing opportunities for catechesis and education on the doctrines and practices of the Catholic faith.
• Service: facilitating service opportunities by establishing connections between young adults and the larger community.
• Additional duties include:

1. Collaborating with interested parties to develop and implement a strategic plan for young adult evangelization.
2. Cultivating a supportive environment to create faith-based communities among peers for young adult faith sharing.
3. Providing opportunities for religious education and vocational discernment.
4. Cultivation of peer leadership initiatives.

Joint Collaboration Initiatives

1. Integrate youth and young adults into the worship, pastoral care ministries, and social mission of the parish and the Jesuit Parish Family. This includes:

• Working closely with the pastor, pastoral staff, and parents to craft and implement the parish’s vision and mission for youth evangelization.
• Equipping parents to lead their families in faith formation, providing resources and support.
• Collaborating with parish leadership in designing, developing, and implementing goals for evangelization with young adults.

2. Form teams of adult and youth leaders dedicated to realizing the parish’s goals for youth and young adult ministry.

Position Requirements and Qualifications

1. Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Passionate about working with youth and young adults.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal communication skills, including conflict management.
• Exhibits excellent oral and written communication abilities.
• Capacity to implement programs with significant participation of a target group.
• Possesses administrative skills, including budgeting, organization, and collaboration.
• Proficient in team development, volunteer recruitment, training, and management.
• Knowledgeable in Catholic tradition and teaching, with familiarity in Jesuit missionary work and Ignatian spirituality preferred.
• Practicing Catholic with an active personal and communal spiritual life.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and the ability to share faith and culture effectively with developing adolescents and young adults, capable of pastoral listening, crisis intervention, and appropriate referrals.
• Skilled in communicating effectively with diverse audiences, both one-on-one and in large group settings.
• Competent in utilizing technology for document creation, presentations, communication, and social media.
• Able to foster and sustain healthy relationships, maintaining appropriate boundaries with teenagers, young adults, parents, and adult leaders.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of multitasking with minimal supervision.

2. Education, Training, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in theology, pastoral ministry, religious education, or related field; or equivalent ministry experience.
• Master’s degree and specialized training/education in pastoral ministry with youth and young adults preferred.
• Demonstrates spiritual maturity, evidenced by consistency in prayer life, regular reception of sacraments, and ability to articulate one’s relationship with Jesus.
• Strong commitment to the Catholic faith and willingness to share it with joy and hope.
• Broad understanding and articulation of Church teaching related to evangelization, catechesis, prayer, sacraments, and ecclesiology.
• Passion for working with youth and young adults of diverse ages and developmental stages.
• Experience in mentoring and accompanying youth and young adults through various stages of discipleship.
• Capable of leading group prayer and offering spontaneous prayer.

Working Environment

1. Requires flexibility with irregular hours, including evenings and weekends.
2. Programming intensity varies based on the academic seasons throughout the year.
3. Summer months may involve mission trips, summer camps, and leadership training.

Statement of Faith

The Employees of St. Xavier Church and Bellarmine Chapel will have knowledge of the Catholic faith, a willingness to work for a Catholic, faith-based agency and adhere to the policies of St. Xavier Church and Bellarmine Chapel. Employees will not publicly oppose the teachings of the Catholic faith nor publicly advocate for any position in conflict with Catholic teaching, or the specific positions of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This requirement includes any public speech, demonstration or writing, including the use of social media or other digital technologies.

To apply for this position please send your cover letter and resume to .