Description
Title/Position: Pastoral Associate (Director of Faith Formation and Parish Engagement)
Position designation: Full-time, exempt
Pay: (Salaried) Discussed upon hiring
Hours: 30+ hours
Reports to: Pastor
The essential functions/major responsibilities listed may not be comprehensive to the position. Duties and responsibilities are subject to change by the pastor and the parish as needs of the parish and requirements of the job change.
Job Summary:
The Pastoral Associate works closely with the Pastor and has the dual role of leading our programs of Faith Formation and administering efforts to keep parishioners engaged. Responsibilities, duties, and examples are listed below.
Furthermore, the Pastoral Associate is a person with strong faith, a devout life of prayer, and blessed with a deep love of the people and the Catholic Church. They are knowledgeable of and assent to the Church’s teachings in faith and morals and committed to its mission. This position is primarily a ministerial position which seeks to assist and motivate parishioners and families, catholic and non-catholic alike, to embrace and participate fully in our Catholic faith.
Essential Functions and Job Responsibilities:
Expected hours – Around 30 hours a week, and hours can be discussed and adjusted based on need and availability. Here is a general example. Hours must include consistent time in the afternoons-early evenings.
· Office hours on Monday and Friday, 9:00am – 12:00pm (6 hours)
· Office hours from Tuesday – Thursday, 2:00pm – 6:00pm (12 hours)
· Present for Religious Education on Sundays, 9:30am – 12:00pm (2.5 hours)
· (About 10 hours a week with extra responsibilities, such as teaching OCIA, giving a talk, participating in a ministry, planning an event, having meetings with families, etc.)
Faith Formation Responsibilities:
· Lead Religious Education Program, including forming and training catechists, providing new opportunities for parent formation and catechesis, teaching when necessary, communicating with families, organizing schedules and calendars, implementing curriculum materials, and providing for the needs of the classrooms.
· Coordinate with the Pastor the OCIA and OCIC ministries, including developing a curriculum both in English and Spanish, equipping parishioners to assist, organizing schedules and calendars, providing resources and materials, and teaching when necessary.
· Support and initiate other Faith Formation opportunities, such as creating bible studies, checking in on existing groups, and ensuring that the parish has opportunities to grow in their knowledge of the faith.
Parish Engagement Responsibilities (Engagement, Communication, Office Support):
· Tasks in engagement
o Help to plan and organize parish gatherings, functions, and celebrations
o Delegate and equip parishioners to assist with parish gatherings, parties, and celebrations
o Coordinate liturgical minister schedules and work with liturgical minister leaders and volunteers, especially by providing ongoing formation and spiritual enrichment opportunities
o Support the work of Youth Ministry by coordinating with its leaders and assisting with its plan for formation and curriculum
o Work with Pastoral Council and Equipo Liderazgo in upkeeping the inventory of parish ministries, ensuring that all parish ministries are up-to-date and supported with the resources it needs
o Be in charge of the Safe Environment program, ensuring that all employees, volunteers, ministers, events, and programs, are in keeping with Diocesan Safe Environment standards
· Tasks in Communication
o Maintain parish website (training available on-site)
o Design and publish a weekly bulletin, bilingual (English and Spanish)
o Administer parish group messaging systems, such as Flocknote
o Design and publish fliers and information for parish events and activities
o Translate documents or messages as needed, such as the weekly Pastor’s column or letters for ministry teams
· Tasks Office Support
o Fulfill basic secretary responsibilities like answering phones, receiving individuals, and taking messages
o Have a basic understanding of parish processes to better serve the individuals with their questions
o Update parish sacramental records and take Mass intentions
o Learning how the parish functions with its various tasks, forms, and processes (i.e. answering questions about Mass intentions, registering for baptisms, signing off on affidavits for weddings, knowing the next steps for couples in marriage prep, etc.)
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
· Knowledge of Catholic sacramental theology including current church teaching
· Fluent in the Spanish language – both verbal and written
· Good oral and written communication skills
· Good counseling or active listening skills
· Should be comfortable preparing and delivering presentations and meetings to groups
· Ability to lead large and small groups in prayer
· Basic design tastes to publish attractive fliers and announcements
· Knowledge of the use of social media as a tool for evangelization and communication
· Familiarity with Microsoft Office to prepare documents, presentations, and databases
· Ability to learn new software such as ParishSoft (registration database) or other software
· Able to maintain a website and understand it’s various functions
· Knowledgeable of Gmail and Outlook for email correspondences
Education and Preferred Work Experience
· Bachelor’s degree (in theology, education, communications, social work or a related field) preferred
· Experience working with diverse groups and cultures is desirable
Physical demands and Environment
· Requires prolonged standing, walking and/or sitting, including the use of stairs
· Requires the ability to move, lift, carry, pull or push objects or materials up to 25 lbs
· May require occasional stooping, bending, and reaching
· Some evening and weekend commitments will be required as needed
Summary
For questions, more information, or if you would like to apply, please contact the pastor,
Fr. Daniel Niezer at [email protected].