Mission, Vision, and Values
We are a fruitful, unified, multigenerational church whose mission is“Making mature and equipped disciples who shareChrist and serve the world.”
Key Responsibilities
- Build, train, and sustain the adult MS Ministry Team and the adult HS Ministry Team
- Create and keep updated ministry role descriptions (MRDs) for all student ministry team roles
- Create and operate from a comprehensive yearly ministry plan approved by supervisor that includes teaching topics, dates of key events, dates of ministry team meetings, etc.)
- Plan enjoyable and substantive weekly large group gatherings (one for Middle School and one for High School) that include biblical teaching, musical praise, small groups, and activities designed to help students have fun and build deep relationships with each other and their small group shepherds
- Plan monthly weekend social events designed for fun and easy entry for new students into the student ministries
- Plan retreats as helpful for relationship building (among students and with their small group shepherds) and “mature, equipped, sharing, serving” -mission realization
- Plan service projects/opportunities which bond students together and which facilitate the “Share Christ” and “Serve the World” components of Hillside’s mission
- Support student-led faith clubs on local school campuses to strengthen relationships with existing students and reach new ones
- Plan organized, risk-managed, spiritually-enriching annual mission trip
- Be out front in leading MS and HS ministry team members in energetically noticing and welcoming students and their families on Sunday mornings
- Maintain consistent office presence (communicating whereabouts when doing ministry offsite)
- Keep the Student Ministries room orderly and appealing
- Keep the student ministry community informed of all student ministry happenings through appropriate means like the Weekly Scoop
- Keep student ministries in alignment with all policies and practices geared to preventing abuse and facilitating student safety, comfort, and flourishing
- Attend and participate enthusiastically in Hillside staff meetings
- Share in responsibilities customary of all Hillside ministry staff (worship service announcements; presence and participation in non-Sunday services like Good Friday and Christmas Eve, etc.)
- Lean into the encouragement and feedback of a youth pastor mentor in order to grow as a Bible teacher, team leader, ministry planner, and shepherd to students
Key Qualifications
- Mature King Jesus-like character and a love of God’s word
- Established habits of abiding in Christ through Scripture, prayer, Sabbath and other spiritual disciplines
- Understands and supports Hillside’s mission and discipleship pathway
- Theological convictions and ethical positions that are in harmony with Hillside and the ECC including those related to baptism (infant and believer), women in leadership (full egalitarianism), and human sexuality (“celibacy in singleness, and faithfulness in heterosexual marriage”)
- Acceptance of and willingness to abide by the Ethical Principles for Covenant Ministers (https://covchurch.org/resource/ethical-principles)
- Experience in youth ministry as either a lay leader or paid church staff member
- Bachelor’s Degree from accredited college/university (seminary degree preferred)
- Genuine love for, and strong ability to relate with, student-age people (grades 6-12)
- Gracious, honoring, and interested in the ideas and feedback of parents
- Skilled at building, bonding with, training, deploying, inspiring, and leading the two Student Ministry teams
- (Middle School and High School) in fulfillment of the Hillside/Student Ministries mission
- Able to teach the Bible in a clear and compelling way, as well as one that accords with Hillside’s emphasis on Christianity as a joyful lifetime journey of following King Jesus
- Able to communicate clearly in writing and speaking
- Punctual, detail-oriented, and self-motivating
- Responsive to direction, input and feedback by supervisors and youth pastor mentor
- Able to run efficient, productive, and motivating Student Ministry Team meetings


