Summary: This position oversees the development and growth of the Junior and Senior High ministry of Oakridge Community Church (OCC). The vision statement of OCC is “Love God, Love People, Love Serving.” The youth pastor will develop a program to help the youth fulfill this statement. This is a full-time position.

Qualifications: The following are basic qualifications that OCC is looking for:

College graduate or currently working on a degree with a focus on youth ministry, but experience will be considered in lieu of education.
Experience in youth ministry preferred.
Must be willing to agree with the doctrinal statement of Oakridge, our vision statement, and a willingness to work with the current staff and leadership to fulfill the mission of the church.

The Church: Oakridge Community Church is in St. Joseph Charter Township, Michigan. Our community is in Berrien County (over 150,000 residents) and is part of several cities, villages and townships that make up the area. We are minutes from Lake Michigan and less than two hours from downtown Chicago.

We also live in an area with major stores available for shopping, in addition to having places of fun and entertainment (from laser tag, bowling, miniature golf, golf courses to Lake Michigan beaches). Though the county has over 150,000 people in it, there is not a big city feel to it. We also have farms and ranches in the area as well.

We are looking for someone who is willing to plant some roots in the area. Our Senior Pastor has been here almost ten years, and we want to build a youth ministry that, as our younger children get older, will be excited to be a part of.

Job Description: The following are the duties of the Youth Pastor:

Develop a discipleship and outreach program to educate our youth in God’s Word and help them to reach their world for Christ. This includes teaching youth how to navigate our culture through the lens of God’s Word. Our local school systems do push Wokism, Critical Race Theory, and other cultural viewpoints that are opposed to the teaching of Scripture.
Lead Sunday morning Bible study for the youth.
Oversee the mid-week youth program.
Visit the school campuses and interact with the youth on a personal level. We have untapped potential at the middle and high schools in the area. There are at least seven schools that we see great potential in reaching.
Meet weekly with the other staff for prayer and interaction. Staff unity is crucial to a healthy church.
Recruit youth workers, train and develop a team that will help fulfill the youth ministry based on the vision statement. Currently there are several volunteer workers (Sunday and mid-week).
Plan events that reach out to the unchurched youth of the area along with gatherings that help in connecting youth together.
Have periodic meetings with the parents of the youth to discuss any concerns they may have and to inform them of future plans. Keep parents updated on ministry strategies and plans in a way that encourages partnership and involvement.
Communicate with the elder board regarding the youth ministry and keep them informed of what is happening in the youth ministry area. You are not expected to attend the full board meeting unless you choose to or are asked to.
Working with the Missions Team, plan and promote short-term opportunities for youth.
Plan a summer program of activities and discipleship for the youth in the area.
Counsel youth when needed regarding issues in their life. Be available to parents to discuss issues related to their child or youth ministry.
Attend school events (sports, music, etc.) as time permits.
Integrate the youth into the life of the church, including working with other ministry leaders to get the youth involved in areas of serving within the church. Some of our youth are involved with our children’s and worship ministry and have done community service projects such as raking leaves and cleaning gutters. We will hold periodic youth Sundays led by the youth ministry. We are a multigenerational church and as an elder board want to see us continue working together as a church.

Compensation: ($40,000). This is total compensation.

Inquiries: All resumes or inquiries regarding the position at Oakridge Community Church can be sent to scott@oakridgebc.org with “Attention: Youth Pastor Search Team.” If we desire to pursue things further, a questionnaire will be sent to you within a few weeks of us receiving your resume.

Other websites: You can check out info about St. Joseph Charter Township at www.sjct.org. The website for Oakridge Community Church is www.oakridgebc.org. The cities and townships of St. Joseph, Stevensville, Lincoln Township and Benton Harbor are examples of local communities that we minister to.