Program & Youth Director - Detroit, MI
Listed: 03-09-2022
Employer: Camp Westminster // Westminster Church of Detroit - 17567 Hubbell Ave. Detroit, MI 48235 | (313) 341-8969 | campwestminster.com
Location: Detroit, MI
Type: Full-time
Download: Job Description - Program & Youth Director
Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake (CW) is a camp and retreat center located in central northern Michigan with administrative offices at Westminster Church of Detroit. Each summer, we welcome campers from around the state to week-long sessions where they are invited to discover God, themselves, and their community. We believe that God meets us in the wilderness. By providing experiences that pair welcome and acceptance with challenge, we create the perfect environment for God to move in the lives of everyone who sets foot on camp.
Westminster Church of Detroit (WCOD) is a majority black congregation located in Northwestern Detroit in the Winship neighborhood. Like camp, WCOD has a long history in the city and has been at its current location for about the last 50 years. We are a church for all people!
About this Position
This is a new position that will serve both the outdoor ministry at Camp Westminster and the children and youth of Westminster Church. CW needs a program director who can champion continual learning in program development, developing creative opportunities for campers to discover God, themselves, and their community. We do not expect an instant explosion of people and programs, rather sustained growth in program quality and engagement over time.
We are excited that this position will bridge the youth programs of Westminster Church of Detroit and Camp Westminster. This is an opportunity for camps programs to extend year- round and for the church's programs to continue throughout the summer. We expect creative solutions, embracing constructive/well-thought-out risk, and programs that don't look like how they did 10 or 20 years ago.
The ideal candidate will have a deep faith in Jesus Christ, be comfortable with the values and practices of the Presbyterian Church (USA), have experience in camping, and fully embrace working in a church setting. In addition, they will be able to articulate an antiracist vision for youth ministry in both camp and church settings. This person must love engaging youth and their families in the fullness of human diversity expressed in race, class, ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The Program & Youth Director will shift the focus of their energy during the year. They will spend the summer season and ramp-up working on camp programing, shifting to the church after the summer program season has concluded. That focus will shift progressively through the year, focusing on camp entirely again as the summer approaches. As we learn to live into this shared role, the Program & Youth Director should expect an approximately 70/30 split between camp and church programs. Ultimately camp and church programs will merge, sharing the same objectives, practices, and traditions.
Relationships
This position will be supervised by the Executive Director of Camp Westminster and the Pastor of Westminster Church of Detroit. They will be evaluated based on this position description, measured program quality, contribution to their programs' growth trajectory, and mutually established professional development goals.
Responsibilities
In both camp and church contexts:
Be an architect of culture, creating community founded in compassion, radical welcome, justice, equity, and liberation;
Implement any programs in a way that centers healthy relationships. The program & youth director will foster authentic relationships with youth and give youth the tools to form healthy relationships with each other;
Work alongside camp and church communities in adopting antiracist practices and policies, rooting out white supremacy practices, and striving toward the liberation of all people;
Work collaboratively with colleagues to accomplish the shared mission of church and camp, taking on other duties as necessary.
At Camp Westminster, this looks like:
Shaping the summer program through continual improvement, aligned with camp’s purpose, values and mission;
Help to promote summer programs, engaging camper families and organizational partners;
Recruit and hire summer program and support staff;
Day-to-day implementation of summer programs including supervision and evaluation of summer program staff and volunteers;
Evaluate summer programs;
Explore new program models in the tradition of Camp Westminster for year-round and summer implementation.
At Westminster Church of Detroit, this looks like:
Lead children and youth pastoral care and outreach;
Spiritual formation education for children and youth;
Plan and implement events for youth in the congregation;
Organize volunteers in the congregation to support the youth program.
Requirements
Qualifications
Generous mix of education and experience but at minimum a Bachelor of Arts degree and three years of experience directing youth programs in a church or camp setting. Ideally, a Master’s degree in a related field and five years of program leadership.
Comfort using technology to accomplish program goals and a willingness to learn new skills and tools as necessary.
Ability to stand or sit for long periods, move freely in an office or outdoor setting, and lift and carry at least 30 lbs.
Competencies
Creativity and Innovation: makes new connections among existing ideas to create fresh approaches; takes acceptable risks in pursuit of innovation; learns from mistakes.
Initiative: is action oriented and energetic about worthwhile activities; seizes opportunities; assumes that problems are solvable and looks for creative solutions.
Time Management: Is able to focus time on tasks that contribute to organizational goals; values time and respects the time of others; can appropriately balance multiple priorities.
Verbal Communication: Can to deliver a message clearly and with appropriate emotion in a variety of settings; adjusts the message, without losing the essence, depending upon the listener;
Written Communication: Is able to write clearly and succinctly; employs correct grammar; clearly delivers message in a tone appropriate to the context.
Conflict Management: Understands the dynamics of negotiation among groups; embraces constructive conflict as a means to promote growth.
Hiring and Staffing: Attracts and hires the best people; clearly defines the essential functions and core competencies of a role before hiring; is not afraid of selecting strong people; does not discriminate in hiring practices; seeks to strengthen the team through the addition of diversity.
Teambuilding: Blends people into teams when appropriate; leads the team successfully through difficulties and challenges, including conflict, diversity and inclusion issues within the team; shares wins and successes; defines success in terms of the whole team.
Leadership Development: Encourages others to discover and engage their giftedness and skills in service to the larger community; calls out the best in others.
Spiritual Maturity: Shows strong personal depth and spiritual grounding; is seen by others as trustworthy and authentic; seeks the wisdom and guidance of appropriate mentors; is able to articulate a clear and consistent theology.
Pastoral Care/Counseling: Demonstrates the ministry of presence; creates a spirit of openness; demonstrates appropriate pastoral care boundaries, recognizing his or her own limitations as a care provider.
Spiritual Formation/Discipleship: Demonstrates an understanding of spiritual formation/ discipleship as journey or process; teaches a variety of spiritual practices to lead others in deepening and developing spirituality; creates teaching and small group environments that promote discipleship.
Terms
This is a full-time, exempt position
Annual salary 38-42k, based on experience and qualifications
Health benefits through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions
Professional education allowance of $1000
This role will be required to relocate up to Camp Westminster for the duration of the summer season (approximately June-August) and will be provided on-site housing for that period.
Additionally, all meals are provided while the camp kitchen is in operation. Periodic travel up to camp throughout the year may also be required.
Application & Hiring Process
To apply, send a resume and cover letter to Adam Delezenne at adam@campwestminster.com by March 18, 2022.
We will conduct interviews with a select set of candidates, in hopes that our chosen candidate can start as soon after April 4, 2022 as possible.
As Westminster Church of Detroit is “a church of all people,” we offer this as a position for all (well-qualified) people! People of color, LGBTQ folks, and others from historically marginalized groups are encouraged to apply.
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