Area Director I or II-Kalamazoo, MI

Job Specific Working Conditions:

Kalamazoo Young Life has been impacting the lives of our kids and our community for over 30 years with the life changing news of the gospel. We have a strong donor base, area committee, and staff who prioritize relationships. We are looking for an area director who has a deep connectedness to Christ, who values relationships at all levels of the ministry, and who has a growth mindset for the future of the ministry.

Kalamazoo Young Life has active ministries at Kalamazoo Christian High School, Plainwell High School, Otsego High School & Middle School, and Capernaum and YoungLives ministries. We also have an active and growing Western Michigan University college ministry, which helps provide college-aged leaders for our ministries who serve alongside our parent support groups and adult volunteers.

Kalamazoo is a growing metropolitan area, home to a number of major corporations, as well as many family-owned businesses. While it has the resources of a larger city, it is also very family oriented and has a small town feel. We see great opportunities for growth of Young Life in Kalamazoo.

Summary:
Through spiritual leadership and proper management, lead in developing a team in the area to carry out Young Life’s mission of introducing kids to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.

Ministry Functions:
Spiritual Development — “Following Jesus” includes prayer and spiritual disciplines, fellowship, growth and health and church relationships.

• Develop a yearly personal growth plan that fosters a vibrant spiritual life including time for solitude, retreat, reflection, prayer and a sincere commitment to understanding God’s Word.
• Seek and maintain relationships and disciplines, in the context of active participation in a church community.
• Actively participate in the spiritual life of the Young Life community.
• Lead teams and individuals in spiritual development.
• Ensure that all Young Life ministry in the area, is designed and carried out with a dependence on prayer that takes place out of the overflow of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Leadership Development — “Equipping leaders, committee and staff” includes key volunteer care, recruiting, team building and training, supervision and vision casting.

• Partner with Regional director and Committee to cast vision for reaching “every kid” within the defined area.
• Develop consistent gatherings with committee, leaders and staff to build unity and provide vision and direction.
• Create a spiritual leadership plan for volunteer leaders, staff and committee members in the area.
• Recruit and train new staff and leaders to build leadership teams that reflect the community.
• Supervise, develop and evaluate area staff, providing resources and experiences needed to implement the vision.
• Provide quality summer staff, work crew and adult guests for summer camps.
• Model excellence in contact work, club, Campaigners and camping to other leaders.
• Train leaders, team leaders and committee how to work effectively in teams and develop a yearly ministry strategy.

Resource Development — “Fueling the ministry” includes events, major donor care, public relations (branding) and TDS team.

• Provide leadership to the RCE team and committee in finding partners to own the area vision and budget.
• Develop and lead the area’s fundraising strategy and ensure excellence in communication to donors.
• Raise the necessary funds to carry out the ministry vision for the local area, keeping the area consistently in surplus (goal is a one-month cash reserve minimum).
• Build the Young Life brand via public relations as an excellent tool for working with youth in the area.
• Coordinate and conduct quality events which reflect Young Life’s capacity to impact kids and warrant the investment of a participant’s personal and corporate resources.

Direct Ministry — “Proclaiming and modeling” includes contact work, club, Campaigners and camp.

• Actively engage in all three levels of contact work.
• Lead or co-lead a model Young Life club; lead/supervise an effective Campaigner ministry with excellence.
• Observe and evaluate each of the schools/ministries in the local area on a yearly basis.
• Develop and implement ongoing plans to maximize Gospel proclamation through camping opportunities.
• Serve on a summer assignment at a Young Life property, other Young Life camp or in another position each summer.

Ministry Support — “Taking care of business” includes accounting, administration, communication (internal), data management and strategic plan.

• Adhere to all Young Life policies and procedures a