Director of Youth & Young Adult Discipleship

Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls

The Bishop of Sioux Falls is the visible head and source of unity in the particular Church entrusted to his pastoral care (CCC 1594). In a unique and visible way, he makes Christ's mission present and enduring while functioning in his role as Shepherd of the Christian Community. In order to fulfill his mission, the Bishop trusts chosen collaborators — clerics, religious, and lay people — to share in the apostolic mission and entrusts various responsibilities to them. Each employee helps to extend the ministry of the local Pastor in particular ways, as outlined in this position description.

The Director of Youth & Young Adult Discipleship works as a member of the Discipleship and Evangelization team to build a culture of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship through God's Love. Responsibilities include engaging and networking with youth ministers, campus ministers, parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities in eastern South Dakota to build practical, replicable systems that help youth ministers and young adults succeed in the Diocesan vision.

The Director seeks to proactively connect individual and community gifts, opportunities, and resources with missionary discipleship needs at a local, regional, and diocesan level, with a particular focus on youth and young adults.

• Effectively recruit for and assist in the continued development of existing retreat, missionary, and discipleship programs such as the Lumen Christi (LC) Missionary Program, Discipleship Camps, and Confirmation Retreats.

• Proactively cultivate relationships with parish youth ministry leaders and campus ministry directors to come to know the gifts, needs, and opportunities present for advancing missionary discipleship throughout the diocese.

• Successfully plan events and programming in a Catholic context on a local, regional, or diocesan level. This includes planning and executing retreats for LC Missionaries with the collaboration of the other Directors in the Discipleship and Evangelization office:

  • LC Training

  • LC Recollection Retreat

• Actively attend and provide supervision and oversight to support staff during summer camps to accomplish mission goals.

  • Effectively mentor others in recruiting, forming, and working with leadership teams.

• Identify and engage individuals' charisms and skills to advance missionary discipleship.

• Effectively help others encounter Jesus Christ and grow closer to Christ and his Church.

• Understand and effectively communicate what it means to be a Lifelong Catholic Missionary Disciple through God's Love.

• Understand, maintain, and implement safe environment protocols as determined by the Diocesan Safe Environment Policy.

Primary

• Willingness and ability to effectively make known the Catholic Church's teachings through the varied ministry activities expected of this position.

• Willingness and ability to act as a personal witness to the Catholic faith by living one's professional and personal life in accordance with the doctrines and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as embodied in the Church's documents, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

• Personal experience, passion, and vision for spiritual multiplication through individual and small group discipleship efforts.

• Proven creativity and innovation for identifying and initiating opportunities to advance missionary discipleship.

• Significant experience in discipling and mentoring others in an individual or small group context.

• Keen interest in helping others identify and cultivate their natural and spiritual gifts.

• Excellent relational, teaching, and communication skills.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Theology, Catechesis, or similar required; master's degree preferred.

Experience

• Three or more years working with youth and young adults in a parish or diocesan-level position.

• Familiarity with healthy team and leadership principles, with proven experience implementing them while leading and mentoring others.

Other Elements

• Baptized, Confirmed, and active member of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Must be available to work summer camps and occasional evenings and weekends, with overnight travel as necessary.

• An understanding and working knowledge of all desktop applications included in the Microsoft Office Suite and various web applications.

• Ability to work independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment; to think strategically; to multitask; and to adapt to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines.

• Proven communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals while maintaining strict confidentiality.

The following are representative of the physical capabilities that must be met by an employee and the working conditions encountered while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to push, pull, lift, and carry items up to 30 pounds.

• Ability to sit, stand, bend, stoop, climb stairs, talk, hear, grasp, reach, and perform repetitive motions of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

• Ability to work in an office setting as well as at various venues according to event or activity.

• Vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

• Ability to work evenings and weekends with occasional overnight travel.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The employee will work with a large number of individuals, often requiring multitasking and working with deadlines and details to ensure all essential functions are performed in a timely and courteous manner.