NATURE & SCOPE
The Associate Rector for Parish Life (ARPL) is a core staff position sharing – with the Dean, other clergy and core staff – in the leadership of this church. S/he functions under the direct supervision of the Dean. The ARPL is a pastor, prophet, teacher, and evangelist who works collegially with staff and parishioners to develop and implement offerings primarily for young families, children, and youth. S/he will supervise the Director of Children and Youth as well as up to four lay staff and interns. In addition to sharing in pastoral and liturgical leadership of this congregation, this person will preach and preside, provide ongoing pastoral care; e.g., counseling, home and hospital visits, marriages, funerals, etc.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop, with the Director of Children and Youth Ministries, children’s worship including Sunday Children’s Chapel and seasonal children’s worship opportunities.
- Provide pastoral support & increase opportunities for fellowship amongst those with school-aged children so that families can build relationships with other Christians and learn what it means to be a part of healthy Christian community.
- Develop and implement ongoing age-appropriate opportunities for service and outreach (in collaboration with DCYM and the Director of Parish Life and Newcomer Ministries) so that families can put their faith in action together.
- Develop and implement age-appropriate stewardship teaching and practices for children, youth and their families.
- Support and supervise the Director of Children and Youth Ministry and youth interns.
- Develop offerings for parents and families so that those primary caregivers grow in ability and confidence in fulfilling their role as the primary faith educator in the life of their children.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Creativity and Innovation - develop new ideas, learns from mistakes, willing to take risks to be innovative.
- Integrity and Trust - practices honest and direct communication, instills trust in others, admits mistakes, reliable, avoids triangles and unhealthy subgroups.
- Interpersonal Skills - establishes good working relationships with others, considers the impact of his/ her actions and interactions with others, is diplomatic and approachable.
- Ethics and Values - honors the core values of the Episcopal Church in word and deed, consistently displaying behaviors congruent with those values.
- Communication - clear, articulate in speech, writing, and digital/social media skills.
- Personal Resilience - able to be flexible, deal with uncertainty and shift gears smoothly, can comfortably handle risk and innovation.
- Mission Ownership - support the Cathedral’s work as a Diocesan resource and ministry in the greater Jackson area.