STUDENT PASTOR

About the role

This is a pastoral leadership role with real ownership. The Student Pastor will cultivate a ministry where students are known, encounter Jesus, grow in faith, and are equipped to live and lead with purpose. McDowell is a community following Jesus, learning to love. We exist to see people find new life in Christ and learn to love everyone, everywhere, in every situation. The Student Pastor advances that mission by leading a joyful, relational, and spiritually formative ministry for students in grades 6–12 and their families. As a pastor and integrated member of McDowell's staff, this leader sets vision, builds healthy teams, develops students and adult leaders, partners with parents and guardians, and oversees the ministry's teaching, gatherings, events, care, communication, and operations. The role combines visible ministry leadership with the quiet, consistent work of knowing people, developing leaders, and creating environments where students can take meaningful next steps with Jesus.

The Leadership Mandate

• Vision + culture: Set a clear direction for McDowell Students that aligns with the mission, theology, and values of the church.
• Pastoral presence: Know students and families, offer wise care, and build a culture marked by truth, grace, belonging, and joy.
• Discipleship: Create clear pathways for students to encounter Jesus, grow spiritually, serve others, and live their faith.
• Team building: Recruit, develop, empower, and care for volunteers, student leaders, interns, and residents.
• Excellence + stewardship: Lead programs, budgets, systems, and events with creativity, safety, and wise stewardship.
• Whole-church leadership: Collaborate across teams and contribute to McDowell's pastoral and organizational life.

What You Will Lead

• Student ministry vision + programming: Set and implement vision and strategy for a growing ministry to students in grades 6–12. Oversee regular gatherings, small groups, and a clear front-door pathway that welcomes and follows up with new students. Shape biblically grounded teaching, relational environments, and next steps for students at every place in their faith journey. Plan and lead camps, retreats, mission and service opportunities, and special events.
• Student discipleship + leadership: Build relationships with students and help them grow in prayer, biblical understanding, community, service, and everyday faith. Develop a clear student leadership pathway that gives students coaching, responsibility, and meaningful opportunities to lead. Maintain an appropriate presence in local schools, student activities, and community spaces. Provide pastoral care and follow-up for students and families with wisdom, confidentiality, and healthy boundaries.
• Volunteer + staff leadership: Recruit, screen, onboard, schedule, train, empower, and care for adult volunteers and small-group leaders. Create clear roles, expectations, training, encouragement, feedback, and accountability for every leader. Recruit and develop interns and emerging leaders, helping others discover and use their gifts. Build a healthy, collaborative team culture that multiplies ministry beyond the pastor.
• Family + community partnership: Communicate consistently with parents and guardians about vision, programming, events, and student care. Equip and encourage families as the primary spiritual influence in a student's life. Build trusted partnerships with schools, community leaders, and organizations that serve students. Guide student ministry communication, social media, promotion, and storytelling with McDowell's communications team.
• Ministry operations + church leadership: Oversee calendars, registrations, rosters, volunteer schedules, budgets, supplies, setup, transportation, and safety systems. Collaborate fully in staff meetings, Sunday ministry, prayer, special events, and all-church initiatives. Participate in pastoral care, weddings, funerals, and other ministry needs as appropriate.

What Success Looks Like

• Students are known and growing: Students experience belonging, encounter Jesus, take meaningful steps of faith, and increasingly live with purpose.
• Leaders are equipped and multiplying: Adult volunteers, student leaders, and interns are cared for, coached, and trusted with meaningful ministry.
• The ministry is healthy, aligned, and growing: Vision, teaching, communication, systems, and stewardship support McDowell's mission and the long-term health of students and families.

Core Pastoral Qualities

• A growing relationship with Jesus and a life marked by humility, integrity, prayer, and love for people.
• A clear pastoral calling to students and families, expressed with enthusiasm, courage, and joy.
• Emotional and relational intelligence, healthy biblical relationships, mature boundaries, and confidentiality.
• A servant-hearted, collaborative posture that invites others into the work and receives feedback well.
• An excellent work ethic and wise stewardship of time, money, people, and ministry resources.

Experience + Requirements

• College degree in ministry, education, or a related field.
• Two to five years of vocational experience working with students in a ministry environment, or one that would translate directly.
• Demonstrated ability to lead volunteer teams, develop leaders, and build healthy ministry environments.
• Strong verbal, written, organizational, relational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with common Mac, Microsoft Office, communication, scheduling, registration, and planning tools.

Role Flexibility + Practical Requirements

• Ability to meet background-screening, child-safety, travel, and driving requirements for the role.
• Ability to lift items weighing up to 35 pounds and stand for extended periods when ministry requires it.
• This profile represents the role's core responsibilities; duties may shift as ministry and organizational needs change.

Our Team Guiding Principles

• Start with prayer: Thank God, acknowledge our need for Christ, and follow the Spirit.
• Believe the best: Give the benefit of the doubt and seek clarity when we do not agree or understand.
• Set the table: Humbly serve this community with excellence.
• Travel together: Communicate well, invite others into the process, and have fun as we lead.
• Stay fit: Pursue health spiritually, relationally, physically, emotionally, and financially.
• Remain open-handed: Share what God has given us and invite others into the journey for the good of His Kingdom.

Applicants may send their resume and cover letter to jobs@mcdowell.church