Church Relationships Coordinator

Position summary

Assume responsibility for helping NWA churches become the number one distribution center for healthy marriages and families. Responsible for developing a core group of pastors and churches who champion marriage and who are a part of NWA Healthy Marriages. Responsible for helping raise up an “army” of Marriage Champions to work with engaged and married couples within the context of small groups. Responsible for helping facilitate the utilization of the CRE Church Relationship Assessment (CRA).

Role Qualifications

Strong ability to create good will with students, staff, faculty, and guests; servant attitude and driven by excellence.
Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, sets goals and objectives and accomplishes them without the need for frequent follow up, multi-task, and focus with composure, in accordance with changing deadlines and priorities.
Organized, prioritizes work load, independent and self-motivated, enthusiastic, dependable, and detail-oriented.
Ability to relate and interact well with a team of peer professionals, pastors, lay couples, and engaged and married couples.
Strong communication skills to present facts and recommendations effectively in verbal and written form, including accurate grammar and business correspondence knowledge.
Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective business relationships; ability to work positively with varied ethnic, cultural and societal groups.
Good people skills and ability to network and convene individuals/groups. Requires a good sense of humor and belief in working as a professional cohesive team member.
Reports regularly regarding progress and to receive directions.
Attends trainings, staff meetings, and planning meetings as required.
Available to work some flexible, non-traditional hours.
Occasional travel.
Works under the direct supervision of the NWA Healthy Marriages Project Director to deliver program and staff activities for the NWA Healthy Marriages initiative.
Commitment to the Articles of Faith, Mission, and Objectives of the University and CRE; and desires to be a role model for students by demonstrating an active Christian faith in personal example and in work related responsibilities.

Position Responsibilities

1. Network and cultivate relationships with area pastors and churches to promote NWA Healthy Marriages: Responsible for developing new relationships and nurture on-going relationships with NWA pastors and churches. Help cast a vision for NWA churches to become the number one distribution center for healthy marriages and families in the area. Discuss ways in which NWA Healthy Marriages can assist them in serving their marriages and families. Identify, network and maintain ongoing relationship with those churches most likely to become involved with NWA Marriages quickly and that have influence with churches in their areas.
2. Encourage pastors to “actively” participate in NWA Healthy Marriages: Responsible for helping churches and pastors to actively promote and participate in grant events, trainings and small group experiences. Encourage pastors to do several marriage sermons throughout the year. Encourage pastors and congregants to convert their marriage license into an AR Covenant Marriage License.
3. Recruit marriage champions: Responsible for coordinating with the Marriage Champion Coordinator to ensure training is provided to pastors and lay leaders who want to serve as Marriage Champions. Hold informational meetings with lay leaders and staff who are passionate about marriages and who are likely candidates as Marriage Champions. Help pastors identify and communicate with their lay leaders who are passionate about marriage.
4. Communication and marketing: Responsible for clearly communicating NWA Marriages’ message, plan, and implementation strategy to pastors and churches. Train pastor and church partners to make referrals into the grant and to ensure they have accurate and current grant information. Develop a clear presentation for why pastors/churches should be involved in marriage ministry. Develop and maintain a monthly resource e-newsletter for participating pastors and churches. Develop marketing messages, materials and PowerPoint presentations for pastors and churches.
5. Develop a comprehensive pastor/church data-base: Responsible for creating and maintaining a current database of churches within our six county area and a comprehensive data-base of NWA of key personnel (i.e., senior pastor, marriage/family pastor, secretary, etc.).
6. Cultivate small groups: Responsible for developing a small groups strategy for churches—use events to drive couples into small groups. Help develop small group product/curriculum designed to complement the NWA Healthy Marriage curriculum.
7. Create a “Marriage Policy” unique to NWA churches: Responsible for helping pastors and churches develop a marriage policy for their church. Help pastors develop a “theology of relationships” paradigm instead of being “events” driven and help them develop a 3-5 year marriage ministry plan.
8. Create and maintain a marriage ministry evaluation process: Responsible to create and maintain an evaluation process to compare the effectiveness of the different local marriage ministry programs.
9. Facilitate the utilization of the CRE Church Relationship Assessment (CRA): Responsible to help churches answer the question: “How do we know that the teaching, preaching, and training we offer is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our people?” Help facilitate the CRA and provide pastors with a unique “thumbprint” of their congregation—where they are spiritually, emotionally and relationally, their strengths and potential areas of growth.
10. Educate, equip and enrich pastors and churches: Responsible for helping churches develop marriage best practices—who is doing the best premarital, marriage, remarriage, stepfamily, etc. work in NWA. Catalog testimonies featuring churches who are doing a great job supporting marriage. Provide quarterly/semi-annual training events for pastors, churches and marriage champions. Develop a church/pastor triage plan for couples in crisis—first response team. Help enrich the marriages of pastors and lay couples. Execute marriage retreats for pastoral and ministry couples.

Essential Skills and Experience

Experience as a pastor working at a church
Passion, familiarity and experience with partnering with pastors and churches.
Proven ability and experience in recruiting, training, staffing and supervising volunteer staff.
Proven ability and experience in teaching and presenting professional seminars/workshops to church and community groups.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain a healthy, satisfying marriage as evidenced by personal and spousal testimony.

Preferred skills and experience

Experience in a field related to marriage and family.
Training and/or experience in providing marriage enrichment and premarital training.

Education

Seminary degree or Master’s degree or higher in a marriage & family related program, or related area. Preference will be given to candidates with specialized training in marriage and family.

Physical demands and work environment

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to walk; stand; sit; use hands; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal.

About JBU

A summary describing the university is available on-line.

Apply

Please complete the application and email it along with your resume and cover letter to jobs@jbu.edu. Only complete materials will be reviewed. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the university.

Contact Information:
Darrin Coon
John Brown University
2000 West University Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
Phone: 479.524.7123
e-mail: jobs@jbu.edu