Student Ministry Leader

Grace Church | Durango, Colorado

Paid position  •  25 hours per week  •  Two-year commitment
Reports to the NextGen Leader

The opportunity at Grace

The Student Ministry Leader equips middle and high school students to follow Jesus, build meaningful relationships, and invest in the spiritual growth of those around them.

Grace Student Ministries is an essential part of Grace Church. We want students to feel known and loved, develop a faith they can own, and discover their place in the body of Christ. This role helps shape that journey by investing in students and equipping adults, parents, and student leaders to share in the ministry.

We are imperfect Christ followers who love God, love one another and use our lives and resources to share Christ’s love. Jesus is the center of our shared faith. 

The kind of leader we are seeking

We are looking for a leader who takes the initiative to connect with students and invests in their lives, taking time to know them and what matters to them. They see gatherings and events as opportunities to deepen relationships and help students explore Jesus, become like Him, and do what He did by investing in others.

This leader listens to parents, earns their trust, and partners with them as the primary spiritual influence in their children’s lives. They build relationships with families and encourage and equip parents as they disciple their students.

They encourage and equip volunteers and leaders to disciple and care for students. As Grace builds an outward-facing church, this leader equips the GSM team to reach students and families far from Jesus. They help team members recognize everyday opportunities to listen, build trust, and share His love—at a student’s activity, over coffee, at school, or in a family’s home.

This leader communicates clearly, follows through on commitments, welcomes coaching, and works well with others.

What you will lead

Connect and disciple students

• Cultivate regular relational gatherings and opportunities where students feel known, loved, connected, and challenged to grow.
• Develop a clear discipleship pathway for students 
• Equip students with biblical foundations, meaningful relationships, and spiritual practices to follow Jesus for a lifetime.

Equip the body to do the ministry

• Recruit, train, coach, and encourage adult leaders, student leaders, and parents.
• Develop and empower the team to lead, serve, disciple, and care for students with shared responsibility 
• Connect students to the life of Grace

Help students find belonging and recognize their importance in Grace Church.

• Partner with other ministry teams to involve students in worship, serving, and leadership.
• Foster relationships across generations, connecting GSM to the larger life of the church.

Create meaningful ministry experiences

• Lead the GSM team to create experiences that help students connect, grow, serve, and encounter Jesus.
• Equip volunteers and student leaders to share ownership of planning and leading gatherings, camps, retreats, trips, and service opportunities.
• Develop community partnerships with other churches, youth ministries, schools, and community organizations to help extend GSM’s outward-facing ministry.

Lead in alignment with Grace

• Lead GSM in keeping with Grace Church’s mission, vision, and values. 
• Prioritize people, equip others, and continually strengthen the ministry.
• Participate in NextGen meetings and contribute to the development, collaboration, growth, and alignment of Grace’s Next Gen ministries.

Communicate clearly and consistently

• Ensure timely, relational communication with students, parents, leaders, and the church.
• Communicate what is happening, why it matters, and how people can participate.
• Use personal conversations, Sunday updates, and digital channels to keep people informed, connected, and engaged.

Qualifications and requirements

• Previous youth ministry and leadership experience preferred 
• Have a growing and authentic relationship with Jesus, demonstrating strong Christian character
• Build genuine, trusting relationships with students and parents
• Reflect the mission, vision and values of Grace Church
• Demonstrate the ability to recruit, equip and encourage others
• Welcome coaching and feedback for growth
• Be committed to developing personally and spiritually
• Displays emotional intelligence and self motivation 
• Male and female candidates are welcome
• Successfully complete the required background check and interview process

How we will support you

You will have freedom to make decisions and lead, with support from the NextGen Ministry Leader, Discipleship Team Leader and many resources from the Irresistible Church Network. This support may include recruitment ideas, personal encouragement and counsel, leadership tools, constructive feedback and coaching, and help developing the ministry. Support and check-in meetings with the NextGen Ministry Leader will begin weekly and move to monthly as you get your footing.

Once again, within this 25-hour-per-week role, you are not expected to personally complete every GSM task. As the ministry develops, you will increasingly:

• Equip others to carry ministry responsibilities
• Delegate tasks and share ownership
• Develop leaders who can lead and care for students
• Build systems that help the team manage ministry details

We will encourage your personal growth in following Jesus through Grace’s connection and spiritual development plans, including involvement in a Group. Your spiritual health matters and is vital to leading a ministry well.

GSM Current State  

Grace Student Ministries is in a healthy, stable season marked by strong relationships and steady engagement. Each week, 25-30 students consistently attend. About half are from Grace Church, while the other half attend other churches and have found meaningful connections in GSM. Students come from both homeschool and public school settings. The ministry is supported by four committed weekly leaders, two college-aged volunteers beginning to serve, and a mom stepping in to coordinate weekly meals. Last summer, 42 students attended camp alongside our leaders. Our current GSM leader is stepping away from the role (not leaving the church) for personal reasons at a time when the ministry is doing well, with no major issues driving the transition. The next leader will join a caring team and build on a strong relational foundation, while doing ministry in a town largely made up of people who are far from Jesus.

Why We Love Living in Durango, Colorado

We love living in Durango! Here in Southwest Colorado, we have the San Juan Mountains close by and plenty of opportunities to hike, mountain bike, ski, fish, or paddle. Even on a regular workday, you can get outside for a walk or bike ride along the Animas River Trail.

Downtown has local restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and galleries to explore. Fort Lewis College brings students, arts, and cultural events to town. We get to enjoy all four seasons, with both mountain and desert adventures within reach.

We also love the ways everyday life brings people together, at a game, on a trail, over coffee, or at a community event. If you’re looking for a place to put down roots, build relationships, and invest in people, we’d love for you to consider this role in our beautiful community.

Interested?

Contact Trisha at [email protected]