Hire a Youth Pastor

Experience

First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, June 2023 – Present, Youth Program Staff
● Communicates with parents and youth through various platforms to inform students of upcoming events.
● Assists in developing Sunday School curriculum, youth worship services, and other youth-centric events.
● Provides pastoral care to students and their families. ● Practices discretion with confidential information shared by youth and their families. ● Serves as a teacher for youth Sunday School lessons with middle and high school youth. ● Empowers the youth to teach and lead in worship and in the larger church. ● Attends students’ extracurricular activities (such as sporting events, performances, etc.). ● Builds relationships with parents and other volunteers. ● Recruits volunteers for youth programming. ● Adheres to MinistrySafe guidelines. ● Plans and attends larger youth ministry events such as High School Mission Trip, Revolution Weekend, and other retreats and trips as needed.

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, August 2022 – June 2023, Social Media & Digital
Marketing Coordinator
● Managed and maintained the church’s social media platforms including ideation, scheduling, updating, and posting content on a consistent basis.
● Oversaw community management and engagement on all platforms. ● Consistently engaged with the online community through responding to messages, comments, and response management.
● Moderated user-generated content as necessary. ● Worked alongside the Director of Communications to help develop, establish, and maintain digital marketing strategies to meet ministry objectives.
● Assisted with defining and implementing measurable strategies and campaigns to meet digital presence objectives.
● Analyzed social data/metrics, insights, and best practices, and make recommendations for improvements.
● Stayed up to date on social media trends.

Creekwood Christian Church, January 2018 – August 2022, Ministerial Resident
● Led discussions for small group gatherings with 6th-12th grade students along with their families
● Collaborated with the Minister of Faith Development and Missions to provide meaningful ministry opportunities that were engaging and transformative for 6th-12th grade students
● Developed curriculum for faith development and Christian education opportunities for 6th-12th grade students
● Provided pastoral care for 6th-12th grade students and their families ● Served in worship through preaching and other leadership roles during worship services ● Engaged in camping ministry at Disciples Crossing through counseling opportunities ● Coordinated volunteers for youth events and other volunteer opportunities ● Created content to advertise upcoming events via social media and other external, digital publications in line with branding guidelines
● Increased Creekwood’s social media following by 38% through targeted advertising and strategic posting
● Implemented monthly strategic posting schedules for social media platforms

First Christian Church in Arlington, September 2017 – December 2017, Fall Ministry Intern
● Led discussions for small group meetings ● Gave presentations in large group settings ● Utilized a texting system to maintain contact with youth and families ● Helped develop and implement a new curriculum for Sunday School classes and youth group meetings
● Participated in established fundraising efforts for the youth budget ● Coordinated volunteers for the annual Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser ● Served in worship services including special services and holidays

Disciples Crossing Church Camp, May 2017 – August 2017, Communications Intern
● Implemented a social media and marketing strategy that increased interactions from followers on social media
● Created content and photographed camp events throughout the summer ● Performed other duties as expected for camp interns Religious and Spiritual Life at TCU, August 2014 – May 2018, Desk Assistant, Social Media
Intern and Sound Technician
● Planned events for the general student population at TCU through the Religious and Spiritual Life Office
● Utilized an existing social media strategy to increase followership and engagement with TCU RSL platforms
● Answered calls and directed guests to the correct offices within the building ● Compiled and entered data for the university’s diversity initiatives

Education

Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX
B.A. in Religion and Communication Studies

Brite Divinity School at TCU, Fort Worth, TX
Master of Divinity

Skills

Strongest skills:
● Relationship building ● Effective communication with youth, young adults, and families ● Writing curriculum with engaging content ● Creating engaging content on social media ● Event planning ● Empowering students to grow in their leadership skills ● Other skills as listed in my experience section.

Additional information

I am an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) currently serving a United Methodist congregation. My family and I live in DFW, Texas, and we are pretty tied to the area due to my husband's career. I have been passionate about youth ministry from the moment I received my calling to ministry, and I foresee youth ministry being a life-long vocation. I am a firm believer that youth are not just the future of the church but are the church of today. When we pour into student ministry and equip students to go into the world knowing that they are called to love their neighbors as God loves them, we are building a stronger church for the here and now.