Director of Children Youth, and Community (Full-Time) – Clive, IA

Heartland Presbyterian Church is a Christ-centered community called to provide opportunities for creative and inclusive worship, spiritual growth, and service.  We welcome people of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, sexual orientations, and gender identities.  Our mission is to connect to God, connect to each other, and connect to the excluded and vulnerable.

Heartland is a growing, dynamic, progressive church committed to serving not only its members but the community at large. We have a growing refugee ministry where a number of refugees have joined our church along with commitments to inclusion of LGBTQ folks and care for Creation. Heartland is known for its creativity and use of Jazz in worship.

While building and expanding on the current Christian Education program, this position will seek to finds ways to reach out to hurting children and youth and connect them to resources for them to flourish such as support groups, collaborative activities, relationship building, and engagement on the issues facing their generation.

Heartland has a vision for the development of an Arts/Jazz institute that will seek to provide opportunities for youth, and particularly disadvantaged youth, in developing artistic and musical talents that will enable them to prosper and flourish in their lives.

If you feel called to serve in our church, you will find a community eager to grow our program building community among our own children and youth along with serving the needs of hurting children and youth in Des Moines. You will feel challenged to imagine youth ministry in new and creative ways.

Areas of Focus for the Director of Children, Youth, and Community

• Developing a variety of engaging and healthy activities that will serve the members of Heartland—particularly children and youth—and that will attract other members of the community as well.
• Identifying and addressing needs in the local region and the church, with an emphasis on building community—especially among youth—and on serving those whose needs are not being met elsewhere.
• Providing participants from all backgrounds (whether or not they are connected to Heartland) with safe places to engage questions about religion and spirituality and to discern meaning and purpose in their lives.
• Embedding the joy, love, and awe characteristic of Christian life in all activities and providing community members with opportunities for growing in faith.
• Affirming our values as a community, including love of God and all people; diversity, equity, and inclusion; peace-making; environmental sustainability; and service.

Qualities of the Successful Director

• Creativity, initiative, energy, and vision
• Communication skills (listening, speaking, writing, and technology), organizational skills, and ability to work in collaboration with others in the church and the wider community
• Experience with developing and leading programs, facilitating small groups, and mentoring young people
• Experience with (or at a minimum, interest in) service learning, civic engagement, and the arts as opportunities for spiritual growth and community building

Desired Background

• Commitment to Christian faith and values
• Bachelor’s degree, with studies in areas applicable to the areas of focus noted above (advanced degree and/or theological study is a plus)
• Experience with leading youth programs or other experiences with transferable skills
• Experience with community organizing

Application process

Please submit a resume and a letter explaining your interest in this position and reasons that you feel you might be called to this particular opportunity to communications@hpcusa.org.  Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2024, and continue until the position is filled.