First Unitarian Portland is seeking a full-time Acting*/Interim* Director of Lifespan Faith Formation & Family Ministries who will partner with our ministers, staff, and religious education teams to create a dynamic faith formation program for children, youth, and adults. The position is available November 1st and until filled. We are seeking candidates immediately to fill the position for at least the rest of this program year, and hope to find candidates able to serve the next program year as well. Start and end dates negotiable.
**The position is listed as Acting or Interim to emphasize that we are open to both situations. This language also recognizes we are in a transitional time. Directors and Ministers of Religious Education are both invited to apply.
Please send a cover letter and resume, and/or any inquiries to: Job_Application@firstunitarianportland.org
As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we are in a creative and open-hearted space reflecting on our ministries with children and youth – both building upon what continues to work well for us AND imagining and experimenting with new possibilities. We want to continue to move in the direction of ministering to whole families as well as ministering to our children and youth in peer group settings. While this position is primarily centered around children and youth, we want a leader who will help us to move in the direction of a holistic Lifespan Faith Formation program – a vision and practice that includes the youngest through the oldest among us – rather than separated learning ministries with children, youth, and adults.
We are looking for a religious educator who is called to leadership in:
- administration of a religious education program, which includes engaging classes, small group experiences, and community wide experiences for children, youth, and adults;
- designing multigenerational worship and worship for children and youth;
- partnering with and mentoring parents as primary religious educators;
- equipping and recruiting volunteers;
- supervision of the youth ministry lead, the program assistant, and childcare staff;
- exploring, experimenting, and implementing programming with an eye towards health and vibrancy for the decade ahead.
- engaging in practices which dismantle racism and other oppressions and build the beloved community (Our 8th Principle)
Preferred Skills and Experiences:
- A trained religious educator who has completed or is in the credentialing process and/or has Interim or Developmental DRE training and experience
- Strong organizational and event planning skills
- Teaching experience, particularly with children and youth
- Tech savvy, including database and social media
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Master’s Degree a plus; Bachelor’s Degree required
- Grounding in our Unitarian Universalist values, history, and theology
Position Details:
- Full-Time (40 hours)
- Flexible Weekly Schedule, Availability most Sundays in-person is a must.
- Ability to work some hours from home/online
- Health Benefits
- Retirement Benefits
- Professional Expenses
- Vacation & Study Leave
- Salary: 80,000/negotiable
First Unitarian Church is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building and maintaining a diverse workplace. People of color, women, working-class, LGBTQI are encouraged to apply.
A Little About Us:
First Unitarian Portland (OR) is a vibrant, large church located in the heart of downtown on the space of a full city block. We are a congregation with nearly 160 years of history centered around meaningful worship, lifelong learning, advancing justice, and building multigenerational community. Our congregation includes 800 adult members and 140 children and youth enrolled in our Learning Community. You would be joining a team of 25 staff who work in our collective ministries, programs, administration, and operations. The staff members who work in religious education include the full-time Director, a half-time Youth Ministry Coordinator, a half-time Program Assistant, and Sunday Childcare Staff.
