The Clergy Wellness Commission

Position Description
Director of Religious Education

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Church of the Good Shepherd, Raleigh, North Carolina

May 1992

Objective

To lead Good Shepherd's Christian Education program, so that members of all ages are nurtured in The Faith and its application to daily life.

Dimensions

• Households: 550 Children: 45 Preschool
• 65 Elementary
• 90 Junior/Senior High
• Average Sunday Education Attendance: 25 Nursery-Kindergarten
• 30 Grades 1-5
• 25 Grades 6-12
• 55 Adults
• $7,150 annual budget for program and supplies

September through May

• Weekly Sunday School classes for 3-year olds through Adults
• Nursery for children 2-years old and under
• Regular youth group activities and meetings
• Special educational activities as appropriate

June through August

• Sunday morning activities for children 8-years old and under.
• Nursery for children 2-years old and under
• Vacation Bible School and special educational activities as appropriate

Nature & Scope

The Director of Religious Education (DRE) is a full-time professional (lay or ordained) appointed by and accountable to the Rector, at whose pleasure s/he serves. The DRE support and extends the Rector's ministry in the area of education in the parish, community and diocese. Under the Rector's supervision and authority, the DRE administers the Christian Education program of the parish, in coordination with and as a member of Good Shepherd's professional ministry team. The DRE works collegially with other paid and volunteer staff, the Christian Education Committee, and all volunteers in the Christian Education program, including Sunday School Teachers, Youth Group Advisors, and Nursery Staff. The DRE attends Vestry meetings, and works with Vestry and program committees as assigned. The DRE also participates in community, diocesan, and national church educational activities.

Good Shepherd is one of two large downtown Episcopal churches located near Capitol Square in Raleigh. Set in a mixture of commercial properties and state government buildings, there are five churches of other denominations within three blocks. The congregation's membership is drawn from a wide geographical area; many parishioners commute a considerable distance, past other Episcopal churches, to participate in worship, education, and other parish activities. Parishioners are drawn by beauty of the sanctuary, the distinctive warmth of the congregation, the scope of the program offerings, and Good Shepherd's commitment to community service. (Good Shepherd houses a soup kitchen, which it founded, that serves over 200 meals a day, at lunch Monday through Friday.)The congregation is made up of a variety of households -- singles, single-parent, couples, "traditional" families, etc. There is a wide range of ages, though not a great number of young families with children. Members are well-educated, and represent a variety of professions. A significant number of members is retired; in many of the rest of the households, all adults are full-time employed.

The DRE must show evidence of formal training in Education or Religious Education, and understanding of and enthusiasm for Anglican history and tradition. The DRE must be able to develop leadership in others for all areas of the church's education program, and must participate in continuing professional development, through formal conferences and courses and informal collegial support and networking.

A major challenge in this position is to stimulate congregational enthusiasm for Christian Education programs in the face of a huge number of competing demands on time and energy, encouraging parishioners to be actively doing Christian Education in a variety of ways -- with their families in the home, through personal study, in study groups on weekdays, by teaching or participating in Sunday morning classes for adults and youth.

The DRE meets the challenges of this position largely through collegial cooperation: working with the program staff and the Christian Education Committee to design and provide vital, challenging, innovative programs; working with the support staff to communicate the Christian Education opportunities of the parish in a timely, accessible, creative manner; and working with other professionals the field to stay current on issues, ideas and programs that are relevant to the position.

Accountabilities

1. Recruit, support and train Church School teachers and leaders for the youth groups, so that parishioners nurture young members of the parish to grow in Christ.

2. Support and guide the planning and action of the Education Committee, so that the Committee sets and meets achievable goals.

3. Communicate to all parishioners the Christian Education goals and programs available to them, both within and beyond the parish, so that the congregation is well-informed of opportunities and motivated to participate.

4. Provide materials and program designs for Christian Education and youth activities, so that the needs of all age groups and a wide variety of interests are met.

5. Administer the Christian Education budget, so that funds are used economically and effectively.

6. Share in providing for pastoral care of the parishioners, particularly children, young people and parents, so that individual and family joys, anxieties, and distress are addressed with christian concern.

7. Participate in Good Shepherd's professional team ministry, so that the congregation fulfills its mission and reaches its goals.

8. Maintain a pattern of life that sets a wholesome Christian example.

May 20, 1992

Prepared by Interim Rector and DRE for Personnel Committee review and submission to Vestry.

This position description follows the form and models contained in Called To Work Together, a handbook available from the National Church. The first draft was composed by the incumbent Director of Religious Education, and revised by the Interim Rector in consultation with the DRE and other staff.

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