Director of Lifelong Formation

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Lifelong Formation a member of the parish staff who gives direction and implements evangelization, formation, and catechetical efforts in the parish community. The Director attends to the active parishioners, the inactive community, and the unchurched - and therefore is involved in the renewal and formation of ministries within the parish, and welcome toward those not active or connected with the parish. The mission of Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Parish (as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama) is to respond to God's call to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of the living God. We are witnesses to the Gospel as we announce the death of the Lord, proclaim His resurrection, and await His coming in glory. At the heart of our Christian Community is celebration: of the Word, of the Eucharist, of the Sacraments. We journey with the Holy Spirit as our guide, with Mary, the Mother of God as our model, and in communion with the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome. Goals of the position include fostering conversion and growth in discipleship among the faithful, developing a welcoming community, animating and equipping parishioners to evangelize by witness, word, and action, and enhance communication within and beyond the parish community.

JOB RESPONSIBILITES:

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Superior knowledge in Scripture, Catholic theology, spirituality.
• Familiar with Church documents relating to evangelization.
• Program research and development (visioning and applying methods).
• Working knowledge in MS Office products.
• Active Catholic in good standing, participating in the sacramental life of the Church.
• Professional working attitude and collaborative approach.
• Strong verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Project management skills.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize.
• Ability to make decisions, attentive to details, and troubleshoot.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Duties and Responsibilities: • Oversees relevant staff to develop formational programming focused on building a personal relationship with God as the heart of their Catholic faith. • Coordinate and actively engage as lead on a team which provides a balanced and comprehensive array of Lifelong Formation opportunities for every generation of the Parish. • Coordinates and serve as teacher on the various teams including children, youth, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and processes related to Sacramental Preparation. • Collaborate with other parish ministries, Catholic parishes, and organizations to plan and implement strategies for the greater community outreach, cultivating opportunities for the parish to engage consistently and tangibly with the Corporal works of mercy. • Be present in the life of the community with consistency and enthusiasm Planning and Administration: • Collaborates with pastor, other staff and appropriate councils and committees to articulate a vision for Formation, Discipleship and Outreach in the parish. • Directly Supervises Lifelong Formation Team (Currently 5)-Director of Children's Formation, Youth Minister, Adult Formation Coordinator, Discipleship Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant to the department • Plan and implement strategies to reach active parishioners, inactive Catholics, and the unchurched in the community. • Assist and collaborate with other parish leaders to collect and analyze data for pastoral planning, e.g., parish census, needs assessment, interest surveys, or area demographic research.

• Evaluates programs to determine strengths, areas for improvement, and future needs.
• Assist and collaborate with other parish leaders with a program calendar, taking into

consideration local events, seasonal and annual opportunities, and the master parish calendar.

• Prepares and monitors the budget and maintains supplies for departmental programming.
• Serve as a liaison to volunteer ministries and foster initiatives to bolster increased volunteer

base Communication and Public Relations:

• Public speaking in small and large groups
• Audience assessment skills.
• Collaborates in parish communications, using multiple means (web, bulletin, newsletters,

social media), to create engaging and creative content, enhancing communication with parishioners and with the public beyond.

• Works closely with communications staff to keep parish informed with engaged messages.
• Promotes programs and events using digital and print media, including email, websites,

bulletin notices, flyers, posters, social media, diocesan and local newspapers. • Keeps current on communications and technological trends and looks for opportunities to use this information to communicate effectively with the parish family and local community. Leadership:

• Participates as an active member of the parish staff.
• Attends parish, staff and other various meetings.
• Guides parish committees in aligning efforts with the overall parish vision of Formation and

Outreach. • Acts as a resource person and initiates faith-building initiatives to promote and provide faith-building opportunities. • Attends respective Diocesan and Deanery workshops/programs, as needed. Other:

• Visibly engaged at parish events, a must.
• Fosters positive public relations in and outside the parish
• Creates operating procedures for each aspect of the position.
• Other duties as assigned