Pastor of Youth Discipleship

Pastor of Youth Discipleship
Olympic Evangelical Free Church. Poulsbo, Washington

Who We Are
Olympic Evangelical Free Church (OEFC) is a multigenerational family of believers who are committed to one another, making much of Jesus Christ, and sharing His gospel. We are an elder-led congregational church that believes every member has an important role to play in the ministry, health, and mission of our church. Our mission is to glorify God by pursuing him as our greatest treasure, loving all people, and multiplying fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Position Summary
Olympic Evangelical Free Church is seeking a full-time Youth Pastor (40–45 hrs./wk.) who is passionate about reaching junior high and senior high students with the gospel, discipling them in the faith, and helping them delight in God as their greatest treasure.

The Youth Pastor will:
• Lead a gospel-centered youth ministry that consistently proclaims the gospel, teaches sound doctrine (at age-appropriate levels), emphasizes personal discipleship, encourages Christian service/mission, and cultivates Biblical community.
• Provide oversight for the children’s ministry, working with the Children’s Church director and Children’s Discipleship director to ensure a cohesive approach to discipleship from preschool through high school.
• Partner with families and equip strong ministry teams as he carries out his ministry duties.
• Preach 4–5 times a year.
• As a pastor, the Youth Pastor will also serve as an elder, serving according to his spiritual gifts while helping the elders shepherd and oversee the needs of the congregation.

Primary Responsibilities
• Lead and teach the weekly teen Bible study, ensuring that students are grounded in biblical truth and their need for the gospel.
• Develop relationships with parents to help them in their role as Christian parents.
• Engage in deliberate discipleship with a few students, helping them develop a deeper relationship with Jesus, grow in their faith, and equip them to actively serve in ministry.
• Organize monthly youth events that provide an opportunity for students to invite unbelieving/unchurched friends to have fun and hear from God’s Word.
• Recruit and coordinate volunteers for the annual youth camp, prioritizing teaching sessions for both gospel proclamation and spiritual formation.
• Develop service projects that provide opportunities for students to serve others and live out their faith.
• Champion the importance of missions by leading mission-related opportunities.

Oversight of Children’s Ministries
• Provide leadership for the children’s discipleship classes, ensuring that children are taught biblically sound lessons.
• Oversee Children’s Church, ensuring that children are taught gospel-centered lessons.
• Develop and implement a long-term discipleship strategy that connects children’s and youth ministry to create a strong foundation of faith from preschool to high school.

Administration and Leadership
• Attend and report to the Elders at meetings.
• Serve the elders in any administrative or ministry-related item.
• Recruit and train volunteer leaders for the youth ministry to foster deeper relationships and discipleship.
• Identify, recruit, and train students to be servant leaders within the youth group.
• Keep office staff informed of all things that pertain to youth ministry for teamwork and unity.
• Set teaching and activities schedule by August for the whole year.

Accountability
• Ministers under the direction of and is accountable to the Lead Pastor on a day-to-day basis.
• Reports progress and challenges at least once a month to the Lead Pastor and collaborates with him on long-term strategies for ministry growth.
• A semi-annual evaluation based on this ministry description to provide feedback and support will be provided by the Lead Pastor to the Youth Pastor and the Elder Board.
• This position description will be reviewed annually by the Lead Pastor in consultation with the Elder Board.

Qualifications & Skills
• A clear testimony of faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
• A deep, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Exemplifies godly character, spiritual discipline, and leadership abilities in alignment with the biblical elder qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Ephesians 4:11-16; and 1 Peter 5:1-4.
• Able to whole-heartedly affirm the EFCA Statement of Faith and clarifications laid out in the EFCA’s document “Where We Stand.”
• Theological, philosophical, and relational compatibility with the Lead Pastor.
• Currently credentialed with the EFCA. If not, is willing and able to pursue (within two years) either ordination with the EFCA, or licensing followed by ordination.
• Organized, self-motivated, detail oriented, strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to navigate and effectively mediate conflict in a manner consistent with biblical principles.
• Has clearly demonstrated their ability to preach and teach God’s Word.
• If married:
o The candidate’s wife should support his calling and seek to actively engage with the church body and the larger community.
o The candidate must be able to maintain a healthy balance between ministry and family responsibilities.
Education & Experience
• Formal theological training (bachelor’s degree minimum, MDiv preferred).
• Previous experience leading youth / children’s ministry.

Compensation and Benefits
• Full-time position
• Competitive salary range.
• Healthcare reimbursement account
• Ministry reimbursement account.

If you are passionate about discipling and equipping the next generation, please submit the following documents to oefcsearch@gmail.com.
1. A cover letter
2. Current resume
3. Links to recent sermons