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Full Job Description
Ascension Parish serves Sudbury, Maynard, and surrounding communities. Our mission is to help people along the path to a better life through Jesus Christ. We welcome the unchurched, deepen the faith of committed followers of Jesus, and invite all to take their next step in discipleship continually.
We seek a passionate disciple of Jesus Christ who can embrace this vision and bring it to life by coordinating and administering the volunteer ministries of our parish. This person will have a significant presence at Sunday Mass, identifying and welcoming new guests and parishioners, serving as the primary contact person for guests/parishioners with questions, and connecting the community with our various ministries, events, and programs. This individual will play a key role in ensuring a consistent and engaging weekend experience that is both attractive to the unchurched and life-giving for existing parishioners.
The Coordinator of Volunteer Ministry will equip our community for volunteer ministry through intentional volunteer recruitment, coordinating and executing training sessions, and managing liturgical/pastoral ministry schedules. This individual will also work closely with the Director of Discipleship to design, plan, and facilitate discipleship-focused events such as periodic newcomer onboarding events, baptismal preparation, RCIA, and the Along the Path workshop/speaker series. A part-time arrangement may be possible for the right candidate.
Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to Jared Cowell, Director of Discipleship, at jcowell@theascensionparish.com.
Role Purpose:
The Coordinator of Volunteer Ministry will ensure a consistent weekend experience that is especially attractive to first-time guests and life-giving for existing parishioners. This person will make newcomers feel “at home” in our parish family and help each individual along their unique discipleship path. Serving as the primary “link” between volunteers and the Ascension Parish staff, the candidate will help build a culture aligned with the parish mission and vision. While maintaining focus on the newcomer, the Coordinator of Volunteer Ministry will simultaneously empower and equip parishioners for the work of volunteer ministry, ensure the successful administration of parish ministries/events, and serve as a force-multiplier on the Discipleship Team.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Build a culture of missionary discipleship that aligns with the parish mission and vision.
Liaise with local funeral homes and bereaved families to coordinate funeral arrangements.
Administrate Sacramental records for the parish by established practice.
Assist in developing and managing periodic Newcomer Onboarding events, RCIA classes, baptismal preparation, and the Along the Path speaker/workshop series.
Serve as the primary resource for all guests and parishioners at Sunday Masses, connecting the first-time visitor and the long-time parishioner alike with the parish ministry best served to help them take their next step in discipleship.
Ensure a welcoming environment at weekend Masses and parish events, supported by volunteer greeters, hosts, liturgical ministers, and others as needed.
Coordinate parish community events, such as ministry fairs, volunteer training sessions, and adult discipleship events that propagate a growing community of faith where everyone feels at home.
Collaborate with the parish leadership team to design and implement short- and long-term plans to improve the quality of volunteer experience, including retreat opportunities, social events, and volunteer development programs.
Recruit, develop, train, and equip a dynamic cadre of volunteers.
Create “layers of leadership” by identifying volunteer team leaders and equipping those individuals to recruit and train new volunteers.
Share the task of clerical administration with other team members, including office reception, answering the telephone, responding to electronic/written correspondence, and other functions as directed.
Qualifications:
Proficiency with the Google Business Suite and Microsoft Office is required.
An undergraduate degree is a plus but not required.
Prior experience volunteering in a parish setting.
Demonstrated leadership ability, strong organizational skills, excellent written/verbal communication ability, and manifest interpersonal skills.
Must be comfortable working with a wide array of individuals, from the unchurched to the lifelong Catholic, and be able to tailor interpersonal engagement to each constituency.
Exhibits a passion for coaching and developing volunteer ministers.
Keen attention to detail and ability to multitask.
Personal Characteristics:
The ideal candidate must be a faithful, practicing Catholic with optimism and eagerness to share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and to “make disciples of all nations” (cf. Matthew 28, 19).
The successful candidate will ensure that volunteer programs remain faithful to the magisterium but will be forward-thinking and innovative regarding program design and ministry delivery.
Working with a broad spectrum of staff and volunteers, the ideal candidate must be collaborative,
actively solicit others’ ideas and perspectives, and be an active listener/learner.
The candidate will be a “people person” with keen emotional intelligence.
They are expected to be present on Sundays, Christmas, and Easter.
Physical Performance Elements:
Ability to use a computer keyboard for up to 8 hours per day.
Ability to sit for up to 8 hours per day.
Ability to lift to 20 pounds.
The duties and requirements described above represent those encountered during the performance of the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.