Apply on

OVERVIEW
First Parish in Brookline seeks a Director of Family & Community Ministries (DFCM) for the upcoming church year. This dynamic, energetic, and experienced religious educator and community leader will help inspire, develop and implement a plan for the future and support a full program and engagement of children, youth, families, and adults in the ministries across our church. Together with the Religious Exploration Committee and other key stakeholders, the DFCM will develop and implement a plan for religious exploration programs that serve the needs of families (in their many forms) and adults in the congregation through faith development programs, affinity clusters, and intentional groups and community events that draw people from different ages and stages together. We seek a detail-oriented, collaborative, motivated, and highly organized person who has experience working with all ages within a spiritual learning context, with a commitment to the tenets of our mission:

Called by Love, Sustained by Community, Committed to Justice

We strive to be a welcoming, diverse, and loving congregation that nurtures spiritual growth for individuals and families, celebrates multicultural community, and works together to demand social justice, dismantle racism, and care for our living Earth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Religious Exploration for Children and Youth (K-12)

• Collaborate with the Religious Exploration (RE) Committee to manage the overall program, including registration, family and teacher outreach, and program logistics

• Coordinate with the Worship Committee, the monthly all-ages Worship services that will deeply integrate children and youth participation in all aspects of the service

• Oversee and collaborate with the part-time Youth Group Coordinator to relaunch and nurture programs for older youth (grades 11-12)

• Coordinate with Minister and Pastoral Care to support families in need of additional support

• Religious Exploration for Adults

• Survey the congregation to assess the interest and topic areas for RE for adults

• Work closely with the Senior Minister, Small Group worship leaders, and other committees to support existing adult programming and lead the development and implementation of new programming for adults based on interest areas

• Community Building: Cross-Ministry Activities, Engagements, and Opportunities

• Engage with church committees (for example, Climate Justice Action, and Racial Justice Action) and small groups to coordinate and amplify community-building events and programming within the First Parish community

• Develop and support opportunities for all ages to more deeply engage in engagement with our Unitarian Universalist principles

• Work with Committees and stakeholders to create strategies to sustain and build the congregation and related programs

• Create opportunities for new members to connect with the broader staff and congregation

• Bridge First Parish with other communities (local, national, and international)

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably with a focus on education

• Credentialed Religious Educator or Equivalent Experience

• Familiarity with Unitarian Universalism, and its liberal religious theology, values and programs

• Experience working with children and adults in an educational or spiritual setting

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• Ability to communicate clearly and collaborate effectively with congregants, parents, youth, volunteers, and other staff members

• Technology skills: Strength with email and messaging communications, MS Office or Google Docs, member management software (e.g., Breeze), and capability with online scheduling and coordination systems (mailing lists, calendars). Social media promotion (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok) and media production (podcasts, videos) experience a plus.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The DFCM will work collaboratively with the Senior Minister, RE Committee, and other committees and groups in the church. The position will be supervised, and performance will be evaluated, jointly by the Senior Minister and the RE Committee designee. The role will also have a small amount of supervision responsibilities over the part-time Youth Coordinator position and any caregivers hired for the nursery or special events.

SCHEDULE AND BENEFITS

This is a Full-time, 12-month position, with benefits, vacation, sick leave and personal time off as outlined in the First Parish in Brookline personnel policy. You can view all of our policies, bylaws, and more at: https://firstparishinbrookline.org/aboutfpb/reports/

• The active church year runs from September through June (summer services are lay led in July and August). The DFCM will be expected to be at church on Sundays from September to June, with one Sunday off per month. Other vacation days to be negotiated with supervisors.

• The DCFM will also be expected to maintain scheduled office hours, participate in staff meetings, and attend evening or weekend meetings and church events, as requested and available.

• Preparation for the next church year happens during the summer months. Otherwise, a flexible schedule in the summer may be negotiated.

• Continuing education, training and participation in conferences and professional gatherings are important for the professional development of the DCFM. 3 weeks of continuing education and study leave time are offered as part of our professional benefits package; such time to be approved by the DCFM's supervisor.

ABOUT FIRST PARISH IN BROOKLINE

First Parish Brookline is a socially conscious, engaged congregation, in a culturally diverse, politically liberal area of greater Boston. We actively support racial and immigration justice work and the Black Lives Matter and Climate Change movements.

First Parish in Brookline is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at First Parish are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations of the state of Massachusetts. First Parish will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. We encourage applicants of all ages.

We are committed to building a diverse, representative staff and strongly encourage applications from all faiths, genders, sexualities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. Candidates should also be prepared to describe previous activities working with members of underrepresented groups and communities.

First Parish Brookline’s membership draws extensively from the larger Boston metropolitan area and is accessible via the Boston public transit system. The church membership is approximately 200 adults, with 40 children currently enrolled in the RE program.

For more information or to apply: send a resume and cover letter to Rev. Lisa Perry-Wood (email on website) and our search team or visit our website at https://fpinb.org for more information about our church.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

COVID-19 considerations:
First Parish has a Reopening Planning Group, including medical professionals, who proactively make decisions about safety protocols for staff, group events, rentals, and all church activities.

Apply on