Search & Rescue (Street Outreach) - Christian Ministry

Church & Missions Full Time

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Job Responsibilities:

  • As part of the Care Ministry team, initiate relationships with the most vulnerable on the streets; this is critical to our work
  • Both initiate conversations and consciously turn conversations to focus on Christ
  • Prioritize prayer with our Guests, inviting them to exercise their own relationship with God through prayer
  • As a part of the larger OurCalling team, help meet basic needs of food, showers, and clean clothing in order to gain the trust needed to talk about deeper heart issues
  • Serve Guests at times, through crisis intervention and/or emotional de-escalation
  • Use active listening, coming into conversations as a humble learner, taking the time to listen carefully to our Guests rather than simply suggesting solutions to problems
  • In conversations with Guests, discern what their deeper needs are, and what needs we are capable of meeting
  • Advise and advocate for homeless Guests who are navigating social services in Dallas to escape the streets, while walking together through the process
  • Track and record relationship-building case notes through in house case management systems
  • Actively manage personal self-care to remain fresh and strong as a Minister to our Guests

Education & Experience:

  • A bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, sociology, social work, philosophy, theology or other similar degree programs is preferred
  • Three years of related “life” or ministry experience, required
  • Experience in pastoral care toward those struggling with addiction, mental illness, abandonment, homelessness and poverty, desired

Skills & Abilities: Because many of our Guests have been addicts for years or experience various levels of mental illness and trauma, Street Outreach Ministers must

  • Be patient and long suffering while showing discernment
  • Show grace to those who feel defeated by their own desires and cycles of destruction or are unable to articulate more than their frustration
  • Be able to handle awkward situations with grace and not be offended when seeing inappropriate human interactions on the streets
  • Interact gently and with empathy as needed
  • Be able to establish and manage boundaries, to deny requests regularly and overlook or navigate through entitlement attitudes, demonstrating self-control, not easily offended
  • Be sensitive to cultural differences such as race, ethnicity, and neighborhoods of origin

Street Outreach Minister’s motivation to serve must be

  • A long-term commitment to build deep relationships
  • A love for Jesus Christ and a desire to see His kingdom and glory increase
  • A love for those in the homeless community, and desire for them to be won to a fruitful relationship with Jesus Christ, and to escape homelessness

Other Necessary Skills:

  • Knowledge of the Bible and comfortable, witnessing, discipling and encouraging
  • Comfortable leading a small group of volunteers
  • Must have a demonstrable track record of maturity, integrity, taking personal initiative, being flexible in a busy and fast-paced environment, and as a trusted team member, working effectively across the ministry
  • Able to lift boxes up to 20 lbs; drive a van, walk long distances, stand for an extended period of time. Regularly required to stoop, kneel, bend, and crouch; able to climb stairs easily and work in uncomfortable temperature climates when necessary
  • Use an iPad to track case notes, willing to help Guests with human hygiene challenges
  • Must have a strong, personal self-care program, be able to set and manage healthy boundaries; Experience in trauma-informed care is helpful
  • Ability to discern, deal with or manage situations that may feel uncomfortable with our Guests including relapse, human frailty, hygiene problems, mental and emotional trauma, hostility, deceit, manipulation or other spiritual challenges
  • Humble with the ability to listen well and accept constructive feedback from ministry members

Additional Qualifications:

  • Upholding a close and growing relationship as a disciple of Jesus Christ

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