Christian Youth Worker

**Job Title: Youth Worker**

**Reports to: Senior Pastor, Aberdeen Christian Fellowship (ACF)**

**Overview**:
Aberdeen Christian Fellowship is an evangelical church in the heart of Aberdeen; a city of over 220,000 people in the North-East of Scotland. We have a congregation of around 120 and we are affiliated with the Baptist Union of Scotland. As a church, we work to serve each other and our local community. Our foundation is our hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible is the basis for our faith. We worship, pray and study the Bible. As a church, we serve God and consequently endeavour to serve and support each other and our local community. Homegroups are an essential part of our pastoral care system and we have groups for Seniors, Men, Women, Young Adults, Pre-Schoolers (Mainly Music), Children, and Youth. We also enjoy fellowship together, church lunches, quiz nights and much more.

**Main Purpose**:
With the support of the church, to share the good news of Jesus with young people (11-18) in the church and disciple those who have put their faith in Him, and to reach out to young people in the local community, including local schools, giving them the opportunity to explore who Jesus is.

**Duties**:

- Assess the needs of the young people, plan and incorporate programmes which will appeal to the youth and demonstrate the love of God to them. This will include the following:

- Weekly youth meetings
- Summer holiday club
- Build networks with other like-minded youth groups and arrange regular interaction for the youth to engage with these groups
- Organise weekends away, outdoor and sporting activities
- Befriend and support youth in general
- Offer pastoral care and prayer support to individuals as needed, in a safe setting
- Build and coordinate a volunteer team to support the activities.
- Build links with local secondary schools with the aim of offering support through, for example, taking assemblies, running courses compatible with Christian values on well-being issues, establishing a Scripture Union group etc.
- Liaise with the other church staff/volunteers to complement the children’s work, e.g. by periodically delivering the children’s message, and by helping to lead the summer holiday club, etc.
- Participate in the weekly ACF staff meeting and periodically lead the weekly prayer meeting
- Be prepared to deliver a message and lead prayers during church services, particularly the evening service, as a development opportunity
- Support the general work of the church including outreach events, weekly meetings (e.g. Mainly Music, Seniors) where required.

There is ample room for innovation in how to reach and disciple the youth. It is expected that the youth worker will become an active participant in the broader work of the church as a church member, for example, by joining a home group, participating in the Young Adults’ Group, evening services, etc.

**Personal Attributes**:

- A committed follower of Jesus with a strong desire to disciple young people and lead them to Jesus
- Fulfil criteria for church membership
- A desire to deepen personal Bible knowledge and to grow as a disciple of Jesus; a desire to continuously learn and develop in faith
- Strong commitment to young people and an understanding of the factors affecting their lives
- An ability to nurture young people towards spiritual growth
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish good relationships with young people and their parents
- Ability to treat young people's concerns with respect, tact and sensitivity, whilst always being aware of the limits that are required by confidentiality and the necessary boundaries that govern the youth/youth worker relationship
- Good understanding and adherence to Safeguarding policy
- Proficiency in the use of social media, digital communication and IT skills is highly desirable
- Engagement and involvement in the wider life of the church
- Good organisational and leadership skills; proven experience of organising events
- A sense of adventure and a willingness to try new things
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Patience, tolerance, resilience, initiative and flexibility

The successful applicant will require to be vetted by Disclosure Scotland as a prerequisite of appointment.

Hours: 40 hours per week. Part time could be considered.

**Salary**: £21,500

**Job Types**: Full-time, Part-time
Part-time hours: 40 per week

**Salary**: £21,500.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- On-site parking

Schedule:

- Holidays

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Aberdeen: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person