Middle School Ministry Associate
Classification: Full-time
Mission Connection
The Middle School Ministry Associate supports the mission of Sojourn East by building meaningful relationships with students, parents, and leaders, helping middle schoolers grow into mature followers of Christ. This role helps create environments where students are known, loved, and challenged toward spiritual growth through consistent presence, thoughtful programming, and strong leadership development.
Role Summary
The Middle School Ministry Associate is a full-time role focused on relational discipleship, weekly programming, and volunteer leadership within the middle school ministry. This position plays a key role in shaping a ministry that is engaging, welcoming to new students, and rooted in biblical teaching.
This role requires a highly relational, self-starting leader who can take initiative, build trust with students and families, and create structure in a dynamic and often unpredictable ministry environment.
The Associate works closely with the Student Ministry Director and collaborates with the broader student ministry team to ensure alignment in vision, programming, and leadership development.
Key Responsibilities
Relational Discipleship
- Build consistent, meaningful relationships with middle school students both inside and outside church settings
- Initiate regular time with students to foster trust, friendship, and spiritual growth
- Cultivate small groups and discipleship environments that encourage engagement and maturity
Weekly Programming
- Lead and execute a weekly middle school gathering (Wednesday evenings)
- Ensure gatherings are engaging, welcoming to new students, and rooted in sound biblical teaching
- Create environments that are both fun and spiritually formative
Volunteer Leadership
- Recruit, train, and invest in volunteer leaders
- Foster a healthy, unified team culture among leaders
- Provide ongoing coaching, support, and development for volunteers
Events & Experiences
- Plan and execute 2–3 social or community-building events per semester
- Lead planning and execution of a summer camp and a weekend retreat
- Create experiences that deepen relationships and reinforce ministry vision
Administration & Communication
- Maintain a clear and organized semester calendar, including curriculum and key events
- Communicate consistently with parents and leaders
- Steward ministry budget and resources with integrity
- Help connect students into broader church life and opportunities
Collaboration
- Partner with the Student Ministry Director to align vision, strategy, and programming
- Contribute to the overall health and direction of Sojourn Students
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is highly relational, proactive, and thrives in a flexible, fast-moving environment. They take initiative, pursue people intentionally, and are energized by working with middle school students. They are comfortable operating without rigid structure, able to create clarity where it doesn’t exist, and willing to take risks, learn, and grow over time. They are resilient, teachable, and able to handle both the challenges and rewards of student ministry with maturity and steadiness.
Qualifications
- Alignment with the mission, vision, and values of Sojourn East
- Strong relational instincts and ability to connect with students and families
- Ability to recruit, develop, and lead volunteer teams
- Self-starter with strong organizational and time management skills
- High capacity to manage multiple responsibilities and relationships
- Emotionally and spiritually mature, with a commitment to personal growth
- Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion
