Large Group Outreach Director

Organization Background and Mission Statement

Founded in 1991, Hope For Youth is an Evangelical Christian-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides programs and activities designed to give Houston’s disadvantaged youth a fighting chance for a better future. The specific mission of Hope For Youth is to build and maintain long-term Christian mentoring relationships with urban youth to challenge, encourage, and enable them to reach their full potential spiritually, academically, and socially.

A unique characteristic of HFY is that we seek out transient youth, including those from the Star of Hope homeless ministries, and proactively maintain relationships with them regardless of where they may move throughout Houston. We seek to be a point of consistency within their lives, which typically lack stability.

The core program and focus of Hope For Youth is Christian mentoring.  We first outreach to youth through monthly Large Group Events with the intent of eventually getting them engaged in a small-group or one-or-one mentoring relationship.  Our view of mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship with Christian mentors that leads youth to faith in Jesus Christ and then nurtures and encourages the growth of their relationship with Him.  Be it one-on-one or in a group setting, mentoring brings hope to youth through the hope that God has placed in us.  That hope is transmitted through our lives to a person in need.  As mentors, our volunteers bring God into the relationship by living out the gospel in their daily lives. 

Christian mentoring is a powerful way to exert life-on-life influence on youth so that they can be transformed.  Accordingly, all of our outreach activities and programming are designed to lead youth into a long-term mentoring relationship.

Position Overview:

The Hope For Youth Large Group Program Director will be responsible for the design, planning, execution and measurement of all Hope For Youth large group outreach programs.  Additionally, the Large Group Program Director will be responsible for working with the Volunteer Coordinator to identify and develop the volunteers needed to deliver these programs to the youth.

This position will report to the Executive Director and alongside the Small Groups Program Director to ensure that the mission and strategic objectives of the ministry are fulfilled. The successful candidate for this position must be capable of working as a team as well as independently with limited supervision.

This is a high profile, high-energy position that requires an individual capable of establishing and maintaining a structured, but fun atmosphere for the youth. In many ways, this position is more like a missionary and less like a youth pastor. It requires working on the front lines to reach out to unchurched youth, some administrative duties and, wearing many hats without the protective umbrella of a parent church.

Excellent communication and leadership/people skills are required for success in this role. In addition to being an individual contributor, this person needs to be adept at leading volunteers and delegating work. Additionally, this person needs to have a passion for the mission of the ministry—reaching youth for Christ.

Major Responsibilities

1. Large Group Outreach Program Development, Execution, and Administration

• In conjunction with the Executive Director, identify and define the large group outreach programs and activities necessary to achieve the ministry’s objectives
• Plan all aspects of the ministry’s large group outreach programs and activities including content, logistics, transportation and volunteer requirements
• In collaboration with Executive Director and Small Groups Director, identify, train and develop leadership among students
• Establish and manage budgets for large group programs and activities
• Assist the Donor Relations Manager as necessary to secure the donations and grants necessary to meet the program budget needs of the ministry
• Ensure successful execution of the defined programs and activities
• Periodically and systematically evaluate the outcomes and resulting effectiveness of all large group programs in achieving ministry objectives and make necessary adjustments
• Promote awareness of the ministry’s programs to the community through networking, public speaking/writing, etc.
• Ensure the timely completion of all administrative activities necessary to ensure compliance with ministry policies and objectives (e.g., background checks, attendance tracking, etc.)

2. Youth Recruitment and Development

• In conjunction with the Executive Director and Small Groups Program Director, define a developmental/maturity model for youth involved in the ministry and ensure that the programming defined supports that model
• Maintain a program atmosphere that draws and retains the youth we are trying to reach
• Recruit new youth, maintain the contact information and follow up on the current youth
• Contact the youth for the activities
• Establish and maintain relationships with community partners (e.g., Star of Hope, churches, apartment complexes, etc.) to identify and reach out to target youth
• Maintain accurate records of all youth participation and development (including pre and post assessments/surveys) in order to enable ministry output and outcome reporting

3. Volunteer Development

• Identify the volunteers needed to effectively deliver the large group outreach programs
• In conjunction with Volunteer Coordinator, collaborate on training and development of volunteers
• Communicate with volunteers about upcoming large group activities and make sure each activity has adequate volunteers
• Maintain a program atmosphere that draws and retains the volunteers needed to serve the youth and grow the ministry
• Maintain accurate records of volunteer participation in large group activities

Required Abilities

1. Biblical and Spiritual maturity
2. Ability to lead effectively among urban youth as well as volunteers
3. Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate (verbally and written) and work effectively within a diverse community
4. Ability to present Hope For Youth in a professional manner to the greater community
5. Ability to define, plan and conduct large group programs
6. Ability to work efficiently and effectively, making use of all available resources (e.g., volunteers, reference materials, search engines, etc.)
7. Ability to delegate and ensure follow-through on delegated items
8. Ability to make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive, confidential issues
9. Ability to foster a cooperative work environment
10. Ability to collect and analyze data necessary for program measurement
11. Must agree with the Hope For Youth Statement of Belief

Additional Position Requirements

• We believe that the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word of God and are without error (1 Tim 3:16)
• We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut 6:4; Matt. 28:19)
• We believe that Jesus Christ is both God and Man (John 1:1, 14). We believe that His death on the cross and His resurrection (1 Cor 15:14) provide the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12) for all who believe in Him and trust Him as their Savior (Rom 5:1, 8; John 1:12).
• We believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates believers in Christ (Titus 3:5-6) and empowers (Gal 5:25) them for life and service (Eph 3:16).
• In everything we do we seek to glorify Christ (1 Cor 10:31), be obedient to His Word (Psa 119:9), and live a life worthy to be imitated by others (Eph 4:1; 1 Cor 11:1).
• Because of the nature of working with youth, we believe in and personally practice abstinence from pre-marital sex (1 Cor 6:18; Heb 13:4) and illegal drugs (1 Cor 6:19-20).
• In all situations we want to live uncompromisingly righteous lives (Titus 2:11-13).

1. Bachelor’s degree is preferred or relative experience that relates directly to the duties and responsibilities specified (references required)
2. Knowledge of Urban Youth Ministry issues and trends with willingness to grow and remain current
3. Knowledge of/proficiency with basic office automation tools such as Microsoft Office
4. Knowledge of basic budget preparations and management techniques

Time Requirements

Hope For Youth and its staff believe that we are to commit ourselves to the work the Lord has called us to do. However, we encourage staff to maintain a healthy work life balance. While successful execution of this job generally requires 40-50 hours per week, there are times (e.g., during certain programs) when the job may seem all consuming and staff will need to work hard to achieve that balance.

Position Evaluation Criteria

This position will be evaluated on a semester basis based on:

• Achievement of specific objectives (e.g., successful large group planning and execution)
• Demonstrable progress towards specific ministry goals
• Achievement of general job requirements/responsibilities (e.g., volunteer delegation, community awareness, etc.)

Additional Position Comments

This position is a salaried, full-time position.

Please submit resume with references to info@hopeforyouth.org