Alongsiders are a people practicing the way of Jesus through the art of living alongside for the sake of neighbor, creation and self.

The role

We are looking for a Family Formation Pastor who is as comfortable sitting at a kitchen table as they are leading a room — someone who understands that the most formative ministry happens in the spaces between programs. This is a role for a practitioner, a companion and a community builder.

You will hold responsibility for the spiritual formation of children, middle + high school students and the parents and families who guide them. You will build, equi and pastor a team of volunteer mentors. You will do all of this as a person deeply committed to your own wholeness.

Responsibilities:

Children’s formation
• Oversee and shape the Alongsiders Kids environment with creativity, theological tenderness and age-appropriate practice.
• Cultivate an environment of joy, belonging and active hope for children across developmental stages.
• Design and lead spiritual formation experiences that help children internalize their belovedness.
• Collaborate with families to extend the formation conversation from Sunday into the week.

YoungSouls Student Ministry
• Lead and pastor YoungSouls as a community of relational connection, honest question-asking and faith formation rooted in real life.
• Create spaces where students are known by name, not just in attendance.
• Develop formation rhythms that are contextually relevant and spiritually substantive.
• Foster peer community, intergenerational connection and a sense of purpose and agency in students.

Parent + family equipping
• Provide coaching, resources and communal support to help parents and guardians become the primary spiritual formers in their children’s lives.
• Develop accessible, practical equipping pathways for families at various stages and backgrounds.
• Create connection points between families across Alongsiders so no one is forming alone.

Mentor development
• Recruit, train and pastor a team of volunteer mentors who are equipped to walk alongside children and students.
• Foster a mentor culture that is formed, relational and committed — not just logistically present.
• Provide ongoing support, formation and appreciation for the people who give their time.

Community + communication
• Communicate clearly and compellingly with families, the broader Alongsiders community and the public through multiple channels, including digital media.
• Maintain digital fluency and currency — understanding how families and students inhabit online spaces and how formation can meet them there.
• Serve as a voice for children and families within the broader Alongsiders community and its leadership.
• Participate in Sunday gatherings and contribute to the intergenerational life of the whole community.

Who you are:

We’re not primarily looking for a credential. We’re looking for a person — someone with deep formation, genuine love for people and the kind of presence that makes children and students feel seen.

Here’s what we’re hoping to find in you:
• Knowledge of spiritual formation practice — You understand how faith forms across developmental stages, and you know how to create environments where that formation can take root.
• Spiritual coaching ability — You can come alongside parents and families as a guide, not just a programmer — equipping and empowering rather than performing.
• Mental health literacy — You understand the landscape that children and students are navigating today, and you bring informed, compassionate awareness to your care.
• Digital media currency and fluency — You know how young people and families inhabit digital spaces, and you can communicate meaningfully in those contexts.
• Intergenerational formation experience — You’ve worked across age groups, and you see the whole community, not just your ministry lane.
• Relational depth and commitment — You build real relationships. You show up. You remember names and stories.
• Public communication — You can communicate with clarity and imagination to families, students, the broader community and public audiences.
• A commitment to neighboring — You see the neighborhood as your parish. You believe that where you are planted matters.
• Personal wholeness as a practice — You are doing your own work. You are not running on empty. You take your own formation, rest and health seriously.
• Deep and rooted faith — You love Jesus, and you love the church — not naively, but honestly, with open eyes and an open heart.