Associate Minister Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The Merced Area Director reports to the Executive Director and serves as a key part of the ministry leadership team. S/he is responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships with local churches, like-minded community partners, and funding resources to advance ministry goals, grow networking capacity, and strengthen Youth for Christ Central Valley ministry in the Merced County area.

Essential Functions

• Participate in Monday all-team meetings and other team member connections as needed to further the mission of Youth for Christ through ministry collaboration.
• Teach and lead using Scripture, pray with and encourage others, and cultivate an abiding relationship with Christ.
• Remain engaged with the broader YFC Central Valley team and ministry leadership for alignment, encouragement, and accountability.
• Provide leadership, prayer, and pastoral care to volunteers as needed.
• Make presentations, meet with potential volunteers, communicate needs, and cast vision with assistance from the YFC Lead Team in the Merced area.
• Assist volunteers in completing the Journey Leader System of YFC.

• Participate in relevant pastoral and youth pastor luncheons and networks.
• Participate as necessary in City Council meetings, Central Valley Round Table, or other community leadership meetings when relevant.
• Meet with like-minded potential partners to ensure YFC is filling gaps, not duplicating services, and building overall trust in the community.

• Provide direct services and/or coordinate volunteers for church services, Bible studies, and one‑on‑one discipleship.
• Communicate regularly with probation leadership and staff.
• Seek strategic opportunities to have as much positive influence inside the detention facility as possible.
• Empower volunteers and youth to continue their spiritual journey once youth are released from custody.
• Take a holistic approach by helping connect youth with church, job, mental/emotional health, school, and other supports after time in the hall.
• Provide and/or coordinate classes and workshops.
• Demonstrate excellent, mature communication skills with a broad range of audiences.

• Lead Tenaya City Life neighborhood outreach, including outreach to Tenaya Middle School, leading the volunteer team, being present on school campuses, and meeting with youth.
• Research, create, develop, and partner ministry opportunities in specific neighborhoods, juvenile detention facilities, and unserved schools.
• Meet regularly with the Executive Director and Lead Team to discuss opportunities and ensure ministry activities fit within core models and the overall strategic plan.
• Research YFC best practices and receive technical assistance as needed.
• Launch new ministry sites as opportunities and volunteer levels are met.
• Complete administrative work and reporting as needed.
• Build a Circle of Influence with a minimum of 40 contacts in the Merced area.
• Participate in chapter-wide fundraising events and work with the Executive Director to develop Merced‑relevant fundraisers.
• Assist in cultivating donor development and researching grant and foundation opportunities.
• Execute communication strategies and provide ongoing relational communication with financial partners.

Primary and Secondary Steward Responsibilities

Employees may be assigned a Primary Steward role for any of the following: Volunteer(s), Donor(s), Vendor(s), Chapter(s), and Process, Standard and Best Practices (PSBPs).

All employees are assigned the role of Secondary Steward, which plays a supporting role to the Primary Steward to serve a chapter in a specific way, for a specific timeframe as determined by the Primary Steward. Secondary Stewards can be assigned to focus on specific management issues like YFC compliance, legal, risk, strategic planning, fund development coaching, staff development coaching, new ministry site development, process stewardship, or a variety of other equipping roles.

Because the overriding religious purpose and mission of Youth for Christ USA is to communicate and introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to young people and their families, and in that regard to make, educate and encourage life‑long disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is very important that you as an employee in the movement of Youth for Christ be recognized as an associate minister of the Gospel. As an employee of Youth for Christ and an associate minister of the Gospel, YFC expects all employees to:

• Seek God’s guidance and wisdom, through prayer and meditation, for the organization as a whole as well as for specific ministry initiatives.
• Participate and lead regular times of prayer, devotion, and worship as a regular aspect of your role within YFC.
• Teach and preach from the Holy Bible at YFC staff meetings, conferences, camps, and events.
• Model empathy, humility, and care for all people, including promoting equity and inclusion in word and in the practice of faith expression.
• Perform sacramental functions such as the taking of communion and leading times of corporate prayer, confession, and praise.
• Perform and lead religious ceremonies such as weddings, baptism, and funerals when called upon by staff and other members of the YFC community.
• YFC employees will have an opportunity to be commissioned or licensed as a minister of the Gospel through the established Youth for Christ process, and/or ordained by an outside body recognized by Youth for Christ USA.

Knowledge & Skills

• A growing follower of Christ who is involved in and supportive of a local church by serving, being engaged in the community, and regularly attending.
• Demonstrates a godly example for staff, volunteers, and students in personal life, with a humble and teachable spirit.
• Passionate about the mission and vision of YFC and willing to submit and minister within the guidelines of YFC.
• Must pass county, state, background, and reference checks required to fulfill this position.
• Ability to lead and train teams and people, advocate for young people involved in the justice system, and connect well with youth and adults.
• Communicates well to diverse groups of people in a variety of contexts and demonstrates mature interpersonal judgment.
• Demonstrates a high level of character and integrity, uses appropriate boundaries, and operates with humility, wisdom, honor, and joy.
• Flexible and adaptable in presenting, teaching, and responding to changing ministry needs.
• Personable, with a high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to partner with community connections.
• Able to balance professional expectations while providing spiritual guidance, encouragement, and comfort.
• Able to operate well with minimal supervision while also working well in team settings with excellent communication and follow‑up skills.
• Has basic mental health awareness and collaborates with YFC’s Family Concern Counseling Team in Merced as needed.

Our cultural attributes are not about competency. It is an obedience to the call of Christ on our lives. YFC believes that spiritually healthy adults foster healthy relationships with our kids. We place a heavy commitment and emphasis on developing and equipping a Christ‑centered life marked by Enduring Humility, Relentless Trust, Joyful Camaraderie, Courageous Faithfulness and Kingdom Inspired Diversity. Willing to demonstrate/or possesses the following:

• Ability to humbly serve and honor others even in difficult situations with prayer, consistency, transparency, and resilience. (Enduring Humility)
• Demonstrates proper reliance on God, others, and self through generous giving of time and skills, collaboratively incorporating others’s ideas, welcoming candid input, recognizing others’ need for grace, and extending forgiveness and empathy. (Relentless Trust)
• Prioritizes others’ needs for a missional outcome, characterized by joy, active listening, problem‑solving skills, and encouragement and empowerment of fellow believers. (Joyful Camaraderie)
• Trusts God with new approaches and changes, communicates needs and limits with emotional intelligence, and seeks confidence and wisdom in Christ. (Courageous Faithfulness)
• Seeks and fosters authentic Christ‑centered relationships with people of various backgrounds and creates an inviting environment through active listening, inclusion, advocacy for those who are vulnerable, and respect of others’ experiences. (Kingdom Inspired Diversity)

Credentials Required & Preferred Education

• College degree and five years of relevant experience preferred.
• Experience networking and collaborating effectively in the community preferred.
• Living within Merced County preferred.
• On‑the‑job training will be provided as needed through various opportunities.
• Must be able to use Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other computer‑based tools.
• Most travel will be within the greater Merced area; other training conferences within California or across the United States may be required.
• Merced County Residence Preferred

Scope of Authority

• Manages the Merced Area budget, budget department 51.
• Provides supervision and leadership for volunteers and any future staff in the Merced area; currently 2–3 volunteers.

All YFC employees are expected to regularly and actively participate in faithful activities that advance the stewardship functions of YFC/USA and Youth for Christ Central Valley. These activities may include extending invitations to fundraising events, recruiting personal circle of influence/YFC donor contacts, sending letters, handwritten notes, personal calls, personally ministering to donor contacts, participating in chapter‑wide fundraising events, and supporting other opportunities as provided.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job.

This is an “at‑will” position and is also subject to the terms, conditions, and guidelines outlined in the Leader Handbook. Violation of any of these may subject the employee to disciplinary action, including termination.

YFC Central Valley offers qualified leaders a variety of benefits including Life Insurance, Dental, Vision, 401k and more.

As a small non‑profit employer, we do not provide a group health plan. Staff typically enroll in individual plans (for example, through Covered California) and may qualify for reduced rates based upon minister’s housing allowance credits.

Youth For Christ (YFC) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, handicap, marital status, or other unlawful discriminatory characteristics in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

YFC is classified as an Association of Churches and as such our hiring practices reflect that designation. As a religious nonprofit organization, YFC incorporates within each leader role, the requirement to model, teach, share and live the faith. The relationship between YFC’s mission and each of its leaders is its lifeblood and as such does at all times and in all instances reserve the right to make employment decisions based upon a person’s religious beliefs, personal character and lifestyle consistent with our understanding of the Bible or with our overall goals and requirements for Christian ministry.

We seek to create a workplace that is intentional about Kingdom Inspired Diversity. Our commitment to our employees extends to their opportunities for growth, development, promotion, training and compensation.

We will make reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with known disabilities, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to the organization.