Director of Family Ministries
Christ United Methodist Church – a campus of the Gem City Church Collective
About Christ Church: Christ Church is a 75-year-old congregation located in Kettering, a southern suburb of Dayton Ohio. Christ Church has planted 4 campuses over the last 16 years. It is located across the street from Kettering High School and 2 blocks away from Kettering Middle School. The mission is to change lives through the transforming power of Christ and the goal is for each person to learn how to love like Jesus every day, where they live, work and play. With its mission field, facilities, and leadership Christ Church is poised to make a difference in families’ lives throughout the southern Dayton region.
Job Title:
Director of Family Ministries
Supervisor:
Associate Pastor
Position Status:
Full time (40 hours a week)
Position Description:
The Family Ministry Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership, vision, and oversight for the entire family ministry at Christ United Methodist Church, encompassing birth through high school and family discipleship. This individual directly leads the Middle School and High School ministries, while supervising a Part-time Director of Children’s Ministry and volunteers who lead Nursery, Preschool and Elementary Ministries. The director will foster a Christ-centered, relational, and developmentally appropriate ministry environment that supports spiritual growth for children, students, and their families.
The major responsibilities and duties:
- Strategic Oversight of Family Ministry (Birth–12th Grade)
• Develop and articulate a unified vision for family ministry in alignment with the mission and values of Christ Church and the Gem City Church Collective.
• Supervise, support, and resource leaders and volunteers in early childhood, children’s ministry, and parent discipleship.
• Equip families to be the primary spiritual influencers in the home.
• Ensure integration and smooth transitions between ministry stages (e.g., preschool to elementary, elementary to youth).
• Manage family ministry budget and ensure appropriate allocation of resources. - Direct Leadership of Middle and High School Ministries
• Plan and lead weekly student gatherings, Bible studies, and discipleship opportunities for
grades 6–12.
• Organize and lead retreats, service projects, mission trips, and outreach events.
• Build relationships with students through presence at church, schools, and extracurricular events.
• Develop a core team of volunteers to help lead and disciple students.
• Teach biblically sound, engaging, and age-appropriate lessons.
• Provide pastoral care to students and families, including crisis support, spiritual counseling, and milestone moments (e.g., baptisms, graduations). - Leadership and Team Development
• Recruit, train, and support paid staff and volunteer leaders across all family ministry areas.
• Foster a collaborative and Christ-like team culture.
• Provide regular feedback, encouragement, and professional development opportunities for ministry staff and volunteers.
• Raise up new student and adult leaders
• Deploy people into the right positions
• Equip parents to be the primary disciplers of their kids at home
• Develop and utilize a Parent Advisory Team to help gain feedback and discern the direction of the ministry - Communication and Collaboration
• Serve as a key liaison between family ministry and the broader church leadership.
• Communicate regularly with parents and families regarding events, curriculum, and ministry updates.
• Partner with worship, grow and serve areas as well as other ministries for whole-church alignment and integration. - Bridge building
● Between Kids Zone and Student Ministry
● Between the church and the community
● Between the campuses of the Gem City Church Collective
Qualifications needed for the position:
● A growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ and agreement with the beliefs and mission of Christ Church and the Gem City Church Collective.
● Ability to cast and implement vision for Family ministry
● Possess a high level of emotional intelligence
● Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
● Demonstrate good self-care and personal development
● Possess competency in both verbal and written communication skills
● History of organizing and executing large events, ie missions trips, camps, retreats, etc.
● Lifelong learner
● Passion for family discipleship and student ministry.
● Ability to recruit, equip, and lead volunteers and staff teams.
● Relationally engaging with children, youth, and adults.
● Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in student or family ministry leadership.
● Proficiency in planning, teaching, and curriculum development.
Agreement to observe and grow in the following values:
Christ Church Staff Team Values
• Family/Ministry Life Balance - pursuing whole life health and joy on the journey
• Teachability - demonstrating the desire to learn and grow
• Collaboration – we are better together
• Excellence - consistently honoring God and others with excellence
Christ Church Staff Spiritual values
• Practice 10% tithe or a plan to reach it.
• Regularly participate in worship.
• Identify and keep a Sabbath.
• Pursue spiritual growth and healthy lifestyle.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit your résumé, cover letter, and three references to Laura Ruetschle – laura@christumc.org.