This is a role with Christian Union Inc. represented by Vanderbloemen Search Group.
Denomination: Non-Denominational
Location: Ithaca, New York
The Role: Ministry Director - Cornell University
About the Ministry Director:
Christian Union seeks a qualified individual to serve as a Ministry Director at Cornell University. A Ministry Director is responsible for overseeing a team of Ministry Fellows and Teaching Fellows who minister to Christian and non-Christian students. The Ministry Director will also engage in direct ministry with students and therefore needs all the skills and capabilities of a Ministry Fellow.
The Ministry Director Responsibilities Include:
Embrace and Embody CU’s Distinctives
- Seeking-God Lifestyle | Christian Union emphasizes a mindset and behaviors considered normative by Christians for centuries, starting with the book of Acts. A God-seeking lifestyle includes humbling oneself through fasting, extraordinary prayer (including day and night), large intake of Scripture, repentance, obedience to God in every regard, perseverance in seeking God wholeheartedly, extended times of gathering with fellow believers, and intentionally calling other Christians to seek God with great diligence. When Christians seek the Lord wholeheartedly they can expect fresh fillings and outpourings of the Spirit.
- Christian Unity | Maior Autem His Est Caritas (“the greatest of these is love”) is inscribed around the center of Christian Union’s logo as a reminder that God’s love is central, and His love is the inspiration to uphold Christian love and unity among Christians. Christian Union board members, faculty, staff, financial partners, and alumni are committed to loving one another and fellow Christians as members of the body of Christ.
- Intellectual Orientation | Christian Union tailors its ministry to people of high intellectual capacity whose knowledge of Scripture ranges from non-existent to well-developed. Christian Union associates are selected for their ability to assess needs and to lead at this level. Christian Union knows that all wisdom and knowledge are in Jesus Christ and therefore sees harmony and not a contradiction between intellectual pursuits and strong faith.
- Organizational Excellence | The nature and significance of Christian Union’s calling compel a culture of discipline and accountability. While the primary “products” as an organization are God’s glory and changed lives, which can be hard to measure, the ministry does its best to track inputs and outputs to be as effective as possible. The ministry aspires to be as organizationally robust as some of the best well-run, for-profit firms.
- Professional Growth | Christian Union believes that God, in His wisdom, deposited gifts and abilities in all men and women. As these are recognized and developed, and as additional skills are imparted through training and feedback, associates have the opportunity to reach their full potential. CU prizes the ongoing growth and spiritual and professional development of Christian Union’s staff and faculty because it honors God, helps further the mission, and contributes to the flourishing of the people.
- Bold Faith | Christian Union values bold, expansive faith. Everything the Bible says about God, humanity, and the universe is wholly true; therefore Christian Union moves forward in confidence of what God will do for those who love and obey Him. Christian Union believes in Him for great and seemingly impossible changes because if He can create the entire universe, He can do more than one can ask or imagine.
Lead and Coach Faculty Members
- Coach, train, and oversee Cornell’s faculty team to ensure maximum effectiveness of all ministry programs and objectives on Cornell’s campus.
- Ensure the health and vitality of Cornell’s faculty team.
- Conduct regularly occurring review meetings to evaluate the effectiveness of ministry programs in order to suggest and implement modifications (mid and end-of-year faculty reviews, quarterly management reviews, summer onboarding, and training review).
- Exercise judgment in solving personnel and strategic problems to maximize the team’s performance.
- Ensure ongoing development and growth of Cornell’s faculty team, especially during the summer months.
Execute Christian Union’s Strategic Ministry Model at Cornell
- Faithfully implement CU’s ministry model on Cornell’s campus and oversee the effective rollout of this ministry model at each life stage of the ministry.
- Achieve all semesterly and annual key indicators:
- Students in Bible Courses
- Leadership Curriculum Participants
- Hours of Student Prayer
- Involved New Christians
- Percent of Students (i.e. CU Graduates) who Give Back
- Number of Graduating Seniors in Church (post-graduation)
- Deliver targeted results on other strategic ministry imperatives.
- Ensure proper development and execution of all God-seeking activities, especially meeting the key indicator goal of weekly hours of prayer.
- Properly execute the roll-out of the leadership curriculum program.
- Recruit and teach students the Scriptures in 12-week intensive small-group Bible Courses and in one-on-one settings.
- Exercise quality control of Bible course content and instruction.
- Share the gospel with students individually, as well as in small and large group settings.
- Sustain the discipline and realization of student involvement and ownership.
- Oversee effective execution of Cornell’s freshman welcoming campaign.
- Drive proper elevation and execution of Cornell’s leadership lecture series meetings.
- Develop a comprehensive evangelistic strategy for Cornell, meeting all gospel exposure, decisions for Christ and involved new believer goals.
- Impart a comprehensive integration of faith and work, especially applying the Scriptures to strategic marketplace issues and practices found in business, law, government, politics, education, media, medicine, ministry, and the arts.
- Employ oversight and quality control of mentoring and discipleship activities.
- Ensure effective conference recruiting and attendance.
- Provide biblical motivation and instruction to Cornell’s faculty team as needed.
- Apply corporate best practices of disciplined yearly, semesterly, and quarterly goal setting, tracking, and continuous program improvement.
- Trouble-shoot and problem-solve as strategic issues or conflicts arise involving other ministries.
- Offer hospitality and friendship to students through meals, parties, and other social gatherings.
- Create and manage Cornell’s campus-specific budget.
Fulfill Cross-Functional and Development Responsibilities
- Represent the ministry with alumni and donors as needed.
- Attend select fundraising events.
- Serve as the primary local spokesperson for the ministry, partnering with local ministries and the University as appropriate.
- Facilitate proper correspondence and interaction between Cornell ministry faculty and the rest of the organization.
- Manage the Cornell faculty team to ensure that CU’s development team has what they need to cultivate relationships with Cornerstone partners, parents, alumni, and other friends of the ministry.
What You Bring:
Education & Experience
- An undergraduate degree is required.
- A theology/religion degree or MDiv is a plus.
- Seven years minimum of professional experience in the for-profit or military sectors is required.
- Three years minimum of successfully overseeing a team of employees, leading them to achieve individual and group objectives is required.
- Theological training is helpful but not required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong organizational skills and people-oriented management skills.
- Ability to meet deadlines, and to work independently to complete tasks.
- Knowledge of the basics of the faith, as well as the heart and capacity to study and teach complex theological issues.
- Excellent communication and partnering abilities.
- Capable of delegating responsibility to Christian Union fellows and students, and coaching them to performance standards.
- Quick learning ability to absorb the best practices of the ministry.
- Strong teaming skills in order to lead and work well with teaching and ministry fellows.
Personal Characteristics & Qualifications
- Tenacity to persevere in a challenging ministry environment.
- In agreement with Christian Union’s Statement of Faith and Ethics.
- Strong devotion to Jesus Christ, holiness, and a passion to see great spiritual renewal in America.
- Adaptable to the culture of a highly secular academic environment.
- Passion for students to know and follow Jesus Christ, and the ability to form friendships with students quickly and easily.
- Ability to relate well to athletes and other focused social groups on campus.