Associate Special Needs Minister

Mission & Vision

Northside’s mission is to connect unconnected people to Jesus by connecting them to Christ, Community and their Calling.

Position Overview

Northside Church is seeking an Associate Special Needs Minister to join our team and play a pivotal role in supporting children and students with special needs. This full-time position will contribute to making Kidside and NSM services inclusive and accessible for individuals with special needs by partnering with associated ministries. Additionally, they will oversee volunteer recruitment, volunteer training and curriculum development to foster discipleship for individuals with special needs through High School.

Key Responsibilities

• Weekend Programming and Collaboration
  • Oversee and lead weekend programming for the Special Needs Ministry by creating a fun, safe, spiritually enriching environment for children and students with special needs.
  • Develop and implement age and ability appropriate curriculum that supports spiritual growth and cater to the specific needs of the special needs community.
  • Collaborate with the Children's Ministry and the Student Ministry to align programming with Northside’s mission and vision.
• Volunteer Recruitment and Development
  • Recruit, train, and empower a team of volunteers, prioritizing relational engagement and individualized support for families
  • Provide training and resources to equip Children’s Ministry and Student Ministry volunteers to serve the special needs community with empathy and understanding.
  • Maintain a comprehensive volunteer system, ensuring sustainable recruitment, training, and retention practices for long-term ministry success
• Family Engagement
  • Build meaningful relationships with children, students, and their families by creating a welcoming and supportive environment through offering resources and encouragement
  • Maintain open communication with families, offering updates and insight on programming and spiritual development

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in ministry, special education, or related field is preferred
• 1-2 years of experience in special needs ministry or related experience within a church or educational setting
• Experience working with children and families in a special needs environment is required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong personal faith and alignment with the core values and mission of Northside
• Passion, compassion, and patience for inclusivity and discipleship of children and students with special needs.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to inspire and equip volunteers and other departments
• Knowledge of special education principles and best practices to create inclusive programming for diverse needs
• Emotionally and physically adaptable to work in a dynamic environments and situations that naturally occur when working with individuals with special needs
• Participate in general pastoral duties as needed (weddings, funerals, counseling, Pastor on Call, etc)
• Prioritized and managed multiple projects simultaneously, and follows through on issues in a timely manner
• Proficient with Mac, Google Suite, Planning Center, Rock Database, Asana, Slack
• Assist in all church wide events (Christmas, Easter, Volunteer Appreciation Night, etc)

C3 Faithfulness

Our mission is to connect the unconnected to Jesus. We do this by remaining connected ourselves—to Christ, community, and calling. The invitation we extend to every person who engages with us at Northside is an invitation to a call that we have already embraced and are fully committed to as a staff leadership team. These are the commitments we expect every member of our team to acknowledge and uphold:

1. CHRIST

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:17

• Identity - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, relationally rooted in Jesus
• Work - embracing sta values of healthy, hungry, unified, and among the people
• Financial Generosity - giving 10% of gross income (a first fruits tithe) to Northside

2. COMMUNITY
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” - Acts 2:42

• Weekend Gathering - regular attendance and participation in congregational worship (present for 75% of weekend gatherings throughout the year)
• Life-Changing Community - regular attendance and participation in a Life Group, Northside U, or another intentional and regular gathering where prayer, Scripture, encouragement, and accountability is the norm.
  
  

3. CALLING
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10

• Carrying out God’s ministry for me in this season (sharpening my skills through networking as well as both formal and informal skill development)
• Serving others with my gifting whenever the Spirit leads