South Bend Young Life Area Director

Company: Young Life
Location: South Bend
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

If you are currently on Young Life staff, please do not apply through this external jobs board. To apply for internal job opportunities, log in to Workday and use the Jobs Hub . Applying externally may delay your application and require you to resubmit internally. Young Life requires all? employees to sign a Statement of Faith. We recommend you read this statement before applying? for any position. Because of Young Life’s exclusive Christian purposes of evangelism and discipleship as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation and in these Bylaws, and to reflect what has always been and will continue to be the position of Young Life, specifically the Christian belief that each and every employee and volunteer of the corporation should minister as a servant of God with the primary responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and, as such, is an integral part of the Christian mission and ministry of the corporation , Young Life shall only employ individuals or enlist volunteer leaders who: (a) profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord; and (b) subscribe to the statements and policies required of all Young Life staff, including the Young Life Statement of Faith. Therefore, employees and volunteers of Young Life, during working and nonworking hours, shall: (i) be ready, willing and able to fulfill such ministry functions as may be required by the organization; (ii) refrain from conduct and statements that detract from the biblical standards taught and supported by Young Life, and (iii) abide by all policies and practices of Young Life including, without limitation, those related to religious belief or ministry activities. Job Specific Working Conditions: Young Life, a global ecumenical organization that points adolescents to Jesus Christ, is looking for a full-time staff member to direct ministry to students in the Penn Harris Madison (PHM) School Cooperation located in Granger, Mishawaka, and South Bend, Indiana. With thriving ministry at all three levels of Young Life (WyldLife, Young Life, and Young Life College), the future Area Director will assess where their emphasis in direct ministry would most effectively be placed. Other supplemental opportunities such as hiring/overseeing additional staff/geography, starting new ministries, and advancing to new levels of leadership will be granted in ways commensurate with the experience, capacity, and vision of the staff person. This position is open to senior-level candidates (experienced Direct Ministry, Area Director, Metro Director, Associate Regional Director). The staff person will lead spiritually, pursue and invest in relationships, and develop a flagship ministries across the area - all while being part of an existing Young Life community that includes a healthy donor base, multiple staff members, 40 volunteer leaders (both college students and older), and a college ministry centered at the University of Notre Dame. Developing an excellent Young Life program serving all Penn-Harris-Madison schools is a significant opportunity to both impact students and advance strategic initiatives throughout the geographic region. Penn-Harris-Madison is one of the largest (~4,000 high school, ~1000 at each of 3 middle schools), most-resourced, highest-achieving (academics and co-curriculars/athletics), and diverse school districts in Indiana. The unique combination of multiple layers of support (through an established Young Life community) and opportunities for growth (personally and professionally) makes this a great position for someone seeking to both a) lead collaboratively b) expand influence and advance in leadership. Responsibilities: Grow and lead spiritually as an intentional disciple of Jesus and faithful member of the Church Model/development/oversee ministry to middle school and high school students that centers on an incarnational/relational/inclusive approach in evangelization/outreach, formation/discipleship, and community engagement/service Develop and implement a vision to engage every student in the Penn-Harris-Madison district, and consider how this vision could lead to programs at other schools Grow and direct a team of diverse staff (interns, part-time, full-time) and volunteer leaders who work directly with students Pursue and build friendships of accompaniment with students by going where they are at school and in the community Plan and execute dynamic Young Life venues for middle and high school students (outreach Club meetings, discipleship/Campaigners/Bible Studies, etc.) that scale impact by growing relationships, building momentum, and empowering student ownership Utilize Young Life camps; lead annual winter weekend trip and annual summer trip, explore complementary camp options, and leverage service opportunities like Work Crew (students serving at YL camp) Organize and empower a team of local adults who pray for the ministry, care for staff and leaders, advocate for YL within the community, and offer financial and logistical support Build ecumenical friendships and collaboration with local churches/parishes and community organizations Raise funds from existing personal network to supplement area-wide fundraising Serve on the area-wide leadership team, working closely with teammates to support each other and achieve mutual goals Qualifications: 4-Year college degree Growing faith in Jesus Christ and desire to help others enjoy the same Preferred candidates will have an established record of spiritual leadership that includes at least one of the following: 4 years of experience as Young Life staff 4 years of experience leading ministry to middle school or high school students Compelling passion to serve students from various backgrounds, including those with little or no church/faith experience History of building teams of people from diverse backgrounds of race, ethnicity, spirituality (or lack thereof), and denomination Self-starting drive and eager-to-learn attitude that propels curiosity-into-action, ongoing improvement, personal growth, and professional development Benefits: Salary commensurate with experience 401(k) options, including employer-matching funds Full medical benefits Flexible paid time off Ongoing mentoring, education, training, and professional development Notes: Young Life is a world-class organization focusing on introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. Young Life exists in 100 countries and is operationalized by 5,000 staff, 80,000 volunteers and 220,000 donors who contribute $400 million annually. Ministry Functions: Spiritual Development — “Following Jesus” includes prayer and spiritual disciplines, fellowship, growth and health and church relationships. Develop a yearly personal growth plan that fosters a vibrant spiritual life including time for solitude, retreat, reflection, prayer and a sincere commitment to understanding God’s Word. Seek and maintain relationships and disciplines, in the context of active participation in a church community. Actively participate in the spiritual life of the Young Life community. Lead teams and individuals in spiritual development. Ensure that all Young Life ministry in the area, is designed and carried out with a dependence on prayer that takes place out of the overflow of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Leadership Development — “Equipping leaders, committee and staff” includes key volunteer care, recruiting, team building and training, supervision and vision casting. Partner with Regional director and Committee to cast vision for reaching “every kid” within the defined area. Develop consistent gatherings with committee, leaders and staff to build unity and provide vision and direction. Create a spiritual leadership plan for volunteer leaders, staff and committee members in the area. Recruit and train new staff and leaders to build leadership teams that reflect the community. Supervise, develop and evaluate area staff, providing resources and experiences needed to implement the vision. Provide quality summer staff, work crew and adult guests for summer camps. Model excellence in contact work, club, Campaigners and camping to other leaders. Assist in training leaders, team leaders and committee how to work effectively in teams and develop a yearly ministry strategy. Resource Development — “Fueling the ministry” includes events, major donor care, public relations (branding) and TDS team. Provide leadership to the TDS team and committee in finding partners to own the area vision and budget. Develop and lead the area’s fundraising strategy and ensure excellence in communication to donors. Raise the necessary funds to carry out the ministry vision for the local area, keeping the area consistently in surplus (goal is a one-month cash reserve minimum). Build the Young Life brand via public relations as an excellent tool for working with youth in the area. Coordinate and conduct quality events which reflect Young Life’s capacity to impact kids and warrant the investment of a participant’s personal and corporate resources. Direct Ministry — “Proclaiming and modeling” includes contact work, club, Campaigners and camp. Actively engage in all three levels of contact work. Lead or co-lead a model Young Life club; lead/supervise an effective Campaigner ministry with excellence. Observe and evaluate each of the schools/ministries in the local area on a yearly basis. Develop and implement ongoing plans to maximize Gospel proclamation through camping opportunities. Serve on a summer assignment at a Young Life property, other Young Life camp or in another position each summer. Ministry Support — “Taking care of business” includes accounting, administration, communication (internal), data management and strategic plan. Adhere to all Young Life policies and procedures and maintain professionalism concerning office hours, dress, conduct and time management. Manage finances with stewardship, accountability and transparency using the mission-wide applications. Maintain accurate information on kids, leaders and donors for area records. Provide clear, prompt, appropriate and professional communication to everyone involved in ministry. Set yearly strategic ministry plan and initiatives to reach every kid; review them on a regular basis. Perform other duties as assigned and congruent with gifts, experience and area needs. Accept both short and long-term assignments of projects. Training : Participation in missionwide staff conference every four years. Participation in additional training or experiences if deemed necessary (e.g., more urban exposure; Taking Donors Seriously (TDS) training). Attend regional training as directed by the regional director. Pursue continuing educational opportunities including graduate degrees. Participate in programs designed for personal spiritual maturity or personal enrichment. Pursue seminars designed to enhance professional skills. Education: College degree preferred Qualifications: At least two years as a successful Area Director I Must have completed Core Training —Phase One. Proven leadership skills. Proven relational skills with both kids and adults. A call to reach kids with the Gospel. Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality. Working Conditions: Will include the extremes of a camp assignment, e.g., heat/cold, dirt, long hours and the physical demands of hiking, horseback riding, boating, etc. Staff person must be able to handle these conditions.

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