Our search for a new Director of Religious Education
FPUU DRE Search
Director of Religious Education
Starting mid-April or mid-August 2012
Our Search
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Medfield is looking for a new Director of Religious Education. This is a half-time position with a small but growing church. We look forward to working with a DRE dedicated to growing and deepening a program that focuses on nurturing community among the RE youth and supports their personal quests for truth and meaning. Continuing our strong RE program is a crucial part of our plans for growth in the coming years as we search for and install a new minister. The DRE will report to the minister and will be comfortable speaking to the congregation at large and connect especially well with children and youth. We now have twenty children in the Sunday morning RE program (K-7) and twenty youth in grades 8-12. A strong commitment to Unitarian Universalism is a must. We are a liberal church with wide religious and cultural backgrounds, and we welcome diversity in all its forms.
Resumes will be evaluated as received with an eye toward interviews in March and a start in mid-April or mid-August, depending on the candidate's current commitments. Email your information or ask for more information at
. Materials can also be mailed to First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 26 North Street, Medfield, MA 02052.
DRE Role
The role of the DRE is to provide leadership, inspiration and practical assistance to coordinate, administer and implement religious education programs for children and youth (nursery into high school) through the regular church year. Inasmuch as "lifespan" religious education is a goal for First Parish, the DRE will be open to collaborating with the minister on mutually agreed upon aspects of adult religious education.
Time frame and scope
20 hours/week, mid-August to mid-June.
Accountability
The Director of Religious Education is hired by the Executive Committee and reports to the minister. He or she will work closely with the Religious Education Committee and volunteers drawn both from the parents of the children and the congregation at large.
Compensation
Salary and benefits will be commensurate with UUA guidelines.
Experience and Skills
- Unitarian Universalist.
- Previous religious education experience a plus.
- Credentials preferred, or at the very least a desire to gain them.
- Must connect well with children.
- Strong communication and storytelling skills.
DRE Duties
- Oversee the RE program on Sunday mornings, and be available to fill in as a leader or intervene in behavior management as needed.
- Follow FPUU's Child and Youth Protection and Safety Policy with regards to volunteer recruitment.
- Recruit, organize, train and support the volunteers. Communicate regularly with volunteer leaders and guides to determine ongoing training needs and provide guidance as needed. Be available to consult with volunteers and parents regarding RE classroom management.
- Hire and supervise an experienced and caring nursery staff.
- Collaborate with both the Minister and the RE staff as required. Participate in bi-weekly meetings with minister, and montly meetings with RE committee.
- Attend monthly district UUA religious educator meetings.
- Schedule and lead periodic children's worship services.
- Oversee materials and supplies. Maintain an expense record.
- Maintain RE records, including registration and attendance records.
- Communicate with the congregation, keeping them informed of RE goals and activities through the use of the RE brochure, monthly newsletter articles, information published in the Sunday Order of Service, as well as individual conversations as necessary and appropriate.
- Deliver an Annual Report for the Annual Meeting of the congregation.
- Seek and pursue professional development through RE leadership training, networking with other DREs, reading professional literature, and consulting with the minister. Share appropriate information with teachers, committee members and parents.
Shared responsibilities with the RE Committee
- Formulate program visions and goals, design and evaluate the program, select curricula.
- Develop and enhance relationships between the children. This is even more important than the class-leader to child relationship. While we strive to provide them with the necessary spiritual tools, we recognize that they will perhaps learn the most from each other.
- Recruit, support, and appreciate RE volunteers and RE Committee members. Explore creative ways to attract and involve the larger church community in the RE program.
- Greet and welcome new families and children throughout the church year.
- CORI record keeping (one REC member and DRE)
- Plan for annual RE budget.
- Arrange for necessary coverage when the DRE is absent.