Avalon Church

Avalon church in Fort Wayne, IN is looking for a Youth Ministry Resident.

Expected Work Hours: 30-40 hours weekly
Expected Monthly Pay: $1,500 + Housing

The following is some Q and A with Kodi Mullins, Family Life Pastor:

What are your greatest hopes and dreams for the next couple of years for your church?

We hope we truly live out our vision, which is to equip everyday people to create disciple-making movements wherever they are at. We want to see Christ impact everything our people do wherever they are at. We’d love to see our schools filled with teachers who love Christ and others well, businesses full of employees seeing their work as God’s work, and our community becoming a beautiful light for people to hear the gospel. We are currently planting a church, but in two years, we’d love to see us plant several more.

Why did you choose to do a residency & what are you hopeful will happen through this process?

We want to see a move of God that is greater than just our abilities and lives on until Jesus returns. To see that happen, we firmly believe it takes a culture of humble leaders pouring into others and giving leadership and influence away. We’re hopeful this residency will be the catalyst to truly raise up and give opportunities to the younger generation.

What is it like to work on staff there?

If I were to describe our team using three words, they would be: collaborative, relational, and hopeful.

Collaborative: We are constantly bouncing ideas off of each other. Whether you’re a summer intern or the lead pastor, your voice is heard. Our weekly staff meeting structure allows for ample conversation and collaboration.

Relational: Our team doesn’t check the “personal stuff” at the door. We pray for one another and know the wins and the struggles of life that we’re each facing.

Hopeful: Our team is very steady and endures knowing there is so much to be hopeful about. We know God is at work and we simply get to join Him in His incredible work.

Does your church’s website state the mission, vision, values and key distinctives of your church?

https://avalonmc.com/what-we-believe

Please describe the current staff structure.

• Lead Pastor: K. Paul Maurer

• Family Life Pastor, Executive Director, Iglesia Avalon Pastor (bilingual service), Part-time Worship Director all report to the Lead Pastor.

• From there, the Family Life Pastor has a team of people.

  • Part-time Youth Pastor

  • Preschool Director

  • Children’s Director (looking to hire one)

  • Resident: We are looking for a resident to be involved in our youth ministry. This resident would serve as part of the Family Life Team but focus on youth

    ministry.

What qualities does it take to “win” on staff at your church?

You can’t fake it. Our team is relational and needs authenticity and transparency. There’s no “proving” yourself. That will be sniffed out quickly. You get to show up as you are and move forward with honesty and humility. We also expect you to work hard. We do not want to grow complacent. We constantly want to be asking good questions and staying curious as we seek to equip our people to create disciple-making movements.

Who will the resident report to?  Will there be a different person acting as coach?

The resident will report to the Family Life Pastor, Kodi Mullins, and depending on the resident will either have Nancy Leming (our Executive Director) as a coach or someone from our Elder Team or Leadership Council as a coach.

Are there particular assessment tools that you prefer when exploring potential staff people?

We currently use Working Genius

Are you affiliated with a particular denomination or tribes/association of churches? If so, what websites could one investigate to gain further understanding?

We’re part of the Missionary Church.

What are the key doctrinal and theological issues where alignment is essential?

When we onboard new hires, we have them read through the articles of faith, articles of practice, and position papers found HERE. This outlines all of the views of the missionary church and also shares which ones are essential and non-essential.

What is your average weekend attendance?

866

In general, what is your church demographic?

We are in south Fort Wayne and in a way serve as a “bridge” between southwest and southeast. Southwest is very affluent whereas southeast has historically been a lower-income area. As a result, our church congregation is diverse in both socioeconomic background and age. We have a large White/Caucasian population alongside a growing Latino community, which currently makes up about 12% of our church. We also estimate that 3-5% of our church is Black, along with members from other ethnic backgrounds.

Is there more than one site or venue? If so, please describe.

We have a Main Campus and then across the parking lot is our West Campus. Main Campus is where our Avalon Preschool is located, our 9AM and 10:30AM Sunday services, and Sunday night Youth Group. West Campus is our weekly food pantry, church offices, and our bilingual 12:00 PM service every Sunday.

How many conversions has your church had in the past 12 months? (however you define this and whatever you count)

47 baptized and 15 first-time followers of Jesus.

What percentage of people are involved in a small group?

25%

What is your church known for in the community?

We are known for showing up for the people in our community. Our community knows that Avalon is for them. We are showing up in the schools, the local grocery stores, and are involved in community development initiatives. We truly want to reach people with the hope of God and the people in our community definitely feel that.

How much are you planning on financially compensating your resident?  Is it set or is it flexible?

This resident will be paid $1,500 monthly and include housing through a host family.

What are the expected work hours and what does a typical work week look like for this resident? 

Expected hours range from 30-40 hours per week. Working on Sunday, Tuesday - Thursdays. This is flexible and depends on whether the resident plans on having a part-time job on the side or plans to go to school while doing the residency.

What else would you say to a resident considering joining your team?

From day one, you will immediately have a voice at the table. You are part of staff meetings, quarterly prayer days, quarterly vision days, and annual vision days. This is not a sidelines role-you are invited into the conversation, and we genuinely want to hear your wisdom and perspective.