Job Overview

THE OPPORTUNITY

Liberty Heights Church is a large and thriving Southern Baptist Church located in the suburbs of northern Cincinnati (OH). The church has two locations, with one central Sending Campus in Liberty Township plus one nearby satellite campus in the community of Lebanon. LHC also has a vision for a future satellite campus in the suburbs located to the southeast of the Sending Campus. All campuses of LHC have live teaching. Each of these multi-generational congregations is in communities that are growing rapidly with young families. In addition, the church has launched two mission-campus ministries in the last 6 years (a Hispanic service at the Sending Campus and an Inner-City ministry serving a high-needs community). Mission and service exist at the center of Liberty Heights' ministry vision.

Liberty Heights is governed by four core values: Dependent Prayer, The Priority of Relationships (Biblical Community), The Authority & Sufficiency of Scripture, and Involvement over Attendance. These values drive the church towards dependence on God, His Word, and other Christians.

The church is contemporary in approach to worship and discipleship and employs an expository teaching style. They place great emphasis on transformational application through a deeper understanding of how the affections of our hearts drive one's behavior. They have a clear discipleship strategy that flows from preschool to adulthood and is executed through both large and small groups.

Liberty Heights has an average Sunday attendance (all campuses) of close to 1200 people with over 1500 regular attenders. The Student Ministry currently encompasses students in grades 7-12 who meet weekly throughout the school year on Sunday evenings at the Central Sending Campus. The Family Ministries team recently reorganized the Student Ministry into two groups—grades 7-10 and grades 11-12. LHC has partnered with LifeWay in the creation of a 4-year custom curriculum called Through the Bible that takes students in grades 7-10 through the Top 100 key passages in Scripture. The older students walk through a curriculum designed to help them live out the gospel in their everyday lives. The Student Ministry has tripled in size since 2020 and is ready for a more focused approach on the different grade levels.

Liberty Heights has an average Sunday attendance (all campuses) of close to 1200 people with over 1500 regular attenders. The Student Ministry currently encompasses students in grades 7-12 who meet weekly throughout the school year on Sunday evenings at the Central Sending Campus. The Family Ministries team recently reorganized the Student Ministry into two groups—grades 7-10 and grades 11-12. LHC has partnered with LifeWay in the creation of a 4-year custom curriculum called Through the Bible that takes students in grades 7-10 through the Top 100 key passages in Scripture. The older students walk through a curriculum designed to help them live out the gospel in their everyday lives. The Student Ministry has tripled in size since 2020 and is ready for a more focused approach on the different grade levels.

THE COMMUNITY

Liberty Township, Ohio, is a fast-growing, conservative-leaning community that was considered a rural suburb just 25 years ago but has seen tremendous middle-to-upper-class growth in recent years. The area tends to be highly educated, white-collar, and affluent. Proctor & Gamble and General Electric are headquartered in the Cincinnati area, and engineers and executives make up a large part of the local community, bringing diversity to the area. The area surrounding both campuses is home to several of the largest school districts within the state. The Cincinnati area is also home to a huge community of those practicing the Catholic faith but has experienced a rapid rise in evangelical church growth over the past two decades. Cincinnati has been named a Send City by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and has a strong presence of church plants in the local area.

Job Description

THE CANDIDATE

The Director of Student Ministry will be tasked with the responsibility to lead a dynamic ministry for students in grades 7-10 at the Central Sending Campus, fostering spiritual growth, biblical understanding, and community engagement. This role involves creating an environment where students can thrive in their faith journey, mentoring and equipping volunteer leaders, and maintaining open communication with parents to support their involvement in their students' spiritual development.

The Director of Student Ministry will plan and oversee regular programs, small groups, events, and retreats, ensuring alignment with the church's mission and values. The Director of Student Ministry will also oversee The Heights—a once-a-week Junior High after-school program at LHC's Lebanon campus.

The structure of this role is a direct report to the Executive Director of Family Ministries. The full-time Director of Student Ministry (Grades 7-10) will work alongside two other part-time Directors—Director of Juniors/Seniors (& College), and Director of Girls Ministry—to create a cohesive ministry for all ages of students and their parents.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred candidates will have a Bachelor's degree with specific Bible training
• Previous experience in a church of at least 250 preferred
• Demonstrable record of leading growth
• Passion for student ministry and a strong commitment to helping young people grow in their faith
• Strong communication skills; proficient in organizational and administrative tasks
• Qualified applicants must affirm the Baptist Faith & Message (2000) https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
• Candidate must embrace the church's doctrinal position without reservation and be an advocate of the church's philosophy of ministry both in public and in private.