Ministry Lead of Marriage and Family Life

Job Title: Ministry Lead of Ministry and Family Life
FLSA: Exempt
Department: Office of Evangelization & Discipleship

Job Summary:

The Ministry Lead for Marriage and Family Life, under the supervision of the OED Associate Director in consult with the Director, has responsibility for providing specialized expertise and consulting with pastors and other parish leaders in the areas of marriage ministry, family planning needs according to the teachings of the Catholic Church (e.g., natural family planning [NFP] or fertility awareness-based methods), and family life ministry. This position collaborates closely with the Associate Director to advance the mission of evangelization and discipleship formation among married couples and their families through assisting pastors and their leaders in their work of marriage preparation and enrichment, formation and training in NFP, and promoting and supporting marriage as the foundation of family life and a vocation from God.

Principal Duties:
• Serves as a principal consultant for parishes and leaders in the areas of marriage and NFP ministry, with emphasis on promoting effective marriage preparation and accompaniment and advancing NFP awareness and ministry.
• Develops and implements a strategy, goals, and objectives for marriage and family life ministry in accordance with the Church's teaching and current realities facing families, with emphasis on evangelization, discipleship formation, and pastoral care-includes identifying, assessing, and promoting effective models and best practices for comprehensive marriage and family ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta as well as piloting initiatives to advance such best practices.
• Plans, oversees, and implements monthly marriage preparation workshops in collaboration with the Associate Director. Duties include managing the curriculum, volunteer presenters, hospitality assistant, and needs of workshop participants.
• Promotes the Church's teaching on NFP and God's plan for marriage and human sexuality (e.g., Theology of the Body), coordinates requests for NFP instruction and training, encourages opportunities to strengthen NFP formation in the archdiocese, and fosters a network of support among NFP instructors, Catholic healthcare providers, and parishes.
• Assists the Associate Director in promoting effective models of family life ministry and awareness for parishes.
• Facilitates networking, professional growth, and regular communication with marriage, family, and NFP leaders, including quarterly meetings of leaders, quarterly newsletters, and archdiocesan website maintenance and updates.
• Supports Hispanic marriage ministry needs, which include coordinating with Hispanic marriage prep group LLASU to provide workshops at the chancery; collaborating with Hispanic mentor couple program to provide yearly trainings; coordinating requests for NFP instruction and training in Spanish; developing new initiatives with Hispanic lay leaders, such as Theology of the Body instruction in Spanish.
• Manages, directs, or assists with significant archdiocesan events, including the annual 50/60 Wedding Anniversary Mass with the assistance of OED administrative staff, occasional volunteer appreciation dinners, and the Eucharistic Congress, where applicable.
• Collaborates with OED team regularly on various initiatives, including strategizing and developing a renewed focus on adult evangelization and family faith formation in the Archdiocese, in light of the Directory for Catechesis and vision for a marriage catechumenate.
• Maintains currency on initiatives from USCCB and other relevant Church professional organizations and networks (e.g., Catholic Family Life Association).
• Collaborates with other archdiocesan offices such as the Office of Intercultural Ministries, the Office of Vocations, the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, and the Office of Life, Dignity and Justice.

Education/Experience:
• Master's degree in theology, pastoral ministry, religious education, or equivalent.
• Minimum five (5) years of leadership experience in diocesan or parish religious education/formation.
• Experience working within the parish or Church structure in the area of marriage and family life.

Required/Essential Skills:
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is strongly recommended.
• Strong interpersonal and communication ability with particular emphasis on speaking and presentation skills.
Must have strong leadership ability and personnel management skills.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of Church documents and writings on marriage and the family, NFP, and Theology of the Body.
• Ability to articulate authentic Church teaching, advise on pastoral needs, and make appropriate referrals.
• Ability to provide leadership in a highly multicultural context with diplomacy, respect, and with the goal of providing solution-support to ministry leaders.
• Ability to independently plan, prioritize and organize to meet OED goals and deadlines.
• Ability to relate to and work with others in a cooperative manner and in a team model.
• Excellent project management and time management skills.
• Operating knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Working Environment:
• This position involves recurring weekend work and occasional evening work.
• Incumbent must possess a valid driver's license, reliable transportation and be able to travel regionally within Central and North Georgia.
• Incumbent must be up to date on all required safe environment training and background checks, including transportation/MVR.