Position Description

Gateway Church, is a vibrant and growing church of 950 in Caledonia, ON.

Our staff team is passionate about serving together around our unifying mission as we encourage and equip people to follow Jesus in community. Our current team includes 15 passionate and dedicated people, both full and part time.

We are pursuing “Following Jesus Together”. To that end, we are dedicated to helping people find freedom, live with focus and shape the future.

Gateway is a part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.

Position Summary:

The Youth Pastor provides spiritual leadership and direction for Gateway's ministry to students in grades 6–12, creating an environment where students follow Jesus together, grow in Christ, build meaningful relationships, discover their gifts, and become lifelong disciples. The ministry should be biblically grounded, relationally strong, and culturally relevant, aligned with Gateway's mission and discipleship strategy. The ideal candidate is a spiritually mature, relationally strong leader whom students want to be around and parents trust. 

Focus is on helping students:

• Know Jesus personally and grow in relationship with him
• Understand and apply biblical truth to everyday life
• Experience authentic biblical community and develop spiritual disciplines
• Discover and use their spiritual gifts in serving
• Share the message of Jesus with non-Christian friends

Key Responsibilities:

• Vision and Leadership — Set and communicate strategy for youth ministry aligned with Gateway's mission; set measurable goals; evaluate ministry health and improve it; reach students outside any church ministry; keep the environment welcoming and safe.
• Student Discipleship — Build a grade 6–12 “Discipleship Pathway" that builds on Gateway Kids; provide age-appropriate teaching and spiritual formation; foster prayer, Bible study, worship, service, and evangelism; develop emerging student leaders; support transitions into and out of youth ministry.
• Student Relationships and Pastoral Care — Build meaningful relationships with students; be present at gatherings, retreats, and trips; provide pastoral care and spiritual guidance; maintain healthy boundaries per Plan to Protect.
• Volunteer Leadership — Recruit, screen, train, and lead adult and student volunteers; set clear roles and expectations; coach and encourage the team regularly; identify and develop emerging leaders.
• Family Partnership — Build trusting relationships with parents as the primary spiritual influence in students' lives; equip and communicate with families regularly; respond pastorally to concerns and support families through transitions.
• Programming — Lead weekly gatherings, small groups, retreats, mission trips, outreach events, and leadership development, always in service of helping students follow Jesus together, not just keeping them busy. Programming should always serve the larger purpose of help students “follow Jesus together”, rather than simply keeping students busy or entertained.
• Outreach and Evangelism — Develop strategies and events to reach unchurched students; build relationships with schools and community organizations; equip students to invite friends and share their faith.
• Ministry Culture — Cultivate a culture of biblical truth, grace, authentic relationships, prayer, worship, fun, and appropriate accountability, modeling Christ-centered character.
• Safety and Risk Management — Ensure compliance with Gateway policies, including volunteer screening and Plan to Protect (transportation, communication, emergencies); maintain volunteer records; file incident reports and inform parents when required.
• Communication and Administration — Communicate effectively with students, parents, volunteers, and staff; coordinate with the Communications Director on branding; prepare the annual calendar and budget; track attendance and ministry metrics; report to leadership.
• Staff Team Participation — Engage actively in MST meetings and staff life; collaborate across ministries rather than operating as a silo; serve generously and contribute to a healthy staff culture.

Qualifications:

Spiritual

• Growing relationship with Jesus Christ; spiritual maturity and biblical character
• Strong commitment to the authority of Scripture
• Alignment with Gateway's and the C&MA's doctrine, mission, and values
• Consistent personal practices of prayer, Bible study, worship, and growth

Preferred Professional

• Bachelor's degree in Bible, theology, ministry, education, or related field (equivalent ministry experience and leadership ability may substitute)
• Experience in recruiting and developing volunteers, and leading teams
• Strong teaching, communication, and organizational skills
• Digital/social media experience an asset

Character

• Relational, approachable, emotionally healthy, and passionate about students
• Collaborative team player, teachable, and accountable
• Dependable communicator with strong work ethic
• Organized, creative problem solver and strategic thinker

This is a full-time ministry role requiring flexibility for evenings and weekends. 

Statement of Faith and Ministry Alignment

The candidate must be (or become) a Licensed Worker with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, and affirm the C&MA's Statement of Faith, Statement on Human Sexuality, and doctrinal distinctives.

Ministry Profile:

Blast (Grades 6-8) meets on Tuesday night averages 100 students from both churches families and those who live in the immediate neighbourhoods. It is an exciting night of games, hanging out, and learning about God and how he impacts student's lives.

Axis (Grades 9-12) meets on Wednesday night and averages 50 students. Axis is a place to belong, have fun, build friendships, play games and explore Biblical truths that are relevant to student's everyday lives. Axis is designed to deepen the spiritual lives of students and prepare them when they head of to post-secondary education or the workplace.

Gateway is currently planning a major building expansion with plans for a dedicated youth space.

Contact Information

If you would like a copy of the complete job description, please send a request to Executive Pastor Dave Ralph at dave.ralph@gw.church

If you are sensing you might be interested in this role you may confidentially submit your resume/CV at dave.ralph@gw.church