Director (or) Pastor of Next Gen Ministries

About Anchor Bay Church: 

Anchor Bay Church (ABC) is a vibrant, relational, and justice-oriented community located on the beautiful seacoast North Shore of Massachusetts. Our vision statement is “transformation through loving Jesus, serving neighbors, and celebrating life!” We are a multi-generational church rooted in Scripture, shaped by grace, and committed to forming people who are curious, courageous, and deeply connected to Jesus and one another. 

Our community reflects a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences, and we seek to be a place where children, youth, and families are known, valued, and invited into meaningful participation in the life of the church. Guided by our core values of hospitality, curiosity, humility, authenticity, justice, creativity, and joy, we practice an invitational, Spirit-led approach to formation and are deeply committed to being “radically local” - partnering with our neighbors across the North Shore to seek the flourishing of our wider community. We are part of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Read more about Anchor Bay Church here. 

About Kids, Youth, and Family Ministries at ABC

Anchor Bay’s Kids, Youth, and Family ministries are built on a foundation of committed volunteers, established rhythms, and a strong relational culture. Over a third of our congregation is under the age of 18! This is a growing and thriving area of our church that we anticipate will continue to expand in the years ahead. 

On Sunday mornings, we offer age-based programming for children from nursery through elementary school, supported by a team of volunteers. Our youth ministry currently includes regular Sunday evening gatherings and seasonal events, with a core group of engaged students and adult volunteers. Our church is also home to many foster and adoptive families, shaping a community that is especially attentive to care, flexibility, and belonging across a wide range of family experiences. 

While there is meaningful work already underway, we are at a pivotal crossroads moment of growth where there is also significant room for culture-building, refinement, and long-term visioning. This role is not expected to build everything from the ground up, but rather to steward what exists, strengthen systems, recruit and develop leaders, and help shape the next chapter of ministry depth and growth with children, youth, and their families at Anchor Bay.

Summary of the Position:

The Director / Pastor* of Next Gen Ministries provides strategic, pastoral, and organizational leadership for Anchor Bay’s ministry with children, youth, and their families (birth through high school). This role exists to help cultivate environments where young people can encounter God, grow in faith at their own pace, and feel known, valued, and seen - while also equipping parents, caregivers, and volunteers as essential partners in that work.

This is a senior leadership role that requires systems thinking, relational depth, and the ability to hold complexity with clarity. Because the scope of Next Gen ministry is broad and relationally rich, this role is intentionally designed to be volunteer-led and staff-guided. The Director / Pastor of Next Gen Ministries is not expected to personally lead or execute every program or gathering, but rather to build, equip, and support teams of volunteers who share ownership of the ministry. A primary responsibility of this role is developing leaders, strengthening systems, and creating sustainable structures that allow ministry with children, youth, and families to grow and thrive over time. 

Success is measured not by doing everything personally (or presenting as an “expert”), but by building healthy teams, clear pathways for growth, opportunities for continued learning, and sustainable ministry structures developed over time.

The Director / Pastor of Next Gen Ministries reports to the Lead Pastor and serves on the Staff Senior Leadership Team. 

*This role may be titled Director or Pastor depending on the candidate’s training, credentials, and sense of call. 

Our Formation Philosophy: 

Anchor Bay approaches children’s, youth, and family ministry through a formation-centered, invitational lens rather than a program-driven or attractional model. We believe: 

• Children and youth are active participants in their own spiritual journeys
• Faith formation should honor developmental stages, agency, curiosity, and mystery, including the ways faith, identity, and belonging are formed together over time
• The Holy Spirit is already at work in young people’s lives
• Whenever possible, we seek to equip parents and caregivers to disciple children in their day-to-day lives (rather than outsourcing discipleship work to church programs or leaders) 
• The role of the church is to create spacious, trustworthy environments for growth, belonging, and encountering God 

We are seeking a leader whose theology of child and adolescent development aligns with these convictions and who can articulate, model, and steward this posture across all Next Gen ministries.

Core Responsibilities:

Vision & Strategy

• Ensure ministry alignment with Anchor Bay’s mission, values, and congregational rhythms
• Maintain, further develop, and steward a mission-aligned, multi-year vision and discipleship pathway for children, youth, and their parents/caregivers (birth–18)
• Help discern and shape the future direction of our kids and youth ministries in a changing world, including pastoral care, outreach, and developmental structure (with distinct developmental approaches for middle and high school)
• Maintain, establish, and participate in meaningful milestone moments (e.g., dedications, baptisms, family life transitions, confirmation, senior commissioning, etc.) that help children and youth remain connected to the life of the church across key transitions and into young adulthood 

Volunteer Leadership & Equipping

• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and support volunteer leaders 
• Invest in the development of volunteers as whole people, attending not only to skills and logistics but also to formation, confidence, and sustainability, so that leaders feel supported and equipped for the long term
• Maintain and further develop systems that foster ownership, creativity, and shared leadership among families, kids, teens, and volunteers, creating ministry environments that are collaborative and people-focused rather than staff-centric or program-focused
• Champion children’s and youth ministry as a shared responsibility of the whole church, helping volunteers, parents, church members, and staff understand their role in the faith formation of the next generation

Family Ministry & Pastoral Integration

• Partner with the pastoral and lay-led congregational care teams to support families through transitions and life seasons with care support and referrals where helpful
• Equip parents and caregivers with resources, encouragement, and opportunities for connection in partnership with volunteer parent connections team
• Engage relationally with children, youth, parents/caregivers, and volunteers through sustainable rhythms of presence and shared leadership
• Represent Next Gen ministry in staff leadership team and planning
• Support the church in integrating family ministry into the broader life of the church (worship, community life, service)

Programming & Curriculum Oversight

• Select, adapt, or develop age-appropriate curriculum that reflects Anchor Bay’s theological posture
• Oversee the quality of ministry environments, including physical and emotional safety, accessibility and inclusion, consistency and reliability of programming, and alignment with Anchor Bay’s theological and formation-centered values
• Regularly evaluate and iterate programs based on feedback, participation, and ministry goals
• May be invited to preach or teach as needed and as there is interest and gifting in the candidate

Accessibility, Inclusion & Justice

• Lead with a commitment to disability inclusion and neurodiversity-affirming practices
• Collaborate with families, volunteers, and accessibility team to provide meaningful accommodations when helpful
• Demonstrate cultural competence and justice awareness, recognizing how culture, identity, and family context shape spiritual formation
• Demonstrate comfort engaging faithfully in a church that is committed to a third way approach to sexuality and a pastoral posture rooted in humility, care, and respect for human dignity of all people - especially children and youth navigating vulnerable questions (Read more about our current posture here)
• Approach inclusion and accessibility as an ongoing learning process rather than as fixed expertise

Administration, Systems & Oversight

• Manage budgets, calendars, communication, and coordination with church operations
• Oversee safety policies and procedures (training, background checks, child protection)
• Track and reflect on metrics such as engagement, volunteer sustainability, and program health

Key Qualifications: 

• A vibrant, growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and passion for the spiritual formation of children, youth, and families
• Demonstrated leadership experience with staff and volunteers, ideally in children / youth / family ministries (5+ years experience preferred) 
• Bachelor's degree required, Master's preferred, in education, theology, ministry, biblical studies, counseling, child/adolescent development, or other related field
• Strong relational, organizational, communication, and coaching skills
• Ability to think strategically and manage complexity (systems, calendar, budget)
• Experience with disciple-making and family ministry models
• Pastoral heart: able to provide care, connection, presence, and mentorship
• Ability and willingness to work Sundays, and occasional weekends and evenings (with comp time provided) 
• Agreement with the vision, values, mission, and theological commitments of Anchor Bay

Compensation & Benefits: 

This is a full-time position. The salary range is $62,000–$75,000 (including housing allowance for clergy), commensurate with experience, training, and credentials. 

Additionally, Anchor Bay Church offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement contributions, generous paid time off, Friday-Saturday weekends, sabbaticals, a professional development budget, and hybrid work flexibility. Additional details will be shared with candidates as the process progresses.

Commitment to Diversity, Accessibility & Accommodations: 

Anchor Bay Church is committed to cultivating a community and staff team marked by dignity, hospitality, and belonging. We welcome candidates of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, and theological backgrounds, and we value the gifts that emerge from varied lived experiences and perspectives.

Our commitment to belonging includes ongoing theological and pastoral discernment around questions of identity, faith, and inclusion, which we try to approach with humility, care, and grace.

We are committed to accessibility and to removing barriers wherever possible. If you require accommodations or support at any stage of the application or interview process, we invite you to let us know - we are glad to partner with you to create a process that is accessible and welcoming.

Hiring Process Snapshot: 

Our hiring process is designed to be thoughtful, relational, and prayerful. The process will include conversations with pastoral staff and lay leaders, and may also involve input from parents, caregivers, volunteers, and youth connected to our Kids, Youth, and Family ministries.

We are committed to clear communication throughout the process and to honoring the time, discernment, and vulnerability candidates bring. Our hope is to move forward with care, mutual clarity, and a shared sense of calling. Thank you for considering this position! 

To Apply: Priority will be given to applications received by February 11, 2026, though applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please email resume and cover letter to Pastor Brynn Harrington at brynn@anchorbaychurch.org.