Director of Spiritual Formation

CLASSIFICATION: Full Time, Salary (12 month)

REPORTS TO: Assistant VP for Spiritual Formation and Christian Community

DEPARTMENT: Spiritual Formation and Christian Community

LOCATION: Grand Rapids, MI

SUMMARY

The individual in this position provides spiritual, formational, and educational leadership to Cornerstone University’s campus ministries initiatives and serves as a key stakeholder in the leadership team of the Spiritual Formation and Christian Community (SFCC) department. This role is responsible for leading the campus community in a bible-saturated means of grace ministry emphasizing the role of Scripture, prayer, authentic fellowship, and participation in the local church. The ideal candidate for this position must display a genuine love for Christ and love for others, as well as an ability to articulate and model a life of practically applied biblical wisdom and knowledge. The core of Cornerstone University is defined and driven by its Christ-centered mission and Biblical confession.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Equip members of the campus community for effective discipleship and formative opportunities within the student population with emphasis on traditional undergraduate.
  • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to contribute to the success of Cornerstone’s discipleship and formative ministries.
  • Recruit, train, assist, supervise, and provide accountability for student leaders and staff members involved in direct discipleship and formative opportunities.
  • Leads the campus ministries team consisting of both staff and student workers.
  • Identify and/or produce discipleship materials for use by the traditional undergraduate population that are in alignment with CU’s Confession, CU statements, and best practices in Christian higher education.
  • Model good stewardship with the use of time, ministry resources, and ministry funds.
  • Lead efforts in equipping the university community in becoming effective disciple makers and leading Bible studies.
• Oversee Cornerstone’s chapel program.
  • Contribute to chapel planning schedules, themes, and the identification of chapel speakers.
  • Coordinate corollary programming related to CU’s chapel program (such as Collegiate Day of Prayer, Global Impact Week, special and additional services, etc.).
  • Manage the review of chapel requirement policies, exemption requests, and follow-up meetings with students related to student needs and chapel requirements.
  • Lead the programming of chapel through on-platform opportunities (ranging from speaker introductions to speaking in chapel).
  • Ensures adherence to the university’s Christ-centered mission for the entirety of the chapel experience.
    
• Engage in opportunities for discipleship and spiritual formational support to students.
  • Personally foster discipleship and formative relationships through mentoring selected students and leading a small group of targeted students each semester.
  • Serve as a member of the Care Team.
  • Foster a level of visibility and availability in the CU campus community through involvement in other campus events and collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, and students.
  • Assess student benevolence needs and collaborate with the student life leadership team to distribute funds in accordance with established policies.
• Strengthen and support connections between CU students and local churches in Grand Rapids.
  • Maintain a church directory that is available and searchable by CU students.
  • Oversee the planning of the annual church fair to introduce CU students to church opportunities and leaders in Grand Rapids.
  • Creatively implement strategies and programs to effectively engage students in the life of the local church.
  • Build and maintain relationships with local church pastors by inviting them to speak at campus ministries functions, visiting local churches, and participating in church conferences.
• Oversee student spiritual engagement opportunities
  • Responsible for creating, executing, and managing aspects of CU's student discipleship ministry that focus on discipleship and spiritual formation of CU students.
  • Plan, implement, and assess prayer meetings, small groups, and spiritual formation retreats.
  • Provide training and support to mentors and small groups.
  • Establish and maintain opportunities for service and volunteering on campus and in the community.
  • Oversee the planning of global mission trips.
    
• Serve as a member of the Spiritual Formation and Christian Community leadership team.
  • Participate in leadership team meetings.
  • Foster collaborative relationships through teaching opportunities as necessary and available.
  • Serve on assigned committees as necessary and available.
  • Provide input and support to overall departmental initiatives.
• All Cornerstone University employees will regularly interact with students in a variety of projects, activities, and settings. As such all employees are expected to serve as Christian leaders and mentors by effectively living a gospel-centered lifestyle, ministering and discipling through a biblical worldview.
• Other duties may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required combined with 1 to 3 years of spiritual leadership or mentoring roles. Progress toward a masters degree in a ministry field is preferred.
• Demonstrated capacity and character for effective pastoral ministry .
• Demonstrated experience related to college student spiritual formation/discipleship.
• Demonstrated capacity for educational leadership.
• Love for students and proven ability to relationally connect with them.
• Proven discretion and capacity to maintain a high level of confidentiality.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an active Christian commitment.

A theology that supports the values and mission of Cornerstone University core commitments evidenced by an ability to affirm and sign the university’s doctrinal statement, “The Cornerstone Confession.”

Four other foundational pillars, along with the university’s mission and confession, form Cornerstone’s Core Commitments.

• The Cornerstone Christian World View

• The Cornerstone Academic Vision

• The Cornerstone Beautiful Christian Community

• The Marriage and Human Sexuality Position Statement

These core commitments convey who we are, what we believe and how we live and work together in community. Employees are expected to faithfully attend an evangelical and biblical church whose core beliefs and practices are consistent with Cornerstone’s confession and core commitments.