EMBRACE church
auburn, AL
STUDENT MINISTER
The opportunity
This is more than a job — it’s a call to meaningful ministry at a church that is thriving, growing, and deeply committed to authentic discipleship. Embrace Church in Auburn, Alabama, is looking for a passionate and relational Student Minister who is eager to invest in students, empower adult leaders, and build a ministry that develops real and lasting faith in the next generation.
With 60+ students currently involved, a solid volunteer team in place, and a strong reputation in the community, the student ministry is poised for even greater impact. The previous youth pastor served faithfully for 8 years and has now stepped into an associate role on staff — a testament to the health of the culture and the opportunity to grow within it.
You’ll have real influence, creative freedom, and the full support of a collaborative and Christ-centered team. If you’re ready to step into a role where your leadership will be trusted, your ideas will be welcomed, and your love for students will be fully utilized — Embrace Church is ready for you.
embrace church
Embrace Church is an independent, non-denominational church with Wesleyan roots and a posture of grace, humility, and gospel-centered mission. With an average Sunday attendance of 550–600 and a newly built facility, Embrace is experiencing a season of significant momentum and growth. Launched 12 years ago, the church spent over a decade meeting in a high school gym before moving into their permanent space in the heart of Auburn.
The church's vision is simple: Embrace people. Empower disciples. Everything flows from that — including their commitment to building a thriving student ministry that isn’t babysitting, but a vibrant space for transformation, community, and calling.
Let’s chat workplace culture
Embrace is the kind of staff team that prays together, laughs often, and supports one another deeply. It’s a highly relational and emotionally intelligent team that values humility, honesty, and a deep love for Jesus. There’s no rigid hierarchy here — just a team of leaders who bring their full selves and carry the weight of ministry together.
The staff culture is described as fun, warm, and collaborative. They eat lunch together. They pray intentionally. They challenge each other to grow. You’ll be empowered to lead your ministry area with freedom, while also being connected to the broader vision of the church. There are no silos at Embrace — it’s all hands on deck, and your voice will matter from day one.
They’re not looking for a “celebrity communicator” or a stepping-stone seeker. They’re looking for someone who is humble, competent, and deeply called to make disciples among students. Someone who is organized, people-centered, a great communicator — and who has a sense of humor.
POSITION PROFILE
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES & PRIORITIES
I. BEING A DISCIPLE AND MAKING DISCIPLES The greatest priority is to first be a growing disciple of Jesus and continually cultivate an intimate and abiding relationship with God. All life and ministry must flow from the center of this ongoing relationship. It is also important to understand that being a disciple inherently involves making and forming other disciples as well. This will primarily play out within the students, leaders and families of the Youth Ministry, but will also expand to the wider church and community as a whole.
II. OVERALL LEADERSHIP OF STUDENT MINISTRY This person will lead the charge in ministry to and with our students from 6th through 12th grade. This will involve: • Overall leadership of the weekly “Embrace Youth” gathering on Sunday evenings to include engaging biblical teaching and a small group environment that both embraces students and empowers them as disciples. • Offering guidance and pastoral care to students and families through life events and major faith decisions. • Developing strategies to engage and empower students where they live life – schools, athletic events, other community functions. • Organizing logistics of the weekly Embrace Youth gathering and other special events through the year (camps, retreats, mission projects, etc.). • Maintaining communications with students, families and the larger church family (managing social media; working with the Embrace Communications Coordinator, etc.). • Administering and managing the Youth Ministry budget as well as providing annual forecasting of anticipated needs. • Supporting and resourcing families with tools to invest and support their students through this unique season of life.
III. DEVELOPING AND EMPOWERING LEADERS FOR MINISTRY While this role will obviously involve direct ministry to students and families, a key priority is to empower others to join as partners in leading the ministry. This involves great discernment, prayerful consideration, vision-casting, and even an ability to help potential leaders see things in themselves that they might not yet see. In essence, this position will require the kind of person who can recruit, invest and empower other leaders to carry out the ministry and bring vision into reality.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• A life grounded in Scripture and authentic, growing relationship with Jesus.
• Gifts for teaching/preaching in large and small group settings.
• Ability to provide Godly wisdom, empathetic listening and compassionate care to students, leaders and parents. • Capacity and confidence to lead and inspire other leaders within the ministry.
• Ability to create and/or evaluate content and curriculum for biblical faithfulness.
• Exemplary communication skills, both verbal and written.
• High level of organization, planning and time management skills.
• Strong dependability, reliability, and confidentiality. • Self-starting initiative with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Forward thinking with capacity to foresee anticipated needs.
• Ability to be detail/task oriented while also caring deeply for people in the process.
EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
• Qualified Youth Minister candidates should have a minimum of 2-3 years experience in ministering to students and their families (in a church or para-church organization).
• Completion of an undergraduate degree.
• A seminary degree or other form of formal youth ministry training preferred but not required.
COMMITMENT
• This is a full time, 40-hour/week ministry position with typical work days of Sunday through Thursday. Work hours for the weekdays are 8:30am to 4:30pm and can be flexible at times as long as responsibilities are fulfilled, and key meetings with staff and other leaders are maintained. As with all engaging ministry to students, there will be occasions with unusual time commitments including days and nights of intense work. With this in mind it will be imperative for the Student Minister to have strong boundaries and healthy self-care practices. Embrace’s leadership is committed to raising healthy families for the kingdom of God, including those who serve on its staff.
• Being on the staff of Embrace Church naturally places a person into a position of spiritual leadership within the body of Christ. With this, all staff persons are required to sign and live within our Embrace Church Leadership Covenant.
What’s it like to live in
AUBURN, AL
Auburn is a fast-growing, vibrant college town with a strong sense of community and Southern charm. Home to Auburn University, the city blends the energy of a major campus with the warmth of a close-knit town. It’s a place where you can grab coffee with students in the morning, hike a nature trail in the afternoon, and cheer on the Tigers at night.
The cost of living is affordable, and the area is booming with new restaurants, housing developments, and job opportunities. Whether you're into sports, live music, outdoor adventures, or building meaningful friendships — Auburn offers an exciting and balanced lifestyle.
You’ll find a welcoming and dynamic environment to build both a fulfilling ministry and a vibrant personal life. And with its proximity to Montgomery and just a short drive from Atlanta, you’ll have access to all the amenities of a big city while still enjoying the space and pace of a smaller town. It’s a place where your ministry can thrive — and so can you.