Director/Coordinator of Religious Education

Job Description

Job DescriptionSAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Job Description: Director/Coordinator of Religious Education (DRE / CRE, Part-time)General Description

The Director/Coordinator of Religious Education (DRE) leads and manages all aspects of the St. John the Baptist Parish Religious Education (PREP) program for parish youth, each Sunday during the Academic Year. Supervised by the Pastor, the candidate is a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church, and must accept and be committed to Catholic Church teaching as promulgated under the authority of the Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Primary Responsibility of the Director/Coordinator of Religious Education is to administer (design, develop, direct, communicate and evaluate) the Parish Religious Education Program for the students and families of St. John the Baptist Parish. The DRE:

1. Implements, Directs, and recruits families with children for the Parish Religious Education Program: returning and newly registered students (around 50) from Kindergarten through Grade 8; students with special needs or Individualized Education Plans; matriculating sacramental students; and/or families requesting homeschool options.

2. Supervises, Trains and recruits PREP catechists, aides and volunteers for each level; encourages catechists to obtain Catechetical Certification and promotes ongoing professional and spiritual growth; conducts meetings with Catechists as needed no less than twice per year, tracks Catechist attendance, substitute teaches or reorganizes staff as needed in the event of Catechist absences.

3. Is the Primary Sunday Contact for all PREP regular and emergency operations: Opens and closes “classrooms”; organizes students in Church each Sunday after 9AM Mass and dismisses orderly and reverently; ensures the safety at all time of all students and manages Sunday (or other/ virtual if needed) sessions; coordinates all aspects of drop-off and pickup of all students; maintains an accessible roll book; maintains walkie system; implements fire drills and emergency evacuations; communicates with parents and catechists in emergencies and follows incident report procedures.

• Oversees and directs all requirements associated with sacramental preparation for families of students receiving First Penance, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation and RCIC.
• Attends all regional Archdiocesan Office of Catechetical Formation virtual or in-person meetings and events, parish staff meetings, parent meetings and other parish meetings as assigned by the Pastor.
• Defines Curriculum for each level according to Archdiocesan norms; orders books and materials for students in time for classes
• Incorporates technology into lessons as needed (maintains tablets, prepares A/V; is familiar with streaming services and operating smart devices).
• Prepares, submits to the Pastor, and tracks all finances within the approved PREP budget, manages catechist stipends, maintains supplies
• Communicates with parents timely and directly; is mindful of family statuses and communicates with Pastor when needed
• Obtains and enters catechist and student records for PREP students and families in Parish sacramental registries, Excel Spreadsheets and Parish Database
• Works with parish Safe Environment Coordinator to obtain all clearances as required by the Safe Environment Program for self, catechists, and volunteers; administers annual Kid Talk Safe Environment Lesson for Students and/or trains Catechists to do so
• Coordinates with Director of Operations and Pastor to plan Sacraments and special events according to the current PREP Calendar; keeps apprised of local and public school events in regard to sacramental preparations and activities
• Prepares PREP students /Catechists for May Crowning, Catechetical Sunday, and other important dates.
• Communicates clearly and weekly via email; Creates REMIND or other emergency text chain; submits timely PREP ads and announcements to parish office for bulletin and Masses, manages PREP Facebook page and website content alongside Parish Pages; updates PREP brochure and related forms.
• Implements Registration mailing during summer months; updates Parent and Catechist Manuals.
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements Ideal candidate holds an educational or full experienced background in Theology/Religious Education or related field; strong knowledge of the Catholic Faith and a Practicing Catholic living within norms of the Catholic Church.Position requires mandatory Sunday attendance (8AM – 1PM) during PREP year and two other assigned weekdays in parish office or associated meetings or events (15 hours / week).Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word); Data Entry; Publisher and/or Adobe Creative or Google Suite; ability to create and share PDFs, Social Media familiarity.Cell Phone Required.Candidate must have the physical ability to perform the aforementioned duties.Submit inquiries to:Rev. Kenneth L. Cavara, Pastor St. John the Baptist Church 146 Rector Street, Philadelphia PA 19127 prep@stjohnmanayunk.org www.stjohnmanayunk.org