First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Community Connections Coordinator Who we are: First Universalist Church of Minneapolis is a 900+ member church with a 160+ year history of being a strong and powerful voice for liberal religion and social justice in Minneapolis and beyond. We sway to the Universalist side of Unitarian Universalism, which means that we're rooted in an ethic of love with a wide embrace. On any given Sunday, you'll find us preaching about racial justice in the sanctuary and creating a radically inclusive community in our religious education classes that welcome more than 300 children and youth. There's a lot going on here, and we're looking for someone who puts relationships first, is grounded in an all-embracing love, and is ready to think and act outside the box in what church can mean. As a staff team, we're a multicultural group of staff and ministers who collectively represent the breadth and scope of Unitarian Universalism and beyond, from devout theism to atheist doubt and everything in between. We work hard, we have fun, and we do our best to honor our past while innovating toward the future. We believe in our work and how we approach it, but we're not afraid to ask critical questions, explore our assumptions, and change plans if there's a better way
- we're committed to outcome, not ego, and at the end of the day, want to do what's best for the church and our service to the wider world. Toni Cade Bambara said that the job of a cultural worker is to make revolution irresistible. This sentiment is at the heart of our aspiration for our church
- that the depth of relationship and transformation possible here allows the emergence of Beloved Community
- which is to say the state of being where justice, equity, compassion and love prevail and guide our actions in ourselves, with each other in community, and in the wider world.
Who You Are:
You are a deeply relational person who is caring toward and curious about people. You believe that love can be a transformative power in individual and collective life. You are a skilled facilitator, able to create spaces where the experiences and identities of others are welcomed and supported, and adaptation is the norm. You actively center the needs and experiences of marginalized groups, and work to direct resources of time, energy, funding, and attention for their spiritual development. You are collaborative and oriented toward building and strengthening community. You are organized and capable at planning and managing systems and processes, often more than one at once. You are comfortable with and competent at using tech tools like Google suite and Zoom, and willing to develop expertise in the Breeze Church Management database system. You are confident assessing existing systems and creating new ones to meet the needs and hopes of the moment.
Responsibilities:
With the Assistant Minister and Programs and Communications Specialist, the Community Connections Coordinator articulates a comprehensive faith formation and community engagement program for everyone who connects with the church
- from first-time visitors to long-time members.
The Community Connections Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the membership and adult programming of the church. The Community Connections Coordinator supports group leaders and facilitates connections for congregants as they deepen their spiritual practice and their relationship with First Universalist and each other. Being present the majority of Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings is essential. This position reports to the Assistant Minister. With the Membership Team, coordinates visitor and new member programming. Coordinate regular events/opportunities to invite, equip, support leadership development and shared ministry of the church. Invite church members into shared ministry opportunities. Coordinate program registration, prepare class rosters, support scheduling and assigning of virtual and/or physical rooms Coordinate the creation of Monthly Theme Packets for small group ministries Support small group facilitators in being prepared to lead their small groups Support and facilitate systems and processes for program evaluation and feedback Coordinate programming for and be the staff host for monthly Community Dinners Check and respond to inquiries via email/website/phone Sunday-specific support: Acts as a welcoming presence in the building by assisting guests with wayfinding and engaging with visitors and newcomers during coffee hour, and supports shared ministry in Sunday morning welcoming. In partnership with the Programs and Communications Specialist, manages the organization of Sign-Up Sundays (three times per year). Usher/greeter team development Communications and administration support: Provides back up support to the Programs and Communications Specialist, including but not limited to: preparing the online Order of Service, editing and sending the weekly newsletter, preparing and sending congregational eblasts and texts, preparing and uploading the monthly Board packet.
Database-specific duties:
Utilize the church's Breeze Church Management software to support the programming of the church Ensure accurate membership profiles for congregants and provide accurate membership numbers to the staff and church leaders Coordinate the process of alerting members to lapsing status and removal from membership annually. Other responsibilities as needed. Core Competencies Racial Justice . An ability to articulate what an anti-racist ministry looks like, normalizing this conversation in all ministry settings and partnering with congregants and others to achieve this goal. A commitment and clear pathways to facilitate Black and Brown liberation and joy, as well as ongoing learning and development about race and racial/ethnic identity for both BIPOC and White congregants. Demonstrates willingness and capacity to work against racism and decenter White Supremacy Culture. Managing conflict. Deals with problems quickly and directly; steps up to conflicts, seeing them as opportunities; reads situations quickly; focuses when listening; settles disputes collaboratively and equitably; finds common ground and gets cooperation. Interpersonal relationships . Relates well to all kinds of people, inside and outside of the congregation; builds appropriate rapport; builds effective and constructive relationships; diplomacy and tact; is regarded as a team player. Trust and integrity . Is widely trusted; seen as direct and truthful; keeps confidence; admits mistakes; adheres to an appropriate and effective set of core values during good and bad times; acts in line with those values; practices what he or she preaches Organizing . Can gather and organize resources (people, funding, material, support) to get things done; can orchestrate multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; can use resources effectively and efficiently. Developing leaders. Is able to identify raw talent and recruit capable people into positions of responsibility; provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments for others to do; delegates appropriately; builds people up; maintains open and active dialogue with volunteers; communicates expectations clearly and holds people accountable. Accurately assesses the length and difficulty of a project ; sets objectives and goals; breaks down work into process steps; develops schedules and task/people assignments; anticipates and adjusts for problems and roadblocks; measures performance against goals; evaluates results. Managing vision and purpose. Articulates and supports the vision and mission of First Universalist church; communicates a compelling and inspired vision for ministry; talks beyond the here and now to a larger sense of purpose; creates a compelling vision of possibility, hope, and optimism; helps others to own the vision. Hours, compensation, and location This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position that requires working the majority of Sundays as well as some evenings. The salary range for the position reflects the recommended UUA's salary guidelines for a Manager level position in a Large Congregation, with a minimum salary of $69,800. The benefits package includes employer-paid health insurance; optional employee-funded dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance; and access to employee-funded medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs). The Church also provides a 10% employer retirement contribution after one year of service, along with paid vacation and holidays and compliance with Minnesota requirements for Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) and Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). This position is supervised by the Assistant Minister and will work collaboratively with the Programs & Communications Specialist. The position is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This position requires in-person work with remote work possible at some times, depending on the activities of the church. First Universalist Church is committed to creating a diverse and multicultural work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. A background check is a required condition of employment. Church members are not eligible for this position. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to jen@firstuniv.org.
