Bridges to Belonging Program Associate

Baylor University•Waco, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Baylor University is seeking a Program Associate for Bridges to Belonging, a grant-funded project focused on equipping churches to welcome and embrace youth and young adults (ages 13-25) who experience disabilities, mental health conditions, and chronic illnesses. This is funded through the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. We are guiding churches in assessing and adapting their ministries in ways that respond to the deep and growing needs of young people impacted by disability in a post-pandemic and ever-changing world. This position will contribute to the coaching and support of our partner churches, the creation of resources to equip churches for accessible ministry, the development and teaching of a new Spiritual Direction training program focused on emerging adults, and the implementation and dissemination of research studies and program evaluation. It is a full-time position at 30-40 hours per week for up to two years contingent on available funding.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant work experience are required.
Spiritual Direction Certification required.
All applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

A Doctoral degree and five years of relevant work experience are preferred.
Some evening and weekend work may be required.
Prior experience in qualitative or mixed-method research and academic writing
Desire to see faith communities increase their accessibility and hospitality
Strong communication skills
Strong writing skills
Ability to engage effectively across diverse congregational, theological, and cultural contexts
Proficiency in conveying research findings in an approachable format for non-academic and ministerial audiences

Responsibilities

Support and coach churches engaged in the Bridges to Belonging cohort
Attend and support the facilitation of large group gatherings at Baylor, conduct site visits, facilitate small group gatherings among church teams, provide ongoing coaching and support through Zoom and in-person check-ins, and identify and share relevant resources and organizational connections
Contribute to the development of curriculum for a new spiritual direction training program focused on emerging adults and mental health
Serve as a teacher in the new spiritual direction training program
Supervise and/or provide guidance to students in the Spiritual Direction Training Program
Collect and write-up evaluation findings from cohort activities for both scholarly and lay audiences
Contribute to ongoing qualitative and mixed-methods research studies
Present project findings at state and national conferences
Contribute to the writing and development of resources for a ministerial and lay audiences related to accessible ministry for youth and young adults, including tips sheets, a toolkit for congregations, and online webinars or courses
Translate research findings into accessible resources for ministerial audiences
Collaborate with other team members on all aspects of this project
Perform all other duties as assigned to support Baylor’s mission
Ability to comply with university policies
Maintain regular and punctual attendance