As Pastor Jenny prepares to step away from her appointed pastoral role with the Open Door Church community, we’re on the lookout for the next leadership structure for our shared youth ministry.

We’re curious to co-create a position around someone who is passionate about youth ministry in Salem and Keizer. Read below and reach out if this is you or someone you know!

Youth & Family Connector

We are seeking a relational, grounded, and compassionate leader who feels called to invest in the lives of teens and their families—someone who doesn’t just “run youth programs,” but cultivates spaces of belonging, trust, and authentic faith formation.

This role is being shaped around the right person. We are less concerned with predefined hours or structure and more committed to discerning a mutual fit with someone who carries both a deep care for young people and the emotional intelligence to walk alongside families. 

The Heart of the Role

At its core, this role is about connection.

We are looking for someone who:

• Naturally builds trust with teenagers

• Communicates with parents in ways that are clear, calm, and grounded

• Pays attention to the emotional and relational dynamics beneath the surface

• Creates environments where young people feel safe to show up as they are

This person will serve as a relational bridge—not just a coordinator—between teens, parents, and our broader faith community.

Key Areas of Focus

1. Relational Presence with Teens

• Show up consistently in the lives of teens (both in structured and informal spaces)

• Build authentic, trust-based relationships over time

• Create space for honest conversation, doubt, curiosity, and growth in faith

2. Communication & Partnership with Parents

• Develop meaningful, trust-filled relationships with parents

• Communicate clearly and proactively about gatherings, needs, and concerns

• Support parents as they navigate the complexity of raising teens today

3. Connection to the Salem Youth Collective

• Serve as a bridge between our community and the Salem Youth Collective planning team

• Encourage and support teens in participating in Collective gatherings

• Help teens feel a sense of belonging within that broader community

4. Monthly Youth Gathering

• Help facilitate a monthly youth group experience alongside existing leaders

• Prioritize connection, safety, and spiritual formation over polished programming

• Collaborate with others to create meaningful and engaging gatherings

• Open to creating other gathering opportunities as desired by teens, parents & leaders 

Who This Might Be

This role could be a strong fit for someone who:

• Has experience (formal or informal) working with teenagers

• Is emotionally attuned and relationally intelligent

• Is comfortable initiating conversations with both teens and adults

• Understands that faith formation is slow, relational, and often non-linear

• Values presence over performance

What Matters Most

More than credentials or specific experience, we are looking for someone who:

• Shows up consistently

• Listens deeply

• Communicates clearly

• Cares genuinely

This is not a “run a program and go home” role. It is an invitation to invest in relationships that unfold over time and to help cultivate a community where teens and families experience belonging, honesty, and growth in faith.

Non-Negotiables

To thrive in this role, the following are essential:

• You initiate connection. You do not wait for teens or parents to reach out first. You consistently take the first step—starting conversations, following up, and building relationships over time.

• You are relationally proactive, not passive. This role requires noticing who is on the margins, who hasn’t shown up, and who might need a check-in—and then reaching out with care and consistency.

• You are comfortable engaging both teens and parents. You can move between conversations with teenagers and adults with clarity, warmth, and confidence.

• You follow through. If you say you’ll reach out, you do. If you begin building a relationship, you stay with it. Reliability builds trust, and trust is the foundation of this role.

• You are committed to creating an inclusive, affirming environment. This includes actively affirming LGBTQ+ teens and creating spaces where they are safe, respected, and fully included—not tolerated.

• You are neurodivergent-affirming in your approach. You recognize and honor different ways of thinking, processing, and engaging. You are willing to adapt communication, expectations, and environments so that all teens can participate as their full selves.

• You value presence over polish. This is not about running impressive programs. It’s about showing up, again and again, in ways that are real, attentive, and grounded.

This Role May Not Be a Good Fit If:

• You prefer to wait for others to initiate relationships

• You feel drained by ongoing, relational engagement rather than energized by it

• You are more interested in planning events than building relationships

• You are uncomfortable reaching out to parents or navigating adult conversations

• You struggle to follow up or maintain consistent communication

• You are not aligned with creating a fully inclusive, LGBTQ+ affirming environment

• You are not open to adapting your approach to support neurodivergent teens

If something in this resonates with you, please reach out to Pastor Jenny Smith at pastorjenny@opendoorchurches.org and let’s talk!