The mission of the Catholic Church of Washington is to spread the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. In the faithful pursuit of this mission, St. Edward the Confessor parish in Bowie, Md. is seeking a Director of Religious Education (DRE). This role designs and directs a comprehensive religious education program for adults and children in Kindergarten through 8th grade. The DRE reports to the Pastor.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Manages the Religious Education Program for K-8 kids, including First Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation.
- Researches and implements the latest best practices for child safety, the prevention of abuse, and appropriate handling of abuse cases if they occur.
- Evaluates and revises program curricula to make religious education classes more effective.
- Coordinates retreats that encourage spiritual preparation for First Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation, as well as rehearsing for participation in the sacraments.
- Coordinates safe and fun community-building activities for kids.
- Recruits and trains volunteers for teaching.
- Will build a program of theological enrichment events for adults.
- Performs related duties as assigned by the Pastor.
- Maintains compliance with all archdiocesan and parish policies.
Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- A knowledge and appreciation of diverse aspects of the Catholic Church, its theology, mission, evangelization, history, and spirituality.
- Leadership ability.
- Ability to teach children with energy and positivity.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong ability to build relationships with a diverse group of parishioners, staff, and with other parishes in the area.
- Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Able to plan large events involving coordination with the Archdiocese of Washington and other parishes in the area.
- Organizational skills to manage paperwork for children receiving sacraments, tracking attendance, and setting up for events.
- Knowledge of teaching methods for special needs students is a plus.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Catholic theology, religious education, church history or other relevant area (will accept applications from students in their senior year).
- Practical teaching experience as a catechist, school teacher, or in a similar role. Coursework in catechetics will be considered as experience.
- Experience with administrative functions (budgeting, scheduling, institutional relationships).
- Excellent computer proficiency (Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, and Gmail).
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, printers and filing cabinets. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a part time 20 hour per week role with evening and weekend hours.
This role has a starting salary of $35,000.
Please forward your resume to: bookkeeper@stedwardbowie.com