The Director of Student Ministries must demonstrate mature Christian character and a clear calling to reach and disciple teenagers. This person should have a proven ability to build meaningful relationships with students and their families while exercising the discipline necessary to recruit, develop, organize, and care for a substantial volunteer team.
This is a leadership role that requires the Director to work both relationally and strategically. The Director must enjoy personal ministry with students while recognizing that the long-term health of the ministry depends on equipping others to lead. Rather than attempting to personally carry every aspect of the ministry, the Director will create clarity, develop leaders, establish healthy systems, and empower staff members and volunteers to disciple students effectively.
The Director will also collaborate with The Summit’s central student ministry support team to create effective ministry.
Requirements
- A strong candidate will be a mature and grounded follower of Jesus whose life reflects the character expected of a spiritual leader. This person will possess a genuine love for teenagers and a strong desire to see students who are far from God come to faith in Christ.
- The ideal leader will be both relational and organized. Students, parents, volunteers, and staff members should experience this person as approachable, trustworthy, and pastorally attentive. At the same time, the candidate must be capable of managing programs, developing systems, leading a team, communicating consistently, and following through on commitments.
- This person should also be an empowering leader. The Summit is not looking for someone who must personally lead every group, event, or conversation. The most effective candidate will build ministry through others by identifying leaders, developing their gifts, giving them meaningful responsibility, and caring for them well. They must also have a missionary heart for students far from God, especially in local schools, and equip current students as missionaries in their own schools.
- The right candidate will appreciate working within a large, multisite church. This requires the ability to lead contextually at the campus level while remaining aligned with broader church strategies and collaborating effectively with central teams.
Why We Love This Opportunity
The Summit Church offers the rare opportunity to lead a significant student ministry within a deeply missional, disciple-making church that is committed to reaching the next generation and sending people into the world. I love that this role combines meaningful relationships with students and families, the resources of a large multisite church, and the freedom to strengthen an established ministry for even greater impact.
About The Summit Church
The Summit Church is a gospel centered, sending church located in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina. Following the Holy Spirit, The Summit exists “to create a movement of disciple making disciples, in RDU and around the world.” The church’s public language is simple and clear: prioritize the gospel above all, do whatever it takes to reach all people, make disciples and not just converts, and send every member to Live Sent.
The Summit has grown into a significant multi-campus church with a strong sending culture, a deep commitment to evangelism, and a broad ministry footprint across the Triangle and beyond. The church describes itself as a movement of men and women who reflect the diversity of the community and live that diversity out in authentic unity.
Student Ministry is a key expression of The Summit’s broader mission. Summit Students (serving 5th through 12th grade) exists to partner with families in raising up a generation that loves Christ and his mission, equipping students to grow in faith and live sent. As one of the church’s core discipleship pathways alongside Kids, College, and Adult ministries, Summit Students carries the same five values taught church-wide into the next generation, giving students a place to own their faith through weekly large-group gatherings and small, relationally-driven Groups.
About Raleigh
The Summit Church is based in the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina, often referred to locally as RDU or the Triangle. The church office is located in Durham, and its campuses serve communities across the region.
The Triangle is one of the most dynamic regions in the Southeast, marked by major universities, research and technology industries, medical centers, cultural diversity, and steady population growth. This creates a unique ministry context for The Summit. The region includes deep opportunity and deep need. A leader in Student Ministry will need to understand the complexity of this setting and help the church disciple students — and equip their families — with wisdom, humility, courage, and gospel clarity.
