Youth Religious Exploration Manager
Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist
Palatine, IL
Hours:
Salaried position: 30 hrs/wk including Sundays; remaining hours flexible, scheduled in collaboration with Minister, staff and lay leaders.
Compensation:
Pay based on UUA Standards, prorated for 30 hr work week. Includes medical, disability, retirement benefits and stipend for professional expenses/continuing education. Compensation starting at $43,650
Start Date: April 19, 2026 (flexible)
Apply By: March 20, 2026
Reports to: Minister
Our Religious Exploration Manager Position
Are you an energetic, organized individual? Are you an open-minded, caring person who likes helping children learn and grow? Are you able to work with volunteers to manage several programs at the same time? Do you enjoy the challenge of helping groups grow? Then come join us!
This administrative, organizational position comes with significant support from consistent volunteer leaders and enthusiastic teachers to assist you in creating programming for children and youth. We are looking for an energetic leader with solid organizational and execution skills who loves working with a variety of people including parents, teachers, and clergy to create a dynamic community for our children, youth and their caregivers. We aim to hire someone who wants to help us integrate our K-12 members and friends into our larger community to create multi-age learning experiences. Our ideal colleague will be comfortable jumping in to learn the ropes to help manage our existing children and youth UU-based religious exploration programs that are growing and changing. They will work very closely with our experienced and creative lay leaders and volunteer teachers who support our children and youth programs.
As our membership and RE enrollment grow, we look forward to the possibility of expanding the hours and scope of this role.
Responsibilities
Our Minister and Lay leaders will actively partner with you to prioritize these responsibilities, narrow the scope of your individual work and help allocate your time and delegate specific activities to our volunteers who are here, side-by-side with you, to help fulfill these responsibilities.
Design and implement Religious Exploration (RE) Program (60%)
- Plan and organize our RE program for youth (pre-K through high school), including youth-led services, and social justice learning experiences
- Develop weekly lesson plans
- Setup & take down classrooms for teachers with volunteer support
- Develop monthly faith-in-action plans for all ages (preK-8th)
- Work with volunteers, parents and teachers to deliver Coming of Age or OWL program rotating over a 3 yr cycle
- Communicate with families, teachers and congregation about offerings
- Recruit, train and support volunteer RE teachers, nursery staff and lay leaders
- Work with our Minister and lay leaders to select future UU curriculum for children/youth
- Guide, attend and assist with Family Ministry (intergenerational) events as possible
Worship, Pastoral Care, and Rites of Passage (20%)
- Coordinate with Minister a weekly “Time for All Ages” storybook or activity mirroring sermon
- Find, develop and execute annual holiday pageant
- Work with volunteers to ensure fidget areas (prayer tables) have activities
- Maintain and develop supportive relationships with CCUU families and children
- Make referrals to the Minister and Lay Ministry team about pastoral care needs
- Provide support for Child Dedications, Coming of Age and High School Bridging rites of passages
Administration (20%)
- Communicate with our congregation regarding religious exploration activities with worship announcements, bulletin boards, occasional newsletter articles, and RE information on website
- Gather and report data for RE registration, attendance, background checks, expenses
- Work with RE Council to develop a yearly calendar, including congregational activities as time permits
- Respect, uphold, and ensure compliance with RE Safety Policies and other pertinent congregational rules and policies
Qualifications and Competencies:
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills – written, email, phone, social media.
- Ability to plan and organize activities of volunteers and staff.
- Ability to recruit, train and motivate volunteer staff.
- Experience teaching children and youth in an educational or spiritual setting
- Ability to work in close collaboration with the Minister, lay leaders and staff.
- Solid computer skills and proficiency in computers.
- Basic understanding of the use of AI to supplement program activities
- Commitment to Unitarian Universalist values and principles.
- Must successfully complete a background check.
Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist
We are a community of spirited and nurturing people who gather to support and practice liberal religion through worship, study and service. We are an LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation and a Green Sanctuary Certified Congregation. We are united in the belief that each person’s unique spiritual path enriches our shared journey as a faith community. We cherish diversity while holding faith that there is a deep, abiding unity.
We are a congregation of 250+ adult members and 30+ children and youth located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Our religious community affirms, challenges and supports a diverse membership that spans all age groups, faith traditions, and an array of ethnic, political and economic experiences. Our goal is to become ever more intergenerational, bringing people of all ages together to worship, to learn, and to make a positive difference in our world!
We are in an exciting and dynamic chapter of congregation life as our current co-ministers will be retiring at the end of this church year in June 2026, leading us to new ministerial leadership this fall. We invite you to join us in this time of renewal and re-commitment to our vision of creating belonging, inspiring curiosity, and healing our world.
To apply
If you are excited about this role but unsure whether you meet all of the requirements, we would love to hear from you and encourage you to inquire and/or apply.
Please send to Personnel@ccuu.org
- A cover letter which includes your connection to Unitarian Universalism
- Please send a resume of relevant education (formal and/or informal), employment, and volunteer experience
- Names and contact information for three references
Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, genetic pre-disposition, ancestry or national origin.
