Church and Community Engagement Lead

In the heart of The Kingsway, a dynamic Community in Jesus Christ Kingsway-Lambton United Church (“KL”) is an affirming church located in the heart of Toronto’s Kingsway neighbourhood. We are guided by our values: Belonging, Spirituality, Compassionate Service and Relevance. Our invitation to the community is “Whoever you are, wherever you’re at, you are welcome. Join us on the journey!” The Church and Community Engagement Lead will play an essential role on the team that ensures that everyone who interacts with KL fully experiences this invitation and feels welcome. Purpose The Church and Community Engagement Lead (“CCEL”) is a relationship-builder both within the KL faith-community and surrounding area. Using your strong planning and people skills, you will ensure that church events are properly supported by enthusiastic volunteers. You will look for opportunities to build and maintain strong relationships within the community, to maximize use of the church building and bring new people to KL. We are looking for a self-starter with a passion for helping others and keeping a busy church growing! Through this role, you will become an integral part of a long-standing church family. Major Responsibilities Community Engagement * Help grow KL by building and leveraging community relationships * Participates in large community events with the KL leadership team, using these events as an opportunity to transition one-time visitors into other church activities * Identifies opportunities to bring new activities and information to the KL community, through events like guest speakers, books studies, etc. * Seeks new opportunities to make use of the church building, increasing rental revenue in partnership with property management staff, the Church Coordinator and Property Ministry Lead Marketing and Communications * Creates content and seeks to use social media and other tactics to promote church events and activities, increasing attendance and growing the KL community * Partners with event volunteer coordinators to use social media to promote church activities * Partners with Church Coordinator and Financial Administrator to share content between church social media accounts, the church website and digital signage Church Engagement * Interacts and engages with the congregation before and after worship services and church activities * Plans and communicates effectively so that church events are supported by the appropriate number of volunteers * Partners with the ministry team to support new activities and programs for the KL faith-community, through events like guest speakers, books studies, etc. * Collaborates with volunteer leaders of large community events like the Art Show, Live Nativity, Pageant and Flea Market to ensure the events are properly supported * Provides orientation and training to volunteers as required * Manages volunteer and church personnel coverage for the nursery, KL Kids and other key Sunday activities * Thinks and plans strategically to build an appropriate pipeline of volunteers, including, participating in succession planning for key (volunteer) leadership positions within the church * Contributes to the rolling 12-month calendar of events in partnership with the Lead Minister, Church Council, the UCW, and the Church Coordinator with appropriate spacing to avoid volunteer burnout * Ensures volunteers who are working with children, youth and the elderly have up to date Vulnerable Sector Screening checks. Working with the Church Coordinator, ensures these records are retained and kept up to date Other Responsibilities * Creates and manages a volunteer database for the church (in consultation with Lead Minister, Church Council, and ministry and committee leaders) * Participates in the weekly KL staff meeting and provides updates during Council Meetings * Other duties as assigned Working Conditions * This is a full-time contract role – the hours of work are a minimum of 35 hours per week (not generally 9-5 as our CCEL will regularly work evenings and weekends as indicated below) * It is expected that the CCEL will generally work on-site at KL located at 85 The Kingsway, Etobicoke, ON. This position is not remote. The CCEL may be required to attend meetings at other locations in the course of their duties. * This individual contributor role will report the KL Communications Ministry Co-Leads * Weekend and evening work is required in support of church events- (ie. Flea Market, Art, Show, Pageant, Council Meetings, etc), with compensating time off or flexibility to rearrange hours to ensure work/life balance * Subject to frequent interruptions * During the Christmas and Easter seasons and during times of large church events, vacation should be avoided (personal circumstances will be considered) * A clear Vulnerable Sector Screening check must be provided as a condition of employment and every three years thereafter Qualifications Education/Experience * College diploma or higher in a related field or 4 – 5 years of relevant experience in the not-for-profit sector working in disciplines such as Volunteer Management, Marketing Communications, Engagement Skills and Competencies * Community and Church Engagement: Skilled at building relationships with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers, church members, and local organizations * Communication & Influence: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire others, navigate and resolve conflict and align the efforts of diverse groups behind common goals. * Resilience, Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate challenges, and remain flexible in a fast-paced environment. Resilience, professionalism and an unwavering demonstration of our Christian values is key * Volunteer Coordination: Ability to recruit, train, and manage volunteers effectively * Technology Proficiency: ** Strong command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) ** Experience with volunteer management software, CRM systems, or church database tools is an asset ** Knowledge of graphic design programs (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite) for event promotions is a plus ** Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain a high degree of accuracy ** Ability to leverage social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to market and communicate church activities ** Utilize various tactics and mediums to engage with community (ie. Zoom, Live Stream, photos, etc.) * Event Coordination: Strong organizational skills with experience planning and executing events of various sizes * Judgment & Discretion: Ability to handle sensitive information with tact and professionalism. * Multitasking & Collaboration: Works well both independently and within a team, maintaining a positive and solutions-oriented mindset * A self-starter who takes initiative and brings creativity, energy and enthusiasm to all activities Reporting Structure: This position will report to the Lead Minister and a member of council (to be named in May)