Youth Worship Artist In Residence / Worship Arts Fellows

Title: Youth Worship Artist in Residence

Third Church Culture: Third Church is a vibrant 1400-member Presbyterian congregation in the ECO denomination, located on Forest Avenue in Henrico, VA. We believe that the triune God has triumphed over sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, guaranteeing the eventual renewal of all things, and we are now invited into that ongoing work of renewal in Richmond and around the world.Third is a historically rooted church, having been established in 1835. Its legacy is one of deep care about local and global mission work, Biblical study, and community. Third is a predominantly white and professional congregation that is politically and generationally diverse. The majority of congregants are parents between 35-50. Our specific vision for the current chapter of our church is focused on spiritual formation, a unified multi-ethnic, multi-generational community, leadership development, and stewarding of our land and buildings.

Worship in Student Ministry: Third Church ministers to students through Club 56, which serves students in 5th and 6th Grade, and Student Ministry, which serves students in Grades 7 to 12. Students participate in regular rhythms of Sunday school on Sunday mornings and student-geared worship services on Sunday nights. Sunday Night ministry includes games, announcements, musical worship, a short message from a speaker, and dedicated time in small groups, which are divided by gender and grade level. Students also participate in retreats, mission trips and service opportunities, an annual Youth Sunday service, and holiday events. Student ministry regularly serves 80-100 students representing over 20 different schools in the metro-Richmond area. Students at Third are discipled to grow in their relationship with Christ, connect with peers and Christian adults, and reach out into the community.

Role: The Youth Worship Artist in Residence will be responsible for engaging Third students in worship by galvanizing and training our student worship team, helping to cultivate community in our student body (through retreats, worship nights, etc.), and contributing to our student’s spiritual formation and creativity (through mentoring, guided workshops, etc.)

Relationships & Supervision:

• Creative Director
• Associate Director of Student Ministry

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate worship experiences and events as determined in collaboration with the Student Ministry Staff and the Creative Director
• Participate in Sunday Night Ministry
• Organize volunteers in student worship team
• Attend staff meeting at least twice a month
• Meet weekly with a supervisor

Collaboration with Creative Team: Work collaboratively with the Student Ministry staff, Creative Director and student worship team to integrate artistic elements seamlessly into the overall worship flow, helping craft a cohesive, creative, and meaningful worship experience for our students every Sunday night.

Creative Input: Be actively brainstorming fresh and innovative methods of creatively integrating your art and the art of others into Student Ministry as a means of spiritual formation, thinking outside the box of musical Sunday night worship.

Training and Workshops: Provide guidance and training to students interested in incorporating their artistic talents into the life of the church, fostering a culture of creativity and inclusion.

Stewardship of Artistic Resources: Manage and maintain any artistic resources, props, or equipment needed for worship, ensuring they are used effectively and responsibly.

Community Engagement: Facilitate opportunities for students to express their creativity and talents, fostering a sense of community through artistic expression.

Qualifications & Experience

• Artistic Proficiency: Demonstrated proficiency in singing and/or a musical instrument.
• Experience with Youth: Experience and comfortability in interacting with youth, in a mentoring-capacity and/or in managing a team of student volunteers.
• Collaborative Spirit: Ability to work collaboratively with the Student Ministry staff, Creative Director, and Liturgical Arts Team to integrate artistic elements into student worship and the Student Ministry culture seamlessly.
• Innovative Thinking: Creative and innovative thinking with a passion for exploring new ways to engage students through artistic expressions.
• Flexibility: Willingness to adapt to the dynamic nature of church ministry, including occasional evening or weekend commitments for special events.
• Passion for Worship: A passion for worship and a desire to create meaningful, formative, and spiritually enriching experiences for the congregation.
• Compatibility: Agree to the core values and goals of Third Church, have basic familiarity with the Bible and Christian Doctrine, and be intentional in pursuing God through their own personal spiritual growth.

Bonus Points: If you can speak/understand Arabic. Third is partnered with the Christian Arabic Church – a predominantly Egyptian congregation, and has Arabic students who participate in Third’s Student Ministry.

Hours and Duration: This position is in tandem with Ruakh Art’s Richmond Worship Arts Fellowship (RWAF) which is a 9-month residential program that spans from late August/early September to late May. The Youth Worship Artist in Residence will work part-time, 24 hours each week. The rest of their time is spent participating in other programmatic elements of RWAF (see below for more information).

Compensation: The Youth Worship Artist in Residence will be paid a $1000 monthly stipend, adding up to $9000 overall pre-taxes. They will have free housing through a host family as well as free seminary level courses resulting in a Graduate Certificate in Worship Arts from Leland Seminary, RWAF retreats, mentorship, conference attendance for Calvin Symposium of Worship and The Breath & The Clay, weekly roundtable dinners, and more.

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Worship Arts Fellow / Worship Artist in Residence

Ruakh Arts is a nonprofit that equips church leaders and empowers artists to cultivate more creative congregations, especially for the benefit of future generations of the Church.

This position is for a worship artist in residence for our Richmond Worship Arts Fellowship (RWAF). This nine-month program includes a paid internship as a Worship Artist in Residence at a partner church in Richmond, VA. Fellows receive vocational and Christian discipleship, one-on-one mentoring, and leadership opportunities. This program is in collaboration with Leland Seminary and fellows receive a Graduate Certificate in Worship Arts free-of-charge through completion of the program. The program emphasizes worship innovation, combating church disillusionment, and community partnership.

An RWAF Fellow’s weekly responsibilities include:

• Working 24 hours at their assigned church, involving creative projects, collaboration, staff meetings, worship services, rehearsals, and supervisor meetings.
• Attending a weekly Roundtable Dinner for discussions on The Place of the Artist in God’s World
• Spending intentional time with their host family once a week.
• Participating in 1-2 graduate-level courses each semester with in-person classes.
• Collaborating on organizing and hosting a worship, arts, and justice conference in the spring.
• Observing a weekly Sabbath day for rest and restoration.

For more details, visit www.ruakharts.com/rwaf