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The Pastoral Care Counselor plays an integral role within Christ Church s Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry, offering Christ-centered emotional, spiritual, and practical support to Church members, frequent visitors, staff, and members of the community. In close partnership with the Counseling Pastor/Director of Pastoral Care, this role provides compassionate counseling and guidance rooted in Scripture. The Counselor walks alongside individuals, couples, and families through life s challenges, helping them experience healing, personal growth, and a deeper relationship with God. Additionally, this role supports the operational and administrative functions of the ministry to ensure care is delivered with excellence, grace, and sensitivity. Essential Job Responsibilities Counseling Responsibilities: Provide short-term, Biblically-based counseling to individuals, couples, and families dealing with emotional, relational, or spiritual challenges. Discern when a congregant s needs exceed pastoral counseling and refer individuals to professional Christian counselors or outside agencies as appropriate. Encourage spiritual growth by pointing individuals toward God s Word, prayer, Church community, and Christ-centered living in all counseling interactions. Perform intake for inquiries and requests for Pastoral Care and Counseling. Provide the pastoral care team with recommendations for care and follow-up. Manage and develop an up-to-date list of regional counseling centers, social service agencies, placement programs, and other resources for referrals. Assist with identifying, recruiting, and the training and development of new volunteers serving under Pastoral Care to assist with the counseling and people-helping responsibilities; providing ongoing leadership, mentoring, and oversight. Pastoral Care Responsibilities: Provide spirit-led discernment and wisdom in providing pastoral care and support. Offer prayer, encouragement, and pastoral guidance in one-on-one sessions, group settings, or special services. Support members during emergencies or personal crises, working collaboratively with the Pastoral Care Team. Ensure ongoing support and communication with individuals who have sought pastoral counseling or care, providing encouragement and additional resources as necessary. Provide oversight to the Staying Connected [Follow Up] ministry and the team of volunteers that perform outreach to absentee Church members. Monitor the ongoing process to ensure quarterly reports are generated, assignments are provided to volunteers, proper follow-up is conducted, and pastoral care is offered and provided to congregants in need. Manage and develop the process of assisting people being placed in treatment programs. Assist with providing leadership and oversight in the areas of benevolence, funerals, repasts, visitations, hospital care, homebound outreach, crisis care, and follow-ups, including oversight of volunteer teams assisting in these areas, ensuring the Church remains present during major life moments (illness, grief, etc.). Administrative Support: Perform duties that include addressing incoming calls, inquiries, and requests for care and counseling through an intake process; receiving and scheduling appointments; providing referrals, keeping confidential records of counseling sessions in CC s database (Rock RMS); and scheduling of volunteers. Develop and streamline all processes that relate to Pastoral Care and Counseling including the intake process, requests for financial assistance, placement in treatment programs, funerals, and follow up. Prepare and submit purchase requests from the Counseling Pastor to the Finance Department for approval. Support/Care Groups Oversight: Oversee and monitor the calendars for all groups. Make/request updates on CC calendar, CC Cares page, CC social media, and group websites with all groups and their meeting schedules. Assist in enhancing and facilitating support groups, seminars, and workshops focused on key areas such as grief, marriage enrichment, mental health, emotional well-being, or other relevant needs. Research and explore the possibility of launching new support/care groups based on gaps and/or emerging needs. Assist with training new facilitators and launching new groups. Provide care and a development plan for the team of volunteer group facilitators. Identify new group facilitators and assist with their training. Pastoral Care s Online Presence: Submit thoughtful suggestions to enhance the visibility and accessibility of Pastoral Care and Counseling on the Christ Church Care Page and relevant digital platforms. Regularly develop and submit content ideas or written reflections that support intentional engagement around key life moments, spiritual care, and seasonal/calendar events. Routinely review all Pastoral Care and Counseling content online to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the Ministry s voice and mission. Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications Team to maintain clarity, consistency, and spiritual encouragement across digital touchpoints related to Pastoral Care. Identify opportunities to share testimonies (anonymously when needed), prayer initiatives, or care resources that can uplift, inform, and minister to those visiting the Care Page. Process Optimization: Work with the Pastoral Care team to analyze existing workflows, identifying redundancies or inefficiencies and suggesting enhancements to increase productivity. Pilot and implement new tools for effective and efficient care and counseling, and technologies that streamline communication and task management to ensure the ongoing needs of the growing congregation are met. Determine where Pastoral Care and Counseling components can be integrated into the life of the Church including various areas of ministry, major events and community outreach events, i.e., Tri-County Fair, Prayerfest, Christmas Concerts, Elevate, etc. Research and Analysis: Conduct targeted research on best practices or organizational benchmarks, preparing summary reports with actionable recommendations for the Counseling Pastor. Analyze feedback from stakeholders, summarizing key insights to support the Counseling Pastor s strategic decision-making. Assist in crafting presentations or reports by providing relevant data to align with departmental and organizational goals. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the CARE Center of New Jersey is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to perform the essential functions of your job, please notify the Human Resources Department as soon as possible. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Christ Church is an equal opportunity employer. What We Offer: Medical, dental and vision insurance 403b retirement plan with company match Company paid basic life insurance and personal accidental insurance Paid time off A host of fringe benefits A fun and welcoming work environment