Dear Future Chief Program Officer,

We have been talking about you for a few years and wrote you into our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan.  You will be the first chief program officer we have ever had.  While that title reflects your key role of overseeing all of PTM’s programming, it doesn’t quite go far enough in describing your impact at PTM as one who is a pastor, teacher, manager, coach, bus driver, visionary, and logistician.  God’s will directs every decision you make and your deepest desire is to bring glory to God in all that you do. You are grounded in scripture and in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  You embody the very core beliefs that we want desperately the youth of PTM to know, feel, and believe.

For many reasons, I am so excited to have you as part of PTM’s team. One, you know the only way that youth growing up today are going to have hopeful futures is if they are connected.  You know that connectedness takes consistency, hard work, creativity, and wise leadership.  You also know and are emboldened by the truth that no matter how hard we work the real connectedness comes only from God—and we will get to witness that.  At PTM connectedness happens across a wide variety of programs, events, relationships, and opportunities.  You believe that we never know fully what is going to strike the spark within each youth, so you encourage us to try everything—and you can facilitate it.  You plan weekend retreats, you help make possible team sports, and you create enriching outings that stir up imagination.

Two, you are invested in both the routine and the special.  You ensure that PTM’s afterschool program consistently teaches about God, builds confident readers, and offers safe and nurturing structure.  Also, you lead and provide for special events, outings and performances that excite and encourage dreams.  You are tireless in modeling this balance and requiring it of those you supervise.

You are versatile.  You can prepare the lesson and lead Dinner and Devo mentors in one-on-one Bible study with their mentees as well as you can discuss reading comprehension strategies with third grade students.  You enjoy driving PTM’s 24 passenger bus and see it as a ministry opportunity.  You love spending a portion of your weekend facilitating our youth getting amazing enriching experiences like college visits, flag football games, or a ballet performance.  You can competently represent PTM at a meeting of school principals, an association of pastors, at a volunteer recruitment fair, in the living room of a prospective PTM family, or in front of a group of high school volunteers. You are cross-trained in every PTM program at every site and can fill in joyfully without any program losing its effectiveness.

You build up others.  You develop a team that feels motivated, resourced, inspired, and enthusiastic.  You help develop youth as well.  You know the names of 300 youth at PTM.  You know their dreams, what gets them excited, and where their giftedness lies.  You persevere in giving every student an opportunity to pursue their specific dream.  You work with staff—both paid and volunteer—to match unique desires of students with the unique gifts of a host of volunteers (and future volunteers).  You give students an opportunity to be and feel successful, instilling in them confidence and courage. You multiply your personal impact by inspiring a staff and engaging a host of volunteers who do the crucial work of building life-shaping friendships with our students.

You are driven.  You help foster a culture of growth.  Recognizing the needs of our community and the growing number of PTM supporters, you look for ways to both expand the number of youth served by PTM and deepen the ministry to each student.  As hard-working and determined as you are, you are able to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.  You recognize that ministry through PTM is not a sprint, but a marathon.

As demanding as this job will be, there will be some benefits that are the perfect fit for you.  The schedule is crazy for most people—late afternoons, many weekends and regular early Thursday mornings.  For you, they match your lifestyle smoothly. The salary will be around $63,000.  PTM will also provide $3,000 per year for health care—either through enrollment in PTM’s plan or in reimbursement for your own plan.  Additionally, there will be 15 days of paid leave built into the rhythm of the year.  Like for me, the biggest benefits will come in the satisfaction of serving God and others doing something that is fun, that makes a difference, and that provides many opportunities for relationships with outstanding people.

If interested in this position, please email me (chan@prestontaylorministries.org) a cover letter and resume.  I am very excited about meeting you and serving with you.

Very gratefully yours,

Chan Sheppard

PS: Here is the full job description.