Assistant Dean of Spiritual Formation

About the Job

The Assistant Dean of Spiritual Formation is a key team member of the Spiritual Formation staff and is the champion for global missions and outreach for Colorado Christian University (CCU).  The Assistant Dean assists with chapel, extra credit chapel programming, pastoral care and mentoring, key Campus Ministry programs, and identifies, organizes, markets, and administrates both global and domestic opportunities for CCU students to engage in mission and outreach experiences.  The Assistant Dean works as a key Campus Ministry team member, assisting the Dean by providing a dynamic spiritual formation program, ensuring that the CCU vision for ministry is clear and ministry related programs are robust and appealing, training well our students engaged in missions, and executing each missions opportunity with excellence.

About CCU

Colorado Christian University is the premier interdenominational Christian university in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, delivering world class education to thousands of students. The fully accredited, nonprofit University is located in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.

Colorado Christian University was founded in 1914.  CCU’s motto is--grace and truth. This motto comes from John 1.14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (ESV) 

CCU's mission is Christ-centered higher education transforming students to impact the world with grace and truth.

Colorado Christian University cultivates knowledge and love of God in a Christ-centered community of learners and scholars, with an enduring commitment to the integration of exemplary academics, spiritual formation, and engagement with the world. We envision graduates who think critically and creatively, lead with high ethical and professional standards, embody the character and compassion of Jesus Christ, treasure the gospel, and who thereby are prepared to impact the world in their callings.

CCU embraces an educational model that was present at the foundation of many of the great western and American universities. It is made up of three pillars—competence, character and Christ-centered faith. Secular universities have abandoned two of those pillars. We think this is a major oversight that eventually undermines education. Furthermore, we believe this classical educational model is both life-giving and greatly needed in our time.

A leader in higher education, CCU has been consistently ranked in the top 2 percent of colleges and universities nationwide for its core curriculum by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. CCU has had ten consecutive years of enrollment growth and has been named one of the five fastest-growing master’s granting universities by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

CCU offers more than 100 degree program options for traditional and adult students through its two colleges--the College of Undergraduate Studies and College of Adult and Graduate Studies. More than 8,000 students attend the University on the main campus, in regional centers throughout Colorado, and online.

What is most appealing about working at CCU?

1. Faith-friendly: CCU’s culture is unique to higher education. Where else can you pursue academic excellence yet read the Holy Bible, pray with teammates and students at work, and work to impact our culture in support of Christian values?
2. Convictionally Christian: As a university, we have an enduring commitment to Christ, his kingdom and the truth of God’s Word.
3. Live out your calling: We are a traditional evangelical university where you can invest your God-given talents and abilities alongside coworkers and teammates, while having a profound influence on students as they deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. Equip students for kingdom work: You can be a part of helping students discover their callings and preparing them for positions of significant leadership in the church, business, government, education, and other professions, as a key part of our University's Strategic Priorities.

We’re looking for candidates who have:

1. A masters degree in Biblical Studies, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, or comparable degree
2. Knowledge of and experience in short-term missions and outreach required.
3. 5-7 years of professional ministry experience with university students preferred
4. Unique calling to ministry, mentoring, and encouraging spiritual growth among the student community.
5. Ministry event programming experience.
6. Demonstrated skill with speaking, providing spiritual guidance, and training.
7. Ability to organize and administer various tasks at once.

Key Job Duties

Campus Ministry Contribution

The Assistant Dean is a key member of the Campus ministry team as has responsibilities in chapel programming, extra credit chapel programming, key CM events, and pastoral care of students in the community.  CCU provides Christ-centered higher education to transform students to impact the world with grace and truth. The Assistant Dean has a key role in the vision of spiritual formation for the CCU campus community.

Mission Contribution

Contribute to CCU’s mission: Christ-centered higher education transforming students to impact the world with grace and truth. The Assistant Dean contributes to this mission by mentoring students who are transformed as they engage with the world to advance Christ’s kingdom on earth.

Organization and Administration of Short-Term Mission and Outreach Opportunities

1. Organize and administrate short term mission trips for students domestically and abroad.
2. Oversee promotion and application processes for CCU2theWorld trips.
3. Provide key logistics in trip planning, including airline itinerary, visas, fundraising, info about medical care, etc.
4. Oversee discipline situations as they relate to short-term mission participants.
5. Respond to parental questions and concerns.
6. Conduct risk analysis and documentation for trips.
7. Coordinate with Accounting Department in regard to fundraising, cash flow, reconciliations, and purchase requests.
8. Negotiate insurance contracts and emergency response services.
9. Travel to sites around the world to evaluate potential trips as well as travel at times with student trips to supervise, advise, or encourage students in the field.
10. Launch a process each year for the marketing and selection of the Missionary in Residence program, bringing in a missions couple to live on campus and interact with the missions program.
11. Act as advisor to a missions related student organization or international club.

Training, Equipping and Mentoring

1. Oversee mission leadership program, disciple and equip interns and team leaders as well as recruit and encourage staff / faculty trip leaders.
2. Train team participants in preparation for their cross-cultural experience.
3. Provide career counseling to students in regard to pursuing mid-term or long-term mission positions.
4. Teach a For Your Information (FYI) course dedicated to missions and possibly a course in the Missions Minor, as well.
5. Assist Outreach Ministries leaders in training and equipping their teams.
6. Launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign each year assisting students in their fundraising, as well as raising money for general missions-related purposes. This includes a mission fundraiser run by the Assistant Dean every semester.            

Marketing and Collaboration        

1. Create awareness on campus in regard to international, cross-cultural, and missional causes.
2. Solicit partnerships with mission agencies and other non-profits in regard to student engagement.
3. Coordinate efforts/activities of CCU2theWorld with Student Government Association, Admissions, International Action Club, Athletics, Academics.
4. Attend Campus Preview events and off-campus events to answer questions about CCU2theWorld.
5. Promote international educational opportunities (short-term trips, semester abroad) in collaboration with Life Directions Center and Faculty.
6. Alongside the Outreach Ministries leaders, seek ways to promote our CCU Outreach Ministries

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, you may be required to walk; stand; sit; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; speak with clarity, have appropriate vision and hearing capabilities. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. You may be required to work occasional irregular hours, including some nights and weekends.

What we offer our employees:

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages to all employees. Our benefit package includes: a tuition waiver program, excellent healthcare, generous paid time off, matching 403(b) retirement plan, and additional organizational paid benefits and voluntary benefit offerings. Pay and benefits will be discussed in more detail as candidates progress through the interview process. 

Colorado Christian University’s pay philosophy is based on internal and external data for pay equity; along with budgetary considerations for effective stewardship. Pay will be assigned based on relevant experience. We reserve the right to pay an equitable rate that we believe is within our salary structure or that may fit a candidate’s qualifications or experience for the job. A wage range posted is not a guarantee of a specific wage range for a job offer. CCU reserves the right to make pay decisions based on economic and equity considerations to attract the best possible talent. CCU does not determine pay based on sex or any other protected status.