Career summary

Details for Directors, Religious Activities and Education


Description

Direct and coordinate activities of a denominational group to meet religious needs of students. Plan, direct, or coordinate church school programs designed to promote religious education among church membership. May provide counseling and guidance relative to marital, health, financial, and religious problems.

Tasks

  • Identify and recruit potential volunteer workers.
  • Train and supervise religious education instructional staff.
  • Develop or direct study courses or religious education programs within congregations.
  • Select appropriate curricula or class structures for educational programs.
  • Implement program plans by ordering needed materials, scheduling speakers, reserving space, or handling other administrative details.
  • Counsel individuals regarding interpersonal, health, financial, or religious problems.
  • Analyze member participation or changes in congregational emphasis to determine needs for religious education.
  • Collaborate with other ministry members to establish goals and objectives for religious education programs or to develop ways to encourage program participation.
  • Schedule special events, such as camps, conferences, meetings, seminars, or retreats.
  • Confer with clergy members, congregational officials, or congregational organizations to encourage support of or participation in religious education activities.
  • Publicize programs through sources, such as newsletters, bulletins, or mailings.
  • Analyze revenue and program cost data to determine budget priorities.
  • Attend workshops, seminars, or conferences to obtain program ideas, information, or resources.
  • Locate and distribute resources, such as periodicals or curricula, to enhance the effectiveness of educational programs.
  • Participate in denominational activities aimed at goals, such as promoting interfaith understanding or providing aid to new or small congregations.
  • Plan or conduct conferences dealing with the interpretation of religious ideas or convictions.
  • Visit congregational members' homes or arrange for pastoral visits to provide information or resources regarding religious education programs.
  • Interpret religious education activities to the public through speaking, leading discussions, or writing articles for local or national publications.
  • Plan fundraising activities for the church.

Interests

  • Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
  • Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
  • Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
  • Experience - A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Knowledge

  • Sales and Marketing -Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • Personnel and Human Resources -Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  • Communications and Media -Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Sociology and Anthropology -Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Computers and Electronics -Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Clerical -Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • English Language -Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Therapy and Counseling -Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Administration and Management -Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Psychology -Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Education and Training -Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Philosophy and Theology -Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

Skills

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

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