Summary of Position: The Director of Spiritual Growth & Evangelism at Indiana Wesleyan University serves to cultivate a spiritually vibrant, disciple-making culture across campus, with particular attention to athletics, evangelism, and pastoral care. This role exists at the intersection of spiritual formation, relational discipleship, athletics and missional leadership, advancing a campus-wide vision for faith development, pastoral care, and evangelistic imagination.
The Director develops spiritually formative pathways for student-athletes, leads campus-wide evangelism efforts through both training and direct engagement, and offers pastoral care and counseling support that integrates faith and mental health. The work is highly relational while also requiring strategic clarity, collaboration, and sustained presence across campus. Through prayerful leadership, mentoring, and evangelism, the Director strengthens a culture where spiritual growth naturally leads to lifelong faith, local church engagement, and missional living.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Athletic Chaplain
- Team Chaplains: Discipleship & Leadership Development
- Maintain and strengthen the structure of Team Chaplains across all IWU athletic programs
- Facilitate bi-weekly Team Chaplain meetings, weekly prayer gatherings, and an annual Team Chaplain retreat
- Provide focused discipleship and leadership development for a core cohort of Team Chaplains, with attention to spiritual maturity, leadership capacity, and vocational discernment
- Coordinate and lead twice-per-semester “Both/And” formation gatherings that integrate faith, leadership, and athletic identity
- Offer mentoring, pastoral counsel, and spiritual direction to Team Chaplains and student-athletes as needed
- Coach Team Chaplains and student-athletes in practices of contemplation, prayer, communication, and discernment for ministry within athletic contexts
- Coaches for Club Teams: Discipleship & Leadership Development
- Develop and implement a discipleship and leadership pathway for graduate assistants, young coaches, and club team coaches
- Cultivate relational equity and spiritual authority with coaches through consistent presence, trust-building, and shared spiritual practices
- Cast vision for spiritually healthy team cultures marked by prayer, integrity, mutual care, and attentiveness to the Spirit
- Maintain regular, intentional face-time with coaches through office hours, practice presence, and monthly one-on-one check-ins
- Provide mentoring, pastoral support, and spiritual accompaniment for coaches navigating leadership, vocation, and personal formation
- Equip coaches to integrate faith, character formation, and leadership development into the daily rhythms of team life
- Evangelism
- Provide leadership for campus evangelism initiatives, with particular attention to the athletic community
- Develop and lead evangelism coaching cohorts rooted in long-term friendship, prayer, and faithful risk-taking
- Design and facilitate workshops focused on being an evangelizing friend. Contribute to the refinement or contextual adaptation of Alpha or Alpha-adjacent evangelistic curriculum
- Maintain a regular Spiritual Formation Office presence for open questions, conversation, and pastoral engagement with students (e.g., scheduled times in campus spaces)
- Prioritize evangelism within the campus community, trusting that formation will naturally extend into local church involvement and lifelong faith practice
- Pastoral Care
- Provide availability for pastoral care and short-term counseling for student-athletes and students across campus
- Utilize counseling training and experience to support students’ spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being
- Collaborate with Counseling Support Services to share care load when appropriate and make referrals for more clinical needs
- Offer one-time pastoral care sessions as well as recurring support when appropriate
- Advance campus-wide conversations on integrating faith and mental health through small groups, seminars, teaching, chapel contributions, and office hours
- Provide mentoring and guidance for students navigating personal, vocational, or spiritual discernment
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications: According to Indiana Wesleyan University employment policy all employees must possess a strong Christian commitment and adhere to the standards outlined in the IWU Community Lifestyle Statement.
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IWU Kingdom Diversity Statement
IWU, in covenant with God's reconciling work and in accordance with the Biblical principles of our historic Wesleyan tradition, commits to build a community that reflects Kingdom diversity. We will foster an intentional environment for living, teaching and learning, which exhibits honor, respect, and dignity. Acknowledging visible or invisible differences, our community authentically values each member's earthly and eternal worth. We refute ignorance and isolation and embrace deliberate and courageous engagement that exhibits Christ's commandment to love all humankind.
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LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMER
As a religious educational institution operating under the auspices of The Wesleyan Church, Indiana Wesleyan University is permitted and reserves the right to prefer employees on the basis of religion (42 U.S.C., Sections 2000e-1 and 2000e-2).
The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws.
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