Pastoral Care Counsellor

Location:               Remote, from home. (Occasional travel for team training and strategy days.)

Employment Type: Casual, driven by demand from website and phone queries, usually between                                       20 – 40 hours per month with considerable variation week to week.

Reports to:             Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Pay range:             $35 - $39 per hour based on experience 

About the Organisation

Focus on the Family Australia (FOTFA) is a nationally recognised and respected Christian ministry dedicated to strengthening marriages, equipping parents and engaging in culture through partnerships with churches, Christian schools and the broader community, through biblical principles. Our mission is to make Christ known as we strengthen relationships in Australian families, helping build a legacy of God-honouring families across our nation.

Position Overview

We are seeking a warm, relationally gifted Pastoral Care Counsellor to take over this valued, established role. This is a triage-style pastoral care position, not an ongoing or in-depth counselling service. You will respond to enquiries that come in by email through our website and by phone via our office, offering a complimentary pastoral phone call where appropriate. This role is listening, praying with people, providing initial support and encouragement and pointing them to FOTFA’s own resources. After the initial triage session the role will refer constituents to our trusted counsellor services for ongoing professional support.

This is a casual role offering genuine flexibility, working from home around your own schedule, with the reward of walking alongside people in a moment of real need.

Key Responsibilities

1. Respond to Enquiries

• Respond promptly and compassionately to enquiries received by email via our website contact form, and to queries phoned into the FOTFA office and forwarded on to you.
• Assess each enquiry to determine the most appropriate response, e.g. a thoughtful email with relevant FOTFA resources, a complimentary pastoral phone call, or both.
• Provide Pastoral Care (not ongoing counselling)
• Where appropriate, offer a complimentary pastoral phone call: listen well, pray with the caller, and provide initial encouragement and support.
• Maintain clear boundaries around the scope of the role. (This is a triage and pastoral care service, not ongoing counselling.)

2. Refer and Resource

• Refer enquirers to FOTFA's own resources, articles, retreats, newsletter and events as appropriate to their situation.
• Refer people who need ongoing professional support to Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA). or another appropriate service.

3. Records and Support

• Maintain accurate records of each enquiry and interaction in our Salesforce CRM and SharePoint documents.
• Access professional clinical supervision, arranged and funded by FOTFA, to debrief complex or emotionally demanding calls.

Qualifications

Experience

• Recognised qualification in Counselling or a related pastoral care discipline.
• Minimum of 12 months counselling or pastoral care experience.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to write warm, considered email responses.
• Self-directed, self-motivated and able to steward time and caseload well in a flexible, remote, casual role.
• Good personal boundaries, with the emotional resilience to handle occasional distressing disclosures, supported by professional supervision.
• Sound judgement, with the confidence to recognise when a matter needs to be escalated or referred on rather than answered directly.

Personal Qualities & Faith Commitment

• A committed follower of Jesus Christ, actively involved in a local church.
• Comfortable praying with callers.
• Willingness to affirm and adhere to the Statement of Faith and Branding Guidelines of Focus on the Family Australia.
• A genuine passion for God-honouring families and relationships, evidenced in your own marriage and family life.
• A warm, compassionate, humble and encouraging nature, with a heart for helping people.

Why This Role Matters

For many people, this complimentary phone call is the first time they've been truly listened to and prayed for in a moment of struggle. As Pastoral Care Counsellor, you'll be the caring first response for people reaching out to Focus on the Family Australia, offering a listening ear and pointing them towards the right support, whether that's our own resources or ongoing professional counselling through Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA).

Application

Applications close 5pm Friday 30^th October 2026. Apply early as applications will be reviewed and assessed as they are received.

To apply for this position, please send your cover letter (maximum two pages) and resume (maximum three pages) to our Chief Operating Officer, Josh Reid, at josh@families.org.au.