The Pastor/Director of Kids Ministry is responsible to pursue excellence in the ministries provided to children (ages newborn through 5th grade) and their families. This position will ensure that all programming is engaging, of high quality, and safe. All efforts should provide dynamic opportunities for children to hear the Word of God, experience the love of Christ, and enjoy their first steps as disciples of Jesus. In all of this, Bethel’s ultimate goal is to make disciples of Jesus Christ whose lives are all about him.
Bethel is a growing, nondenominational, evangelical church that is striving to exalt Christ through expository preaching, God-saturated worship, loving community, and gospel outreach. We are located 40 minutes south of downtown Chicago in Northwest Indiana. Our five locations average between 3,200–3,400 people each weekend across eight services (pre-COVID). Outreach Magazine has named Bethel one of the top 100 largest churches (2019) and top 100 fastest growing churches (2017) in America. Visit www.bethelweb.org for more information about the church.
Primary Tasks
This position has a principal focus on the ministry at Bethel’s Crown Point campus, but also provides church-wide leadership to Kids Ministry at all church locations. The primary tasks for this role include:
- Leading Kids Ministry in alignment with the vision and strategies developed by the lead elders and executive staff team.
- Overseeing all Kids Ministry programming, which includes Sunday morning, midweek efforts, summer initiatives, and special events.
- Supervising and developing Bethel Kids Ministry staff at all ministry locations.
- Recruiting, equipping, and leading teams of volunteers to serve in the various parts of Bethel’s Kids Ministries.
- Participating in the shepherding and care of Kids Ministry leaders and volunteers.
- Providing points of care and connection for parents and families.
- Coordinating learning environments on relevant topics for parent discipleship, and leading parents through childhood milestones such as Parent/Child Dedication, baptisms, and the transition out of Kids Ministry.
- Facilitating regular and effective communication (email, social media, etc.) about programs, teaching, resources, and overseeing the general promotion of the Kids Ministry.
- Managing the children’s ministry budget and stewarding the allocated resources. Forecasting and planning the next year’s budget according to vision, goals, and needs.
- Ensuring the faithful execution of policies and volunteer screening in accordance with church safety protocols (background checks, etc.).
- Continually assessing and reporting on ministry effectiveness and making improvements as needed.
- Utilizing Kids Ministry facilities for maximum effectiveness and excellence. Overseeing maintenance of equipment and supplies in all Kids Ministry spaces.
- Participating in all required events and activities for Bethel Church staff, such as Sunday services (including major holidays), staff meetings, prayer meetings, special events, continuing education events, training opportunities, etc.
- Other responsibilities may be added as new ministry needs arise and personal gifting develops.
Reporting Structure
The Pastor/Director of Kids Ministry is a full-time position that is considered ministry staff of Bethel Church. He/she will have a direct reporting relationship to the Executive Pastor of Ministries.
Qualifications
- Preference is given to candidates with at least three years of experience on a church staff with proven ministry growth (ideally a multi-campus ministry).
- High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Theological and ministry training advantageous.
- Passionate about ministry to kids and families.
- Self-motivated and able to lead tasks or projects to completion.
- Proven ability to handle sensitive issues and maintain confidentiality.
- Committed to teamwork with the leadership, staff, and congregation of Bethel Church.
- Affirming of the doctrinal position of Bethel Church.
Competencies
Leadership Development – Skilled at multiplying effective ministry leaders who can communicate and uphold the values of Bethel Church. Ability to lead, recruit, resource, and mobilize volunteer teams to scale.
Administration – Ability to plan, organize, implement, and refine ministry programming and systems. Strong ability to support multiple projects and tasks simultaneously with dependability and excellence. Able to create and manage a ministry budget.
Organizational Skills – Detail oriented with proven skills in creating, implementing, and maintaining processes that ensure people are engaged, cared for, informed, and connected. Able to successfully develop ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of ministry.
Teaching & Communication – Demonstrated capacity to inspire, instruct, and encourage through effective communication in various settings. Ability to engage, teach, equip, and train children in a large group setting. Skilled at reviewing, selecting, and generating content and curriculum. Able to communicate and work within a complex organizational structure with multiple layers of input.
Collaborative Leadership Abilities – Skilled at cultivating relationships and building collaborative and diverse teams. Ability to integrate multiple perspectives and synthesize them into a cohesive plan. Strong complementary leadership skills in relation to the staff team.
