Grace Presbyterian's congregation and surrounding neighborhoods are blessed with a flourishing number of families with young children. Parents in the North Shore and Northern suburb communities of Chicago highly value giving their kids the best in every area of life—scholastically, socially, and spiritually. Weekly and throughout the year, Grace's children's ministry provides a consistent, safe, and welcoming space for infants through 4th graders to learn about Jesus and grow to follow Him for life.

Sunday Mornings | 10am Worship Service

• Utilizing The Gospel Project curriculum, children's ministry is available weekly in age/grade specific rooms: Nursery (up to 23 months), Toddlers (2's and 3's), Pre-K (4's and 5's) + Kindergarten, and Elementary (1st-4th grade).
• Families are welcome to participate in the full service together or complete children's ministry check-in beforehand.
• During the service, Nursery and Toddlers stay in their assigned rooms. Pre-K through 4th graders sit with their families until after the Children's Sermon.
• The Infant and Toddler ministry environments at Grace are staffed with professional childcare workers.

Midweek, Summer, and Special Events

• GraceKids! meets weekly on Wednesdays (6-7:15pm) for activities, Bible teaching, and games to help children (Pre-K through 4th grade) grow in their faith.
• Grace Bible Camp (formerly VBS) is a vibrant summer outreach experience for kids and families. Approximately 135 kids attended VBS last year.
• Family-Friendly Events for community building and serving are scheduled throughout the year.

CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY

Team Building and Equipping

Grace needs a Director of Children's Ministry that draws in people who love God, love children, and love the church. There's an ever-growing number of young families moving to the area and checking out Grace for the first time. There's also an established ministry that serves 75+ children weekly. It's more important than ever to expand the volunteer leadership core to maximize ministry impact as God broadens the church's influence. The Director of Children's Ministry is responsible for developing, training, resourcing, and multiplying leaders and teams for effective, Gospel-centered ministry with kids (infants - 4th grade).

Intentional Ministry Development

The church's mission is clear: Grace exists to welcome our neighbors, to grow together in Christ, and serve God in our community and world. For the children's ministry to be a vital extension of this discipleship trajectory, it needs to be strategically advanced not simply maintained. The next Director of Children's Ministry will be charged with collaborating with the student ministries, and church as a whole, to align lifelong discipleship pathways for kids. What happens on weekends, midweek, and throughout the year will be evaluated through a lens of Gospel-centered purpose and increased influence. The Director of Children's Ministry will need to assess what exists, identify areas to enhance and scale ministry, and champion plans to move forward strategically and sustainably.

Authentic Cultural Connection

It takes concerted effort and patience to build bridges with the highly educated, affluent, and self-sufficient culture of Chicago's North Shore residents. Families in and around Grace appreciate tapping into outside resources, not because they feel the need, but to get ahead in life. The Director of Children's Ministry will succeed if they are able to be comfortable in their own skin and confident enough to engage with a culture that isn't easily convinced they need faith, God, or the church. On the other hand, there's an ongoing opportunity to engage with anyone that knocks on Grace's door looking for spiritual direction and answers. Families with young kids often desire to introduce them to church and discover more than a biblical moral perspective to adhere to. The Director of Children's Ministry needs to take steps personally, and as a ministry through curriculum and experiences, to connect in authentic, Christ-like ways with people of all ages who are searching for God.

POSITION PROFILE

DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Our mission at Grace Presbyterian Church is to welcome our neighbors to grow together in Christ and serve God in our community and world. Our congregation is drawn from a variety of communities along the North Shore and Northern suburbs of Chicago. Our children’s ministry program averages 75+ children each week, ages six-months to fourth grade.

PURPOSE

The Director of Children’s Ministry (DCM) is responsible for overseeing the planning, coordinating, and implementation of gospel-centered ministry environments for children from birth through fourth grade.

REPORTS TO: Assistant Pastor

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• The DCM will cultivate his/her own spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical health; this includes membership and participation in the church
• The DCM will nurture relationships with his/her spouse, friends, family, and the church community
• If married, the spouse of the DCM should feel comfortable making Grace their church home

VOCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Effectively create and communicate a vision for children’s ministry that is aligned with the overall church
• Be an advocate for children’s ministry and educate the congregation about the hopes, concerns, and needs of children in the local church and community
• In collaboration with the Children and Youth Team, contribute to creating, organizing, and delivering an integrated strategy of discipleship for all of Family Ministry, from birth through high school students
• Oversee, plan, and coordinate Children’s Ministry programming throughout the week and year, including mid-week programming (GraceKids), Grace Bible Camp (formerly, Vacation Bible School), and events
• Ensure that appropriate safety and security procedures are followed in all Children’s Ministry contexts (e.g. check-in, check-out, 2-adult policies, etc.)
• Develop systems of tracking children, parents, and attendance using church database
• Recruit, train, and inspire both paid and volunteer staff to become leaders in the planning and implementation of relevant, effective, and safe ministry environments (in tandem with the Children and Youth Committee - CYC)
• Develop and maintain a healthy volunteer culture and structure (in tandem with the CYC)
• Oversee scheduling of paid and volunteer staff (in tandem with the CYC).
• Oversee appropriate communication, making sure opportunities for connection and involvement are clear to children and parents in the church and in the community
• Provide support and clear partnership points for children and families as they transition through both age and spiritual milestones like baptism, annual promotion Sundays, and promotion from children’s ministry to Middle School Youth
• Ensure an annual children’s ministry budget has been created and submitted. Monitor expenses against that budget through the timely submission of expenses and review of quarterly budget reports
• Maintain well-organized Children’s Ministry classrooms, storage areas, and office space

SKILLS, TRAITS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Previous experience with ministry oversight and management of volunteers, ideally in a children’s ministry area
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Self-starter and disciplined to work in an unsupervised environment
• Highly relational and possessing excellent people skills, with an orientation towards serving, empowering others, and building strong teams
• Possess a strong working knowledge of standard office equipment, computers, proficiency in software programs including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, database systems, and use of the internet

QUALIFICATIONS / CHARACTERISTICS

• Bachelor's Degree with 3+ years experience leading children's ministry in a local church or similar setting
• Background and/or familiarity with PCA. Ordination or desire to pursue within the denomination is welcomed but not required
• Cultivate his/her own spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical health
• Nurture relationships with his/her spouse and family (if applicable)
• Nurture relationships/friendships/community with others