HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS
Northbrook Baptist Church was founded in the 1800s and has had many names before moving to its current facility on the north end of Cullman, AL, in 2004. The musical worship and preaching styles have undergone several changes over the years as they have sought to follow God's leadership in reaching their community for His glory. In 2018, God led Keith Warden to become the Senior Pastor, and over the years, he has loved, led, and taught this congregation well.
Northbrook’s mission is “equipping the religiously saturated to become kingdom investors.” This church is strategically positioning itself as an equipping church in a region saturated by cultural Christianity. Their vision for the next six years is to redesign Northbrook as a regional compass where people from every stage in life are cultivating their personal calling to achieve maximum impact for God’s kingdom.
Since the beginning, Northbrook's doors have been open to people of every background and place in their spiritual journey. Still, in this new season, they are more intentionally focusing on creatively inspiring, faithfully equipping, and generously investing in a pipeline of next-generation leaders to see them redeemed, developed, and deployed for the kingdom.
Northbrook is also known for missions and mercy ministries like The Caring Center, which feeds the under-resourced and needy in their community. In addition, their inmate ministry disciples women in the county prison and offers follow-up ministry and support for women who are discharged and trying to reenter society. The church also seeks to partner with church planters and missionaries worldwide to advance God's kingdom to the ends of the earth. This congregation actively supports these Acts 1:8 partners through giving, going, and praying.
Exciting days are ahead as this church continues to reach its community and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Northbrook Baptist Church is a congregation affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (http://www.sbc.net). For more information about the church's vision, values, and beliefs, please visit https://www.northbrookbc.com/our-beliefs. They also agree with the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), which one can view at http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp.
MINISTRY CONTEXT
Northbrook is presently in a pattern of incremental, healthy growth and has recently established a more clearly defined vision and mission for the future. The people here are excited! They are adding new members regularly, and new mission partnerships are forming. They have also established a clear pathway for discipleship and are developing new leaders in their faith. As a result of the growth, giving has increased, and the church has eliminated all debt on the campus.
Any Sunday morning, you'll find a relaxed atmosphere filled with friendly people, contemporary music, and relevant teaching. Breakfast is served in their Atrium each weekend, beginning at 8:00 am, and everyone is encouraged to come, eat, and enjoy the community atmosphere. The Atrium is filled with activity and energy throughout the morning as people from every generation come together.
Northbrook has a very relaxed and casual environment. There is no pretense here, and no matter how you dress, where you come from, or how you got there, the people are welcoming, respectful, and genuinely excited to meet guests. For those who visit for the first time, they have set up a Guest Connection area outside the Worship Center where guests are greeted and offered a gift bag along with a cup of coffee or lemonade.
The worship services are contemporary in style, gospel-centered in content, and Bible-saturated in the programming approach. They like to sing modern worship songs that are theologically faithful and centered on who God is, what Christ has done, and who we are in Christ. Scripture readings are incorporated throughout the service. Overall, they value authenticity and truth over attraction and atmosphere.
The church offers Life Groups for adults, students (7-12th grade), preteens (5-6th grade), and kids of all ages (birth-4th grade) beginning at 9:00 am each Sunday. Following Life Groups, children attend a worship service designed for kids at 10:30 am. On Wednesday nights, Northbrook offers a church-wide dinner followed by activities and classes for people of all ages. Programming for kids includes a fun gathering while teaching kids more about being a disciple of Jesus. The church is currently finishing the seven-year cycle of The Gospel Project for their Wednesday night curriculum with kids.
The Kingdom Investor Strategy
At Northbrook, disciples are identified as kingdom investors. We define kingdom investors as disciples that are dwelling in God's presence, discovering God's design, developing for God's kingdom, and deployed for God's mission. Our strategy map explains what kingdom investors do…
1. GATHER in Worship (Weekly).
The starting point for equipping kingdom investors at Northbrook is corporate worship. This is where the Word of God is preached, the prayers of God's people are offered up, and we bring him offerings of praise and gifts worthy of his sacrifice. Corporate worship is the front door of life at Northbrook, and it's where every new investor begins their discipleship journey.
2. DISCOVER in True North (one time).
True North is the one-time next stop for kingdom investors. This is the place where seekers and potential members begin to discover who we are, what God's vision for our church looks like, and what the pathway of a kingdom investor looks like. It's where we unpack the gospel together and take a deep dive into what church membership actually means. True North meets 4-6 times a year and is a 2-week class that maps out the discipleship pathway in plain, next-step language.
3. GROW in Groups (Weekly).
At Northbrook, transformational growth is developed through accountable discipleship. Small groups guard us against isolation, support us through struggles, and encourage us in our commitments. We have two kinds of small groups at Northbrook:
● Life Groups (Co-Ed)
● D-Groups (Men and Women)
Life Groups have a leader and curriculum. D-Groups have a facilitator coach who focuses on Bible reading, prayer, and group discussion. Life Groups and D-Groups are where discipleship progresses in a community environment. We grow kingdom investors in groups, so the next step beyond worship and True North is connecting to a Life Group or D-Group.
4. DEEPEN in Intensives (Seasonally).
Intensives are where kingdom investors receive deeper teaching in things like the Bible, doctrine, theology, apologetics, and spiritual formation. Intensives are especially helpful in equipping disciples to discover their personal calling. Intensives are where discipleship progresses in an instructional environment. Intensives don't meet year-round, and you may not be in an intensive all the time. They are offered seasonally, usually in fall and winter-spring semesters, on Wednesday evenings.
5. GO in Ministry
The ultimate goal for kingdom investors is being deployed for God's mission. We want every investor to go in ministry:
Down the hall (monthly)
At Northbrook, we believe you won't make an impact for God's kingdom THERE until you're fully surrendered HERE. We want you to start on mission with your faith family–serving on the host team, caring for preschoolers, teaching and mentoring students, or organizing and leading a ministry team. We want to equip investors that identify one hour a month they can give back to their church in ministry to the body of Christ. We start down the hall and then go…
Across the street (regularly)
As you're equipped for the kingdom, you begin living out the mission in your office, your classroom, and at the ball field. You serve on teams that reach out to the hurting in our community, feed the hungry, care for foster families, serve our schools, and engage your neighbors with the gospel. You'll start down the hall monthly, across the street regularly, and…
Into the world (annually)
God wants to take us beyond our comfort zones. We send teams into places around our state, throughout our region and North America, and into unreached countries worldwide. As Northbrook keeps building out our strategic mission partnerships, we offer more and more opportunities for kingdom investors to go into the world each year.
LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
Northbrook is led by a team of leaders with different but equally valued roles in the church.
The staff provides directional leadership and comprises the Senior Pastor, executive team, ministry, and administrative staff. They oversee the day-to-day ministry and operations of Northbrook. The church staff and their teams make most ministry initiatives and decisions.
The elders provide protective leadership. Elders are lay church members who are affirmed and set apart by the Northbrook family to provide regular accountability, encouragement, and counsel to the staff. They lead by ensuring the church is biblically faithful, the leaders are trustworthy, and the church's ministry is fruitful for the Kingdom.
The deacons provide supportive leadership. Deacons are lay church members who are affirmed and set apart by the Northbrook family to lead by serving the physical and material needs of the church as critical support to the Staff and Elders. They give special attention to widows and those who are most vulnerable.
Discipleship Pastor
The new Children's Minister will report directly to Discipleship Pastor Dave Wright. Dave's leadership style is pastoral, collaborative, inspiring, and encouraging. He desires to clarify direction and priorities and let team members lead, manage, and flourish. Dave works hard to create an environment of trust, accountability, and grace where people can grow and thrive as followers of Christ and servants of the Lord and his Church. He wants his team members to enjoy living out their calling at Northbrook.
Senior Pastor
Senior Pastor Keith Warden came to Northbrook after serving for 14 years as senior pastor at Picayune's First Baptist Church in Picayune, Mississippi. He is a native of Alabama and a Samford University, Southwestern Seminary, and Beeson Divinity School graduate. As a musician, he also earned a bachelor's degree in Church Music. Keith is married to Kristi, and they have three adult children. Their oldest son, Bryce, recently graduated from Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville. Their middle son, Brady, is a graduate of Mississippi State University and lives in Huntsville, and their daughter, Brooke, is a student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Keith is a relational, visionary leader who loves collaborating and leading creatively with a team of leaders. He works to develop healthy relationships with the staff and help them achieve their full potential. Keith doesn't micromanage but loves to be as informed as possible. He likes every staff member to fully invest in the church's vision and do their best to help one another succeed in their leadership areas.
Since Keith arrived as senior pastor in 2018, the church has been in a slow and steady period of incremental growth. Over the last several years, new members have been added, giving has increased, the pastoral and support staff has grown, and the church has made huge strides toward future effectiveness for the Kingdom.
CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY
The children's ministry philosophy at Northbrook is to serve as an extension of the church's mission “to equip the religiously saturated to become kingdom investors.” They seek to equip young Kingdom Investors, from birth through 4th grade, by helping them:
- Know and love God personally.
- Love and serve others faithfully.
- Follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
They desire to shape the next generation's lives through age-appropriate bible teaching, events, and activities that engage their children's hearts, minds, and bodies. They want to encourage and equip parents with training, resources, and pastoral care as they endeavor to be the primary disciple-maker of their children. Right now, the team is working to refine and sharpen a more comprehensive philosophy of ministry for the children, preteen, and student ministries.
The ministry to children is sufficiently healthy. Each weekend, Northbrook sees 85-100 kids participate in its children's programming, and a solid core of committed volunteers serve regularly.
While there is health, Northbrook knows that more can and needs to be done. Volunteer engagement could be improved. Particularly, they recognize the need to develop new leaders for the children's worship and Life Groups on Sunday mornings.
In the future, the church sees an opportunity for the new leader to step in and grow a well-resourced and healthy ministry. The Cullman community is very family-oriented, and Northbrook children are connected with other children and families outside of the church through sports programs, music programs, etc. So, there are great opportunities for outreach and bridge-building.
The new Children's Minister will accomplish these things with two ministry assistants, working 10-12 hours weekly. One assistant leads the preschool ministry on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights; the other helps with resources and classroom setup during the week.
The successful leader will be:
- Highly Relational - This person should be energetic and magnetic, seeking to know kids and their parents.
- A Natural Leader - Able to cast vision and inspire volunteers. The new leader should be self-motivated, convictional, and able to think strategically.
- Discipleship Oriented - Evangelistic and outreach-oriented, creating onramps for outsiders to engage. Passionate about discipling children and equipping parents as the primary disciple-makers of their kids.
- Creative and Innovative - Able to think outside of the box and challenge the status quo. This person should make things fun and engaging for children.
Northbrook is looking for a confident leader with a clear calling toward children's ministry who wants to help shape a discipleship culture for kids.
Finally, the Children's Minister should love Jesus and have an evident passion for the gospel. In all things, this person should operate from a deep personal relationship with Christ.
LOCATION & DEMOGRAPHICS
Northbrook Baptist Church is located in Cullman, AL, about 45 minutes north of Birmingham, AL, and 45 minutes south of Huntsville, AL. Cullman County is a conservative community that, for the most part, embraces traditional values. Here, a high priority is placed on preserving the surrounding community's beauty and cohesiveness. Cullman is a beautiful region with trails, parks, and waterfalls, providing many opportunities for family recreation and local gatherings. It is the home of a Catholic monastery and the famous Ave Maria Grotto. The area is known for its rich German heritage, traced back to the settlement of German immigrants in the early 18th century. Cullman County's population is slightly over 100K, and the city's population is around 15K.
The job and housing growth here is higher than the national average. Manufacturing, retail, and health care are the most prominent industries. Cullman County is also a home base for many families working in Huntsville (north) and Birmingham (south). There is a diverse agricultural community with many family farms and a vibrant downtown that continues to be developed. Cullman City schools consistently place in the top five performing districts in the state, so there is a high value placed on resourcing public education. Sports leagues and fitness are also very popular.
The cost of living in Cullman is about 20% lower than the national average, and the median price of homes in Cullman County is $200,000. Home prices in the city are generally higher than in the county because of the higher demand for city schools.
The ethnic composition of Cullman County is roughly 75.4k White alone residents (92.3%), 3.47k Hispanic or Latino residents (4.24%), 962 Two or More Races residents (1.18%), 900 Black or African-American Alone residents (1.1%), 528 Asian alone residents (0.646%), 350 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.428%), and 63 Some Other Race alone residents (0.0771%). The primary demographic of Northbrook largely mirrors that of the community around it.
The affordability, natural beauty, and proximity to larger metropolitan areas make Cullman a great place to live and a wonderful place to raise a family.
POSITION PROFILE
Children's Minister
Reports to: Discipleship Pastor
Supervises: Children's Ministry Assistant
Employee type: Full Time – Salary + Benefits
Requirements: Must have a bachelor’s degree and at least two years
of ministry experience.
Summary
Northbrook Baptist Church is seeking an individual who loves the Lord and has a heart for fostering spiritual transformation in the lives of our children (birth – 4th grade). The Children’s Minister is a member of the Northbrook ministerial staff and is under the supervision of the Discipleship Pastor.
The Children’s Minister is responsible for providing leadership and oversight to the spiritual needs of children and their families. He/She is highly relational and has a strong team mentality, leading volunteers and others, providing spiritual development of both children and parents through regular, ongoing programming and special services/events. He/She is expected to contribute to the team spirit of the staff through fellowship, dedication, cooperation, encouragement, and prayer support as we serve Christ together at Northbrook.
Essential Responsibilities
- Create and maintain safe and welcoming environments for all guests, children, and their families.
- Cast vision and develop strategic plans consistent and aligned with NBC and next-generation ministry philosophies under the direction of the Discipleship Pastor.
- Implement and coordinate ministry plans to achieve short-range and long-range ministry objectives resulting in spiritual transformation.
- Oversee the planning and execution of weekly programs, including curriculum selection and implementation, lesson planning, and volunteer scheduling.
- Identify, recruit, train, deploy, motivate, evaluate, and oversee all levels of leadership within the Children’s Ministry, including volunteers, parents, and interns.
- Manage assigned budget within the appropriate processes and accountability expectations.
- Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our Children’s Ministry, making adjustments as needed to ensure they are meeting the spiritual and developmental needs of children/families.
- Work within the existing culture of a staff team with a high value for teamwork and excellence.
- Develop a strategy that engages parents in the first steps of their ongoing responsibility of sharing the Gospel & discipling their children.
- Continually evaluate trends in Children’s Ministry, implementing the best quality program for children while evaluating sustainability with volunteer teams.
- Intentionally build relationships with children and their families.
- Oversee the provision of our childcare needs for church-wide events.
- Align Children’s Ministry with the Student Ministry while working to ensure a strong, cohesive next-generation team.
- Effectively communicate with volunteers, parents, and our church via our website, social media, email and print materials.
- Other duties as assigned by the Discipleship Pastor.
General Expectations
- Loves children and fosters their spiritual formation.
- A teachable and an enthusiastic learner.
- Attends worship services and special services regularly.
- Stays current with ministry trends.
- Self-starter needing minimal supervision.
- Begin and end projects within a reasonable timeframe.
- Proficient with current technology and communication tools.
- Aligned with the vision, mission, values, and policies of Northbrook.
- Represents the Children’s Ministry well to staff, our team leaders, parents, and the church.
- Works well with others and within a team environment.
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Character Traits
- Pursuing Christ-likeness and a life that is beyond reproach.
- Possessing leadership and organizational skills.
- Supporting fellow staff as a team player.
- Participating in the pastoral care of our faith family as directed by the senior pastor.
- Leading your family to actively participate in the weekly life and ministry of Northbrook.
- Promoting and supporting a kingdom vision and mission for Northbrook.
- Modeling an evangelistic lifestyle.
- Honest and trustworthy.
- Maintains confidentiality.
Gifts, Skills, and Talents
- Strong leadership gifting and demonstrated leadership capacity.
- Highly relational and energetic.
- Possesses strong oral and written communication skills.
- Creative and innovative.
- Ability to discern needs and respond appropriately, sensitively, and proactively.
- Good listener.
- Able to multi-task and maintain composure under pressure.
- Strong servant leader.
EXPERIENCE
- Previous children’s ministry leadership, internship, or residency experience is preferred.
- Track record of success in recruiting, developing, and leading volunteers and teams.
- Ability to create a strategic ministry plan and associated budget under the direction of the Discipleship Pastor.
EDUCATION
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Master-level degree desired.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
- Children’s Ministry assistant
- Children’s Ministry Volunteers
HOURS, COMPENSATION, PTO
- 40 hrs/week: The Northbrook office is open Monday-Thursday, 8-5, and Friday, 8-12. It is expected that each full-time staff member works 32 hours during these office hours Monday-Friday, and 8 hours on Sunday and Wednesday night. Each staff member has the flexibility to organize their weekly schedule with the approval of their supervisor to best meet their personal needs and the needs of their ministry.
- Full Time – Salaried, Benefits negotiated and determined upon hire, based on experience
CONTACT
Ready to take the next step?
To learn more about Northbrook Baptist Church, please peruse their website (https://www.northbrookbc.com) and learn more about their doctrinal beliefs, vision, and values and the many other ministries of the church.
If, after a thorough look at these materials, you sense that this would be a good fit for you, please contact:
Mike Haight // 407.716.7278 // mhaight@slingshotgroup.org