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PRESENTS

CHILDREN'S PASTOR



At Whittier Area Community Church

Whittier, CA

https://www.wacc.net/


HISTORY & CURRENT

The evidence of Whittier Area Community Church’s (WACC) lived-out mission to create communities where every person is invited to GATHER in worship, GROW in a small group, and to GO serve our world is seen in their highly respected local and global outreach ministries as well as strong ministries to the entire family. The church is well established with strong pastoral and lay leadership teams and, after major site remodeling in 2009, the beautiful campus and facility offers increased opportunities for ministry.  The weekend experience at WACC is central, filled with impactful worship and strong Bible teaching, 

In 2014, John Riley became the new Senior Pastor of WACC. He had served as the Jr. High Pastor, High School Pastor, and Executive Pastor for several years before becoming the Lead Pastor. He brings a dynamic visual teaching style with fresh vision and direction for the church. With John leading, the church has a very bright future and upward trajectory. 

This momentum continues with a variety of programs and activities for children, Jr. High and High School students, a fully-developed sports outreach ministry (which runs multiple leagues a year), multiple opportunities for adult Bible studies, Women’s and Men’s ministries, and care and recovery groups. All in all, there are well over 3,000 people who come through their doors each week. 

Whittier Area Community Church was founded in August of 1971 by a dedicated group of approximately 300 believers who were full of joy and vision for Whittier. Prior to the hiring of a Senior Pastor, WACC was formally received into the Baptist General Conference (now Converge Worldwide) where they have remained ever since. 

The first Senior Pastor was Dr. Daniel Baumann who was hired in 1972 and served until 1982. By God’s grace, the church experienced rapid growth, and in 1975 the congregation was able to purchase 22 acres of rolling land on “the corner of Mar Vista and Colima,” which has now become a landmark to many in the Whittier Area. 

MISSION, VISION & VALUES


VISION

We exist to bring Jesus to people, and people to Jesus.


MISSION

Our mission is to create communities where every person is invited to GATHER in worship, GROW in a small group, and to GO serve our world.


CORE VALUES

STAKE EVERYTHING ON GRACE ALONE

Grace is about what Jesus has already done, not about what we do. Since grace is unmerited, unlimited, and extended to all, we are a church where everyone is welcome, nobody is perfect and anything is possible. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 | 2 Corinthians 5:21 | John 8:1-11 | Titus 2:5

CULTIVATE LIVES DEFINED BY COURAGEOUS GENEROSITY

All we have comes from our generous God so we will live openhandedly with our time, gifts, and resources toward the work of God in our community and across our world. When we give what only we can give, God does what only he can do. 

Psalm 24:1 | 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 | Matthew 6:21 | Acts 20:35

FOUND PEOPLE FIND PEOPLE

Christ’s love compels us to set aside personal preferences so that others can come to know and love Jesus. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Since we are followers, we will share the good news and “fish.” As we do this, we will be culturally relevant and doctrinally pure. 

Matthew 28:19-20 | Luke 19:10 | Luke 15:1-32 | 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION NOW

It is the responsibility of every generation to reach the next generation. We are a church that intentionally passes our faith along to the next generation, so we will approach our ministries and ministry environments with this in mind. We will open up a chair for them as was done for us. 

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 | Psalm 71:17-18 | Psalm 145:4-7

COLLABORATE FOR GREATER KINGDOM IMPACT

Collaboration with the larger Church brings God’s Kingdom in a larger way. WACC is just one outpost in a greater movement, so intentional partnerships with other churches and non-profits can enhance the God’s work in our community and our world. The name of Jesus comes before the name of WACC. 

Matthew 6:33 | Psalm 133:1 | Philippians 2:9-11

GLORIFY GOD BY GIVING OUR BEST

God gave his best for us, and he deserves ours. From the smallest task to the largest project, we seek to align our unique abilities and our best efforts to serve him wholeheartedly. There is no greater gift than to know Jesus, so nothing less than our full devotion is acceptable. All God wants is all we’ve got. 

Colossians 3:23-24 | Colossians 3:17 | Malachi 1:6–14


CHILDREN'S MINISTRY APPROACH

WACC Kids is the dynamic children’s Ministry of WACC reaching 400 kids each week. They have dedicated spaces for both Early Childhood and Elementary. WACC Kids has been a cornerstone ministry of WACC and is known in the community as a place for families and kids. They host a massive yearly VBS and focus on getting kids involved in ministry projects that serve the community. The Children’s Pastor gives oversight to all of the ministries from birth through 6th grade. The ministry areas of the Kids Ministry are: 


WACC Kids Early Childhood (Infant-Kindergarten)

The early childhood ministry environment is fun and welcoming to families with kids. It’s designed with large classrooms equipped with tools that make ministry effective. For Pre-K and Kindergarten, the format is large group/small group and uses “Gospel Light Preschool” curriculum from Gospel Light. In all nursery, preschool and kindergarten rooms there is space for kids to play and engage.


WACC Kids Elementary (1st-6th)

Kids arrive in dedicated classrooms for each grade for opening activities then move to the “the pit”, a theatre in the round that is surrounded by the small group rooms. They gather in large group for worship and the lesson for the day and then return to their small group rooms for crafts and activities. They are currently writing their own curriculum in a large group/small group format. Volunteers are the key ingredients that make this environment tick and create an unforgettable experience for kids. 

CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY


Succession 

Following a well-loved leader is always a challenge and this is the case with the transition of the Children’s Pastor. The current Children’s Pastor is retiring after almost two decades of service. With established leadership left behind, the new Children’s Pastor will need to quickly earn the trust of staff and key volunteer leadership. However, the church leadership is excited about a new day in Children’s Ministry and desire to see the ministry thrive.


DESIRE FOR LEADERSHIP 

WACC is in need of a strong visionary leader that has the ability to develop systems for a growing church and effectively cast vision to garner support of volunteers and the congregation. The amazing volunteers and leaders within the Children’s Ministry are looking for leadership and direction. They are ready to fully embrace a new leader with a compelling vision. 


TEAM BUILDER 

The Kids Ministry team has some amazing staff leading ministry at WACC. They desperately need a developer who can help the staff team continue to grow in their leadership as the church continues to grow and expand. They also need a unifier who can bring stability and teamwork to the whole team around a unified vision to reach families and kids at WACC.


VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP 

As WACC grows, it is imperative that the new Kids Ministry leader designs a ministry structure that is scalable to grow with the church. The Children's Ministry is staff-run and is maxed in its capacity to grow without the implementation of a new volunteer leadership structure. The new Children’s Ministry leader will need to create a system of development that equips and releases volunteers into leadership. What should be implemented is a system of volunteers that are leading teams of volunteers, versus the current system where all volunteers are reporting directly to a staff member. This will allow greater impact of the care and development of volunteers as leaders and create a system that is both scalable and sustainable. 


A NEW LOOK

Currently the kids ministry spaces are tired and dated looking. In the coming year WACC is looking to give a full facelift to the children’s ministry spaces. The new Children’s Pastor will have an opportunity to speak into this process and put their fingerprints on the spaces.

LOCATION & DEMOGRAPHICS

While throughout the history of WACC it has always been known as a dominantly Caucasian church, in the past 10 years they have experienced growth in ethnic diversity and continue to more closely reflect the surrounding community. 

There are nearly three quarters of a million people who live within a 20-minute drive of the WACC campus. One in a long line of unbroken suburbs radiating out from Downtown Los Angeles, Whittier is approximately 30 minutes East of L.A., among cities like Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Mirada, Brea, Fullerton, Norwalk, and Santa Fe Springs. The dominant ethnic and racial identities include:  Latino/Hispanic (55%), Caucasian (24%), Asian (17%), and Black (2%). 

Whittier and surrounding community schools are consistently ranked as excellent. There are many public and private schools that flourish in these cities. Follow this link to learn more about the demographics of the Whittier, CA area: http://www.movoto.com/whittier-ca/90605/demographics/ and http://www.city-data.com/city/Whittier-California.html.



GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION


Children’s Pastor


Capabilities and Characteristics:

  • Deep devotion to God and love for His Word.
  • Gifted leadership and communication skills (on and off the platform).
  • Highly relational (caring and personable on an individual level). 
  • Articulate (able to communicate well on the platform and through media). 
  • Disciplined, innovative and creative.
  • High ministry competency (a veteran of children’s conferences, networking). 
  • Able to be highly engaging as a leader of families. 
  • Able to develop a team-oriented culture through training, mentoring, and teaching. 
  • Experienced in leading ministries that reach 200+ children. 
  • Committed to, and doctrinally aligned with, the Vision, Mission and Values of WACC. 
  • Live a healthy balanced lifestyle that honors God, family and others. 


Reports To:

  • NextGen Coach


Provides Oversight To:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • 5th-6th Grade Director 
  • Kids Church Director
  • Early Childhood Staff Assistant
  • Preschool Coordinator


Primary Responsibilities:

  • Provide overall leadership to the Children’s Ministry staff and volunteers. 
  • Lead the structure and design of children’s weekend services in a team environment. 
  • Facilitate creative children’s and family events (VBS, camps and outreaches). 
  • Function as both an administrator and the face of the ministry to kids and parents. 
  • Redefine, revitalize and maintain a healthy and effective volunteer team of parents and teens. 
  • Realistically equip parents to be involved in the spiritual formation of their child. 
  • Build a family culture that is continually attracting new kids and families. 


Other Responsibilities:

  • Recruit volunteers and skilled staff.
  • Develop current staff to grow into their God-given potential. 
  • Produce outreach-oriented events that are strategic to the overall vision and mission of the church. 
  • Develop a strategic plan in alignment with the overall church mission, vision, values and strategies. 
  • Oversee adjustment and implementation of an effective, long-term budget. 


Compensation Package:

  • Total compensation is negotiable based on experience and education.
  • Entire package may be proportioned to accommodate the needs of person (salary, housing, retirement or health insurance).


CONTACT

Ready to take the next step? To find out more, please visit https://www.wacc.net/ to review core beliefs, vision and values and the many other ministries of the church.

If, after prayerfully reviewing this information, you sense this role and church culture could be a good fit for you, please contact Vance Martin via any of the options below.

Vance Martin //  972.921.1862  // [email protected]