A decade ago, if you had a great worship leader, you had “the missing piece” to a growing and thriving ministry. A great worship leader was worth his or her weight in GOLD! Today, that missing link is a great children’s pastor.
If your church is fortunate enough to have such a children’s pastor, you have the ability to attract and retain young families. Young families are the lifeblood of a growing and thriving church. When families feel a church values what they value most (their children), then the families value what the church values most. In short, children’s pastors ensure young families stay and are deeply invested in the ministry.
Today, I was speaking with Aaron Collier, the incomparable children’s pastor of Piedmont Church. Aaron is easily one of the most competent, hard-working, creative, and strategic thinkers I have ever met. He is a gift to the families of our church. I recently asked him what were some of things that make a children’s pastor so valuable that most people do not think about.
The following are 7 Reasons A Great Children’s Pastor Is So Valuable shared with me by Aaron:
- Children’s Pastors Are Innovators – Kids get bored. A children’s pastor has to continually think and innovate because every age is different and the ministry has to reflect this. For instance, a 3-year old is at a cognitively different place than a 5-year-old and the lessons must reflect this. For all practical purposes, a children’s department is made up internally of about five different departments.
- Children’s Pastors Are Shepherds and Groups Directors – They have to coordinate all small groups, volunteers, and parents. They are the stem in the tree that makes sure all branches work.
- Children’s Pastors Are Volunteer Coordinators – 80% of what a Children’s Pastor does is volunteer recruitment, development, and deployment. In addition, they have to build a deep bench to cover for absences.
- Children’s Pastors Are Continual Learners And Initiators – When they see something which could potentially work in their ministry, they do not wait for implementation. They immediately launch this new idea into action. For instance, when they see something that works at Disney, they put it into action as soon as possible.
- Children’s Pastors Are Organizers – Out of most ministry leaders, the children’s pastors must be organized because of the countless details required to crisply and communicate to parents. Otherwise, you will see them leave parents because parents demand their children be in environments of excellence.
- Children’s Pastors Must Be One Of The Most-Trusted People On The Church’s Staff – Parents must feel their children are safe. If the children’s pastor does not know the state’s guidelines and proper protocols, parents will not have a comfort level. And similar to point #5, you will see them leave.
- Children’s Pastors Are Not Easy To Find – When you look at the qualifications listed above, how many of these people exist? Quality children’s pastors are at a premium.
In fact, the team at Chemistry Staffing made me aware of several churches looking for a quality children’s pastors. Didn’t I just say they are a premium!
Check out these positions and if you’re interested, click on the link and learn more.
CA – MANTECA – KIDS PASTOR – Calvary Community Church
Calvary Community Church in Manteca, CA, is in search of their next Kids Ministry Director to oversee first through fifth-grade ministries. Our Kids Ministry consists of the Sunday morning experience for kids during our morning services, AWANA, and Wednesday night activities. Manteca is a growing community centrally located in northern California, less than 100 miles from the Bay Area, Yosemite, and Sacramento.
AZ – TUCSON – KIDS PASTOR – Pantano Christian Church
Pantano Christian Church in Tucson, AZ, is in search of their next Kid’s Pastor. This multi-campus church is looking for a leader to develop and execute the vision and mission of the church within the Kid’s Ministry across all campuses. They would like a leader who will take an existing dynamic and healthy program and increase its reach and impact in their city.
MI – KENTWOOD – NEXTGEN PASTOR – Kentwood Community Church
Kentwood Community Church in Kentwood, MI, is in search of a NextGen Pastor. This new team member will lead the next generation ministries, birth through high school, working directly with the Student Ministries and Real Kidz Ministries pastors/leaders to implement their vision and mission. Kentwood Community Church is a 41-year-old, multi-site church located in a suburb of Grand Rapids.
SC – HILTON HEAD ISLAND – KIDS MINISTRY PASTOR – Hilton Head Island Community Church
Hilton Head Island Community Church in South Carolina is in search of our next Kids Ministry Pastor. This position will work in concert with our Next Generation Pastor towards our goal of offering an exciting and engaging program that nurtures children (birth through 5th grade) and their families in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We are looking for a positive, enthusiastic leader who is passionate about raising up the next generation by partnering with parents, equipping and encouraging them to be the primary disciple-makers of their children, and ministering to the whole family. We need someone who can grow and lead our ministry by developing a volunteer base of people with similar passions. We want to offer programs that excite and engage our kids so that they love to come to church and invite their friends! We are looking for someone with a missional mindset who can connect to families from every area of the U.S.!