Children's Ministry Director

MISSION: Honor God. Follow Christ. Serve People.

VISION: We are a community of people inviting God to use our stories to grow and strengthen His Kingdom.

Job Summary:

The Children's Ministries Director is responsible for the development and implementation of the mission, vision and strategy for all aspects of the Children's Ministry of Lake Take Tapps Christian Church. Specifically, the Children's Ministry Director is responsible for overseeing ministry to Lake Tapps' kids and their families, including Sunday morning programs, Lake Tapps Christian Preschool and Kindergarten, seasonal and outreach events, and bridge events.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Director of Children’s Ministries serves and cares for the children and parents of Lake Tapps Christian Church.  This includes fostering a discipleship culture at every level in the ministry where followers of Jesus are growing to maturity and challenged to begin discipling others. The Director of Children’s Ministries will develop a team of staff and volunteers to create vibrant and compelling worship and discipleship environments for children birth through 5th grade and for children ages 3-5 during morning and afternoon preschool and kindergarten programs. This includes leadership of staff and volunteer teams, recruiting and equipping, building community, marketing, enrollment, curriculum development, classroom management, risk and budget management.

Essential Job functions:

• Develop and implement vision for Children's Ministries (CM) in collaboration with Senior Pastor, Board of Elders and the Strategic Leadership Team.
• Provide strategic leadership and lead planning initiatives for CM teachers, support staff and volunteers.
• Develop servant-leader teachers, support staff and volunteer teams according to Ephesians 4:11-13.
• Provide pastoral care and encouragement for CM teachers, support staff and volunteers.
• Responsible for staffing and training of CM teachers, support staff and volunteers.
• Regularly monitor, evaluate, and develop teachers, support staff and volunteers ensuring a “continuous learning” culture is developed and fostered and that classroom management practices are continuously improved.
• Develop processes for effective CM operations.
• Implement practices that manage risk, ensuring safe, secure, and orderly environments.

• Research and develop/implement curriculum for all CM programs.

• Lead the creative use and proactive upkeep of CM facilities and grounds in collaboration with the Director of Operations.
• Develop and oversee annual program budget for CM ensuring stewardship targets are realized.
• Develop communication plans to keep teachers, support staff, volunteers and parents informed.
• Manage communication between ministries that interact with the Children's Ministries.

Essential Qualities:

• A born-again believer who exhibits a love for God and a Christ-like spirit, evidenced by care and discipline in their personal life, family relationships and ministry.
• Exhibits a love and passion for children and their families.
• Embraces the mission and vision of Lake Tapps Christian Church.
• Knowledgeable about child development and behavior, early childhood curriculum and teaching methods.
• Ability to lead a large and diverse team of teachers, support staff and volunteers.
• Experience with direction and administration of Children’s or Family Ministries.
• Solid time management skills and organizational abilities including the ability to coordinate several activities at once and to quickly analyze and resolve specific problems.
• Ability to communicate and establish effective working relationships with people of all stages of spiritual maturity, conveying a genuine concern for their needs and a desire to provide exceptional service.

• Ability to build strong character in others, providing accountability and coaching toward personal growth and health.

• The ideal candidate will be teachable, creative, detail-oriented, flexible, and decisive with the ability to organize and coordinate work, set priorities, and motivate others.
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Children/Family Ministries, Elementary or Early Childhood Education or a related field.

Personal Responsibilities:

• Maintain God ordained priorities in your life by putting Jesus Christ first before everything else.
• Commitment to the Lake Tapps Christian Church membership covenant.
• Give at least a tenth of your income to the mission and ministry of Lake Tapps.
• Be committed to the vision and mission of Lake Tapps and loyal to your direct supervisor.
• Invest in and invite the lost into a relationship with Jesus Christ and the Lake Tapps family.

Core Competencies

• Trust and Integrity: Acts and speaks in ways that are direct and truthful; keeps confidences ; admits mistakes; is accountable for commitments and promises; is reliable and responsible to complete work in a timely and consistent manner; adheres to high ethical standards as well as the core values of the church.
• Interpersonal Relationships: Interacts well with others; builds constructive relationships; demonstrates good communication skills; gives and receives candid feedback; is open to different viewpoints; shows respect for others; maintains appropriate boundaries in both personal and professional relationships; collaborates on joint projects and decisions; uses diplomacy and tact; willing to work in a team context when needed.
• Valuing Diversity: Values diverse perspectives; participates in diversity training opportunities;  shows sensitivity to individual differences; treats others fairly and with respect without regard to race, sex, color, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation; recognizes differences as opportunities to learn and gain by working together; values and encourages unique skills and talents; seeks and considers diverse perspectives and ideas.
• Flexibility and Change: Understands the dynamics of change; remains open-minded and changes opinions on the basis of new information; adapts to change and different ways of doing things quickly and positively; manages transitions from task to task effectively; adapts to varying needs of those served.
• Management of Self:  Expands self-awareness through ongoing self-reflection; manages own emotions well; nurtures knowledge and skills actively through continuous learning; diversifies life interests with balance between the professional and private; engages in efforts to optimize personal health and well-being.
• Managing Purpose and Vision: Understands the culture and values of this church; articulates and supports its mission and direction; communicates a compelling and inspired sense of how individuals contribute to this church’s purpose and vision.
• Management Processes:  Can establish annual work plans with goals, objectives and timelines; organizes resources – people, funding, material and support – to get things done; manages within established budgets; equips and empowers employees and volunteers who implement work plans; understands and supervises through a performance management cycle that encourages the success and growth of those supervised; engages in feedback with volunteers and offers appreciation and recognition; inspires leadership development in both staff and volunteers; evaluates achievement of goals and objectives
• Team Leadership: Is aware of the dynamics and disciplines of real teams; Establishes effective team structures; manages and guides group efforts; tracks team progress, adequately anticipates roadblocks, and changes course as needed to achieve team goals; provides appropriate feedback concerning group and individual performance, including areas for improvement.
• Conflict Management: Steps up to conflicts seeing them as opportunities. Addresses conflicts by focusing on the issues at hand to develop effective solutions when disputes or disagreements occur; helps others resolve conflicts by providing impartial mediation when needed.
• Communication: Writes and speaks effectively, using standards proper to the situation; states own opinions clearly and concisely; demonstrates openness and honesty; listens well during meetings and feedback sessions; explains reasoning behind own opinions; asks others for their opinions and feedback; engages stakeholders at an appropriate level of decision making; asks questions to ensure understanding; exercises a professional approach with others using all appropriate tools of communication; uses consideration and tact when offering opinions
• Executive Leadership:  Has the willingness and ability to develop focus on the larger view of the church rather than just one’s own area of functional or operational responsibility. 
• Program Direction: Demonstrates knowledge and skills in the management of programs and projects, including planning, organizing, staffing, direction and evaluation; is comfortable with and capable of assuring develop of annual goals and objectives for each program; effectively works with program staff and volunteers to plan and implement programs; is knowledgeable and capable of managing the budget and resources of the annual work plan. Is proficient in use of database software to support program management.