Snapshot

Denomination: SBC

Weekly Attendance:  4200

Location: Moore, South Carolina (Spartanburg)

The Role: Kids Pastor

Church at The Mill, located in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, is one church currently meeting on three campuses. Each campus is led by a pastor who preaches live and joins a campus staff in shepherding and leading the members and guests of that location under the guidance of our Senior Pastor, who preaches weekly at our central campus. We desire to be a people and a place of new beginnings and real relationships. We find our purpose as a church in gathering together for worship and fellowship, spiritual growth and discipleship, giving time and resources, and going out to share the message of redemption!

About the Kids Pastor:

The Kids Pastor will work with the NextGen Pastor to provide pastoral leadership and organizational management to the Kids Ministry team in facilitating the development of a premier Kids Ministry that meets the needs of families in the upstate of South Carolina and serves as a model for Kids Ministry nationwide.

General

• Spiritual Growth: Actively pursue and model a growing relationship with Jesus.

• Culture: Instigate and protect the 10 Characteristics of Church at Mill’s (CATM’s) Leadership Culture.

• Collaboration: Work with the CATM staff team at-large to create and promote unity and cooperation within the staff.

• Stewardship: Display good stewardship in managing the Kids Ministry budget to support CATM’s vision and the master NextGen ministry plan.

• Excellence: Ensure all policies and ministry standards are met in Kids Ministry.

Strategic Discipleship

• Work with NextGen Pastor to define a spiritual growth plan for children. Ensure the spiritual growth plan is implemented in every programming and organizational management aspect.

• Oversee the direction and utilization of curriculum resources that support the values of CATM and the master spiritual growth plan for children.

• Lead in the development and effective facilitation of excellent weekly programming that supports the master spiritual growth plan for children.

• Lead in developing and implementing events that reach children and encourage families.

• Lead in developing and implementing milestone events that facilitate spiritual growth in families (i.e., child dedication, baptism, etc.).

Leader Development

• Work with the NextGen Pastor and NextGen Leader Development Pastor to ensure the ongoing leadership development of staff, adult volunteer leaders, interns, and children.

• Facilitate quarterly personnel evaluations with direct reports, defining growth opportunities. Lead pastoral staff and directors in personnel evaluations with their direct reports.

• Seek professional growth opportunities for all Kids Ministry staff.

• Lead Kids Ministry staff team in weekly meetings that are encouraging, challenging, and productive in ministry planning and team alignment.

• Oversee the designated processes for recruiting, onboarding and training Kids Ministry Adult Volunteer leaders.

• Oversee the implementation of regular Adult Volunteer Leader training.

• Contribute to the ongoing development of a digital resource hub for Adult Volunteer Leaders.

• Work with NextGen Leader Development Pastor in the ongoing development of a premier Kids Ministry Internship experience that trains the next generation of Kids Ministry professionals.

Parent Partnership

• Challenge, equip, and encourage parents to fulfill their biblical role as spiritual leaders of their children.

• Seek to know families in the community and those who come through the doors of CATM.

• Contribute to the ongoing development of a digital resource hub for parents.

• Contribute to the development and delivery of digital and live parenting seminars.

Pastoral Care (Shepherding)

• Relationally engage children towards knowing and sharing the love of Jesus.

• Contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of resources for children.

• Offer coaching and spiritual counsel to children and families, appropriately referring to the biblical counseling center as needed.

• Respond promptly to families in crisis to communicate support, offer prayer, & connect with needed resources.

• Regularly & specifically pray for children and seek opportunities to pray with children/families.

• Oversee processes related to meeting physical needs/benevolence

School Partnerships

• Oversee the cultivation of relationships with target schools.

• Through engagement with local schools, provide encouragement, support, & resources to administration, athletics, faculty, staff, & students.

• Lead Kids Ministry team in facilitating ministry opportunities in local schools (i.e., Good News Club).

Other

• Ensure exceptional care of Kids Ministry facilities and resources. Communicate facility needs to the Facilities Director.

• Steward financial resources of the ministry, maintaining expected financial records & following organizational procedures.

• Any additional responsibilities as directed by the NextGen Pastor.

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Kids Pastor:

Education & Experience

• A Masters of Divinity Degree from an accredited Seminary, strongly preferred

• 8+ years of successful ministry experience in a large, complex ministry context

Preferred Competencies

• Relationship Building: Ability to build healthy relationships with staff, students, parents, and volunteer leaders.

• Communication: The ability to effectively share information in various ways within the ministry (staff, volunteers, parents, & students) and promote the ministry at large to the church & community

• Leader Development: The ability to encourage and empower leaders to serve the ministry’s mission. This competency involves effective delegation while maintaining and prioritizing self-growth

• Team Leadership: Ability to facilitate alignment within the Kids Ministry staff and with other teams.

• Time Management: Ability to facilitate productivity by effectively handling time. This includes appropriate time management for daily/weekly tasks, meetings, programming prep, professional development, personal time, and margin to accommodate crises as they arise in the ministry

• Strategic Planning: Ability to plan strategically by forward-thinking, beginning with the big picture and working towards vital details. Budget management, systems development, and organization are key to successful strategic planning.

• Conflict Resolution: The ability to courageously initiate tough conversations to seek agreement and facilitate peace between team members, students, or families when difficult situations or anger arise.

•  Flexibility: The ability to adapt and improvise when unexpected circumstances arise.

• Multi-Tasking: The ability to focus on a single task without losing track of others, simultaneously managing many responsibilities and switching between tasks as needed.

People who enjoy a mix of city life and country living will fit right into Spartanburg’s community. With suburban living, abundant nature, and a historic downtown, Spartanburg invites residents to explore all the city has to offer on weekends and afternoons. Even more, the city is known for being walkable, meaning the city’s gems are best discovered and enjoyed while on foot.

Spartanburg is known for its beautiful views and rich past, with a history that goes back before the Revolutionary War. Spartanburg became known as Hub City in the 1800s, when it served as a major railroad center.

With several colleges nearby and a growing food scene, Spartanburg has an abundant supply of weekend activities. Locals can ride their bicycles around town, encounter wildlife in the state park and nearby nature preserves, shop at farmers' markets, check out festivals, or enjoy local restaurants. People often travel to Spartanburg to escape winter freezes and enjoy the outdoors. Spartanburg is a pet-friendly city, where it’s common to see locals walking their dogs downtown or sharing a meal at a restaurant patio with puppies and water bowls at their feet.

Spartanburg also has some of the most sought-after high schools in the Upstate, attracting many families to the area. Residents of all ages show pride in being a part of the Spartanburg, SC community.