Children & Family Ministry


Children & Family Ministry Coordinator
Job Description – Position Has Been Filled 10/1/14

OBJECTIVE

Church of the Beloved is hiring a part-time staff person (approximately 7 to 8 hours per week) to minister to the children and families of Beloved. This person will guide the faith formation of our children, offer resources for families to engage in faith formation practices together, recruit and support volunteers, and offer vision for Beloved’s ministry to children and families.

WHO IS CHURCH OF THE BELOVED?

Beloved is a creatively worshiping mission development in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Northwest Washington Synod. Beloved has twenty to forty regular attendees who meet at 4:36 pm every Sunday. Generally, four to twelve children attend any given Sunday, and their ages range from two to twelve years old.

Beloved integrates contemporary language and creative expressions of worship with traditional liturgical elements. We meet in the large living room of Rosewood Manor. Rosewood Manor is a ministry of Beloved that functions as home to an intentional Christian community.

The people of Beloved deeply value intergenerational worship, but we also know the importance of spiritual formation that is targeted directly to children. Thus, our kids stay with us during most of the service and, during the adults’ sermon, there is a dedicated children’s gathering. We have been using materials and lessons from Godly Play, a Montessori-based approach to children’s spiritual formation and education. We like Godly Play’s manipulable materials and its contemplative, Scripture-centric approach, but we are open to new ideas.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Weekly Sunday Children’s Gathering

  • Join the Beloved community for Sunday worship and Eucharist.
  • Plan and lead children’s gathering (approximately 20 to 30 minutes) during weekly Sunday service.
  • Modify and / or develop a curriculum that engages Scripture and various forms of prayer.
  • Coordinate childcare volunteer rotation schedule.
  • Use developmentally appropriate practices to engage children of varying ages, learning styles, and developmental challenges.
  • Budget and track costs for supplies, snack, curriculum, events, etc.

Ongoing Family Ministry

  • Recruit and train volunteers to effectively engage kids and assist in childcare.
  • Provide families with creative ideas and resources for faith practices in homes and neighborhoods.
  • Develop and maintain connections with children and parents.
  • Offer pastoral care to children, parents, and families as appropriate.
  • Plan quarterly events tailored toward children and families (i.e. zoo outing or service project).
  • Involve children in Beloved special events or coordinate age-appropriate childcare during events.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities and Hopes for the Role

  • Hire, supervise, and manage a Toddler Care provider.
  • Foster collaborative relationships with other ELCA churches and children’s ministries as appropriate.
  • Foster relationships in Edmonds, particularly the neighborhood surrounding Rosewood Manor.
  • Develop methods and approaches to ministry in collaboration with the Beloved staff and members.
  • Take advantage of professional development opportunities when possible.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Child Development & Spiritual Formation

  • Knowledge of child development and children’s faith and spiritual formation.
  • Ability to critically and creatively think about ministry to children and families.
  • Practical experience with or education about ministering to children and families.
  • Experience engaging children of varying ages and developmental stages in learning and play.
  • Ability to articulate a vision of growth for Beloved’s ministry to children and families.

Administrative & Organizational Skills

  • Strong organizational skills for planning weekly gatherings, as well as for scheduling and coordinating volunteers.
  • Manage and prioritize limited time, budget, and supplies.
  • Collaborate with church staff, church leadership board, and volunteers.

Spiritual Leadership and Character

  • Demonstrate emotional maturity and ability to connect with children and adults.
  • Exhibit a joyful spirit and consistent faith practices in his/her personal life.
  • Possess a gracious, orthodox, and Trinitarian faith.

Facilitation Skills

  • Facilitate discussions and activities for various ages of children in a single group.
  • Provide a sense of emotional safety and security.
  • Provide structure while being responsive to the children’s needs and emotions.
  • Maintain balance between warmth and authority (friendly but firm).
  • Draw children into wonder, awe, trust, and obedience to God.

COMPENSATION

This is a contract position that pays $450.00 per month, which approximates $15 per hour for a 7-hour week.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Please submit the following by Thursday, August 28 to our Community Ministry Coordinator, Jackie Cuayo: jackie@belovedschurch.org

  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • Short Answer Essay Questions (a brief discussion of each is fine – one paragraph to one page):
    • Tell us about your faith journey, including when and how you began following Jesus and some challenges you have faced on your journey.
    • Discuss the faith practices that nurture you and how you hope they will form your ministry.
    • What is spiritual formation and how do you view the process of spiritual growth?
    • What is your understanding of how children learn to trust God and express their spiritual experiences?

 

 

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