Willow Kids Pastor

We believe kids and students are not just the future of the church, they are the church, and we want to create engaging environments where they can experience God's love, take steps in their faith, and use their gifts and talents to lead and serve. Willow Creek Community Church is an egalitarian non-denominational, multi-site church in and across Chicagoland passionate about helping people take next steps to love God, love people, and change the world. Our church is a place where you can make a significant impact for God's kingdom based on how He has uniquely designed you, leading the people around you to become more like Jesus and showing the tangible love of Jesus both locally and globally. As a staff, we aim to foster a culture that has open hands to do whatever it takes to serve and support that mission, serving with humility and open hands. Wherever the need is, we step in. Nothing is above or beneath us to serve one another or our Church.

As the Willow Kids pastor you will champion the small group driven vision and Orange strategy for children's programming for infants-5th grade at Willow South Barrington in alignment with the overall mission, vision, and strategies of the campus and the Central Willow Kids team. You will be able to build, develop, and oversee the children's ministry (birth to 5th grade) at Willow South Barrington. This includes a dynamic weekend experience, training and empowering volunteers, and supporting and equipping families. You will also oversee the staff on the Willow Kids team at the campus. In addition, you will collaborate with the central kids team and campus leadership to set the direction, vision, goals, and initiatives of the ministry and contribute as a key part of the overall vision for the campus. This role has dual reporting lines to both the Associate Campus Pastor and the Central Willow Kids Director.

The salary range for this position is around $75,000 - $100,000 depending on experience and skill set. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, retirement savings with company match, generous paid time off, maternity and paternity leave, mental health counseling reimbursement, and more

Job Responsibilities

• Work with the Central Kids Director and Next Gen team to execute curriculum for weekend experiences and small groups, plan for major events, and develop best practices around protection, volunteer and parent engagement.
• Develop collaborative relationships with all the Willow Kids Pastors at each campus and establish strong channels of communication with leadership and peers, serving as the primary advocate between your campus staff and central staff.
• Ensure commitment to Willow Kids central alignment policies.
• Oversee any Willow Kids staff as direct reports while developing them towards personal and professional growth.
• Recruit, train, and develop a highly engaged and motivated volunteer team, ensuring they are well enlisted, equipped, empowered, and encouraged.
• Support and uphold the risk and protection policies, including correct minimum kid to leader ratios and volunteer protection requirements to deliver a safe experience for every child in the ministry.
• Plan and manage the budget for your ministry, utilizing resources effectively to achieve maximum impact.
• Serve as the primary support to all parents of young children at the campus as they help their kids take their next steps with God.

Staff Values:

• Believing the Best | Trust is our default
• Commit to Candor | Kindness is our way
• Embrace Challenge | Grit is our style
• Setting the Tone | Joy is our attitude
• Choose Unity | Diversity is our strength

Success is Defined As

Thriving kids ministry where staff feel supported and resourced and fosters creativity and innovation, volunteers are equipped and encouraged, and the kids of Willow know they are loved by God and take steps in their faith.

Preferred Skills and Experience

Skills/Competencies:

• Excellent Team Building
• Developer of people
• Talent Scout, always on the lookout for new leaders and volunteers
• Total Quality Manager, committed to excellence
• Strong Vision Casting
• Quality problem solving and decision making skills
• Skilled in Conflict Management

Personal Characteristics:

• Self-starter - ability to own a project and run with it.
• Learner- Someone who desires continued growth in their area of ministry.
• Innovative - Seeks out new ideas and is unafraid to fail.
• Collaborative & Team Player - Loves working with others and assumes the best in each other
• Team Mobilizer- Able to build effective teams
• Self Aware - Knows their own strengths and weaknesses and is moving towards health, exemplifies humility and confidence
• Encourager- Able to see the good in others and is intentional in affirming it.
• Approachable- Is warm, inviting and easy to get along with.
• High Emotional Intelligence - Intuitive about others emotions and able to respond appropriately.
• Hard working - Is aware of the importance of their role and works hard to do their best.
• Effective communicator - Able to give and receive healthy feedback
• Loves kids, loves students - Feels passionate about ministering to kids and students
• Jesus Follower - Lives a life of integrity and pursues a personal relationship with Jesus.
• Regularly attends or is willing to attend a Willow Creek Community Church campus

Education and Experience:

• Undergrad degree or higher preferred (or equivalent kids ministry experience)
• Served in a leadership position at a church or campus preferred
• Proven experience leading teams
• Experience working with kids (birth-5th grade)
• Experience caring for and shepherding others