The purpose of Arcola Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We are guided by compassion, servanthood and excellence in this work.  We work to support the Church’s vision of helping God’s people grow in wisdom and in wholeness. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we seek to become more like Him every day, through these practices - Worship, Grow, Serve, Give and Share. 

Position:  Chair of Children’s Ministries  

Hours:  20 hours per week 

Supervision:  Reports directly to the Director of Grow Ministries who will provide annual evaluation of performance. 

Job Summary:

The Chair of Children’s Ministries provides leadership, vision, program development and direction for the ministries and programs geared toward children ages birth through 5^th grade. As a member of the Grow Ministries Team, the Chair partners with the Church staff and the Grow Ministries Team to develop a strategy for engaging all children in ministries and programs that support our purpose of building disciples. 

Essential Responsibilities and Expectations: 

Churchwide

• Support the church’s purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world guided by compassion, servanthood and excellence.
• Advance the church’s vision to help God’s people grow in wisdom and in wholeness.
• Engage in the “five essential practices” of Christian life: worship, study, serve, give and share. 

Position Specific

• Foster a welcoming, safe and diverse environment in line with the church’s purpose and vision.
• Adhere to all requirements of the Arcola Church Child Protection Policy and Procedures.
• Read, sign and abide by the Staff Covenant.

• Develop and maintain healthy and supportive relations with children and families by communicating with them regularly in person and through a variety of mediums.
• Be an advocate for children and educate the congregation about activities and needs; help integrate children’s ministries into the total life of the church. 
• Design and implement an interactive and engaging Sunday school program for children ages birth through 5^th grade. This includes curriculum selection and utilization of music and audiovisual elements, for both large group children’s worship and classroom sessions.
• Recruit, manage, motivate and equip volunteers.
• Coordinate opportunities/events and communicate effectively with staff, volunteers, and parents to foster successful and growing children’s ministries.
• Facilitate the transition of students from children to youth ministry programs.
• Member of the Vacation Bible School team which plans and executes Vacation Bible School in July of each year.
• Monitors Sunday school supplies both in the classrooms and in the Sunday School workroom.
• Meet regularly with the Grow Team.
• Manage assigned budget.
• Tend to administrative duties as needed including keeping ministry areas neat.
• Attend all staff, council and charge conference meetings and other staff events. 
• Be present on Sunday mornings.
• Be a visible and engaged presence in the Arcola Church community. 

Competencies:

• Team Building – forms highly effective teams, whether supervised or informal, where individuals with diverse skills achieve ambitious goals. 
• Developing Others – coaches, encourages and resources individuals and teams to discover their calling and meet career and church goals.
• Adapting – remains flexible and modifies behaviors quickly to help the church meet the dynamic needs of congregants and employees.  
• Problem Solving – makes good decisions quickly, solves problems effectively to help move the church forward.
• Catalyzing Growth – overcomes inertia by discovering new solutions and casting vision for innovation that will elevate the church’s effectiveness.
• Collaborating – shares knowledge, builds partnerships and promotes a culture of thinking from the users’ perspective while working across divisions to meet shared goals and objectives.
• Communicating – develops and delivers clear communications (verbal and written) that meet the unique needs of different audiences.
• Community Partnering – understands the community in which we serve, establishes community relationships and represents the church in the broader community. 

Qualifications: 

• Experience in working with children
• Experience leading a team. 

Salary:  

2025 - $24.35/hour
2026 - $24.84/hour 

Benefits:  None 

The Arcola UMC Handbook and Church Policies set forth the personnel policies, procedures, benefits, rules of conduct and reporting responsibilities.  All policies are incorporated herein.