Family Ministries Pastor
Pennington Park Church
SUMMARY
The Family Ministries Pastor provides vision, leadership, and oversight for the discipleship of children, students, and parents at Pennington Park Church. This position exists to make disciples by equipping parents as the primary spiritual leaders of their homes and by providing visionary leadership for the church's ministries to children and students. This pastor develops leaders, shepherds families, and builds healthy ministries that help the next generation know Jesus, love Jesus, and make Him known.
A successful Family Ministries Pastor will cultivate healthy ministries where parents are equipped, volunteers are flourishing, children and students are growing as disciples, Family Ministry staff and lay leaders are being developed, and every ministry aligns with the mission of Pennington Park Church: To Know Jesus and Make Him Known. The Family Ministries Pastor reports to the Pastor of Ministries and serves as a member of the elder team, helping advance the mission of Pennington Park Church.
This is a new role due to the continued growth of the church. Pennington Park currently serves ~500 children and students on a weekly basis, with a volunteer base of 250+. Weekly attendance at Sunday services is approaching 1,400.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree; seminary degree strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience leading children's, student, or family ministry in a local church of at least 5 years
- Proven ability to recruit, equip, and shepherd volunteer leaders
- Agreement with the doctrine, philosophy of ministry, and leadership values of Pennington Park Church
NECESSARY SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Able to cast vision and lead ministries through staff/volunteer teams rather than doing ministry alone
- Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills
- Demonstrated supervisory experience and proven ability to develop others
- Strong biblical teaching ability for students, parents, and leaders
- Excellent relational skills with children, students, parents, volunteers, and staff
- Demonstrates wisdom in leadership, conflict resolution, and pastoral care
- High degree of discernment and strategic problem-solving ability
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple ministries, events, and calendars simultaneously
- Effective communicator both verbally and in writing
- Self-motivated leader, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement
PASSION & CALLING
- Passionate about the vision and mission of Pennington Park Church
- Demonstrates a genuine calling to shepherd and disciple the next generation and equip parents as the primary spiritual leaders in the home
- Desires to see children and students become lifelong followers of Jesus through faithful gospel-centered ministry
SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Exhibits the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23
- Lives out a commitment to prayer and the study of God's Word
- Committed to spiritual growth and being in community with other believers
- Meets the biblical qualifications for pastoral leadership consistent with 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
- Models humility, integrity, and servant leadership
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Provide Vision and Leadership for Family Ministry
- Develop and implement an overarching discipleship strategy for birth through high school
- Ensure theological, philosophical, and discipleship alignment and cohesiveness across all ministries serving children, students, and parents
- Recruit, hire, train, and conduct regular coaching, goal-setting, and performance development for Family Ministry staff
- Lead, coach, develop, and support Children's and Student Ministry staff and key volunteer leaders
- Periodically teach in all Family Ministry settings, and ensure curriculum development and teaching across all ministries is age-appropriate, biblically saturated, and Gospel-oriented
- Evaluate ministry effectiveness and pursue continual improvement
- Develop and steward the annual Family Ministry budget
Equip Parents for Discipleship
- Champion a disciple-making culture that prioritizes biblical depth, gospel transformation, meaningful relationships, and family discipleship over merely creating entertaining programs and events
- Uphold a philosophy that parents are the primary disciple-makers of their children
- Provide resources, classes, and coaching that strengthen families spiritually
- Develop intentional milestones that help parents lead their children through key stages of spiritual growth
- Build relationships with families through pastoral care, encouragement, and counseling when appropriate
Develop Healthy Ministries and Volunteer Teams
- Provide oversight that ensures every Family Ministry environment is physically safe, spiritually healthy, and compliant with church child protection policies, including volunteer screening procedures
- Oversee the recruitment, ongoing training, development, and retention of volunteer leaders across all family ministries
- Ensure safe, welcoming, and spiritually engaging ministry environments
- Work with staff and ministry leaders to plan curriculum, events, camps, retreats, and outreach opportunities
Serve as a Pastor and Staff Leader
- Participate in pastoral responsibilities including teaching, baptisms, membership, weddings, funerals, hospital visitation, counseling, and shepherding as needed
- Collaborate with all ministry departments to create a seamless discipleship pathway from birth through adulthood
- Participate with the pastoral staff to accomplish church-wide initiatives and ministry goals
- Participate in staff meetings, direction team meetings, elder council meetings, and retreats
- Support the overall health and unity of the church through servant leadership and teamwork
ANTICIPATED TIME COMMITMENTS AND COMPENSATION
- This is a full-time, salaried role with full benefits
- Must be willing to work Sundays, some evenings, and occasional weekends
All employment decisions of Pennington Park Church are made to further its mission statement “To know Jesus and to make Him known”. Pennington Park Church is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on any basis covered by applicable law. As a nonprofit, faith-based employer, Pennington Park Church reserves the right to carefully and fully explore the religious values, faith, personal conduct, and convictions of applicants and employees in order to employ only those individuals who support, advance, and live in a manner consistent with our Statement of Beliefs and Membership Covenant.
