Job Title: Bridge Kids Director
Position Type: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: Executive Pastor (Lead Pastor if vacant)
Overview
The Bridge Kids Director provides visionary, strategic, and operational leadership for all children’s ministry environments (birth through 5th grade). This role owns the full ministry lifecycle—from vision and curriculum to volunteer leadership, scheduling, budgeting, calendar planning, and Sunday execution—ensuring Bridge Kids is aligned with the church’s mission and long-term discipleship strategy.
Who You Are
- You are first and foremost a faithful follower of Jesus with a deep love for children, families, and the local church. You lead from a place of spiritual maturity, humility, and dependence on the Holy Spirit, understanding that ministry fruit flows from a healthy inner life before effective outer leadership.
- You are a vision-driven builder. You don’t just run programs—you design ministries. You think in terms of systems, rhythms, and pathways, and you enjoy bringing clarity where there is complexity. You are energized by creating structure, defining processes, and building sustainable ministry models that can grow and scale over time.
- You are a leader of people, not just environments. You see volunteers as shepherds and partners in ministry, not just positions to fill. You naturally recruit, train, encourage, and develop leaders, and you know how to build teams marked by trust, joy, accountability, and ownership. You are comfortable casting vision, setting expectations, and having honest conversations for the good of the team and the mission.
- You are organized, proactive, and detail-aware without losing sight of the big picture. You plan ahead, manage calendars and budgets wisely, and take responsibility for excellence and follow-through. You value preparation and consistency and understand that strong systems free people to focus on ministry, not chaos.
- You are relational and pastorally-minded. You communicate clearly and warmly with parents, volunteers, staff, and children, building trust through presence, clarity, and care. You understand that parents are the primary disciplers of their children and are passionate about equipping and partnering with them rather than replacing them.
- You are theologically aligned and missionally committed. You hold a high view of Scripture, affirm The Bridge’s beliefs and leadership culture, and are excited to serve within the church’s vision and annual emphasis (For the Gospel). You are a team player who collaborates well across ministries and is eager to see the whole church thrive—not just your department.
- You are resilient, teachable, and growth-oriented. You receive feedback with humility, pursue personal development, and remain steady through seasons of change. You bring a calm, faith-filled presence to leadership and model a life that reflects trust in God, love for people, and commitment to excellence.
Key Responsibilities
1. Vision, Strategy & Ministry Leadership
- Develop and articulate a clear, compelling vision for Bridge Kids that aligns with The Bridge’s overall mission and discipleship pathway.
- Design and maintain a comprehensive kids ministry strategy that integrates environments, curriculum, leader development, and parent partnership.
- Ensure ministry decisions are proactive, intentional, and aligned with long-term spiritual formation—not reactive or event-driven only.
2. Ministry Structure & Team Organization
- Build and maintain a clear Bridge Kids org chart, including volunteer leaders, coordinators, and key leadership roles.
- Define roles, expectations, and leadership lanes for each team member.
- Identify, train, and empower volunteer leaders who can multiply ministry impact.
- Provide coaching, feedback, and care for leaders to foster healthy culture and retention.
3. Curriculum & Discipleship Pathway
- Select, implement, and evaluate gospel-centered curriculum for all age groups.
- Ensure curriculum aligns with The Bridge’s theology, values, and discipleship philosophy.
- Develop a clear spiritual formation progression from birth through elementary.
- Integrate milestone moments (dedications, Bible milestones, baptism readiness, etc.) into the discipleship pathway.
4. Sunday Programming & Weekly Execution
- Oversee all Bridge Kids environments on Sundays, ensuring consistency, safety, and excellence.
- Ensure all check-in platforms and processes are seamless, efficient, and user-friendly.
- Plan weekly worship gatherings with intentionality, preparation, and clarity for volunteers.
- Collaborate with worship, production, and guest services teams to ensure seamless family experiences.
5. Annual Planning, Calendar & Key Events
- Own the annual Bridge Kids ministry calendar, aligning it with the church-wide calendar.
- Plan and execute key ministry moments such as:
- Kids Week
- Summer Camp
- Family discipleship events
- Parent equipping gatherings
- Seasonal events (Easter, Christmas, Back-to-School, etc.)
- Ensure events are well-scoped, well-communicated, and well-staffed—without overburdening volunteers.
6. Volunteer Recruitment, Training & Care
- Develop a year-round volunteer recruitment and onboarding strategy for worship gatherings.
- Ensure volunteers are trained, scheduled, supported, and spiritually cared for.
- Create leadership development pipelines for future team leaders.
- Foster a culture where volunteers feel valued, equipped, and connected to the mission.
7. Operations, Systems & Processes
- Oversee and optimize ministry systems including Planning Center, scheduling, and communication workflows.
- Establish and maintain clear processes for volunteer onboarding, safety training, and classroom operations.
- Ensure safety policies are up-to-date and followed with consistency and integrity, including necessary background checks for volunteers.
8. Budget & Resource Stewardship
- Develop and manage the Bridge Kids annual budget with wisdom and stewardship.
- Allocate resources strategically to maximize ministry impact.
- Evaluate curriculum, supplies, and events for effectiveness and sustainability.
9. Parent Partnership & Communication
- Build trust and partnership with parents through clear, consistent communication.
- Equip parents with tools, resources, and encouragement for discipleship at home.
- Work closely with the communications team to ensure messaging is timely, clear, and aligned.
Why This Role Matters
The Bridge Kids Director plays a vital role in shaping the spiritual foundation of the next generation and the future health of The Bridge Church. Children are being formed early—by culture, technology, and competing narratives—and this role ensures they are formed first and foremost by the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the earliest ages, Bridge Kids exists to immerse children in Scripture, point them to Jesus, and create environments where faith is nurtured with clarity, consistency, and love.
This role matters because healthy churches are built on healthy families. The Bridge Kids Director partners with parents as the primary spiritual leaders of their children, helping align what happens in the home with what happens at church. Through intentional communication, trusted leadership, and thoughtful discipleship pathways, this role helps faith move beyond Sundays and into everyday family life.
Finally, this role matters because the mission is generational. By developing leaders, building sustainable systems, and cultivating a culture of excellence and care, the Bridge Kids Director ensures that the gospel is not only proclaimed today but faithfully passed on to future generations. The impact of this role extends far beyond weekly programming—it helps shape the long-term discipleship legacy of The Bridge.
Employee Expectations
1. 7 C’s of a Staff Member
Fulfills the expectations of a staff member at The Bridge Church written in the Staff 7 C’s.
2. Employee Handbook
Fulfills all requirements and expectations written in the Employee Handbook of The Bridge Church.
3. Weekly Office Hours and Work Schedule
Fulfills the following weekly office hours for employees.
- Monday-Thursday, office hours 8:30am–4:30pm
- Sunday hours for regularly scheduled worship gatherings
- As needed for church events requiring staff attendance
