Children & Families Leader

This role is centred on supporting the spiritual growth and community engagement of children and families within the church. The successful candidate will lead initiatives that align with the church’s mission and vision, fostering an inclusive, nurturing environment for young people and their families. Key areas of focus include overseeing children's church programs, managing a toddler group team, organising family focused community events, and ensuring all activities adhere to safeguarding standards.

Key Responsibilities

General responsibilities

• Commit to and regularly attend Thrive Church services
• Attend Staff and wider ministry leader meetings
• Communicate regularly with line management and Snr leadership team

Sunday Children's Ministry (Kids' Church)

• Develop and implement a strategic plan aimed at attracting new families to the church community. 
• Lead and oversee the Sunday Children’s activities.
• Build and mentor a dedicated Children’s work team to support and align with the church's broader vision. 
• Design engaging and spiritually enriching programs to foster the growth of young children. 
• Collaborate with church leadership to create a welcoming, family-friendly environment, while envisioning future growth for Thrive Church.

Midweek Toddler Group (Little Thrivers) - Thursdays during Term-Time

• Provide support to the existing team, ensuring consistency and high standards of care. 
• Strengthen connections between the toddler group and the wider church community. 
• Develop a long-term strategy for team development and sustainability.

Community Engagement

• Work alongside the events team to facilitate activities that engage children and families from the local community. 
• Develop and establish a link with local schools. E.G Chaplaincy/ School support.
• Support events such as the Light Party and Summer Holiday activities to foster church engagement. 
• Promote a church-wide culture that values the presence and participation of children as integral members of the congregation.

Parent and Family Support

• Assist parents and caregivers by providing resources, guidance, and support in their role as faith leaders within the home. 
• Meet with new families and children to provide pastoral care, offering personalised mentoring and support as needed. 
• Engage in pastoral care for families, providing individual guidance and mentorship where appropriate.

Safeguarding

• Ensure that all safeguarding policies and procedures are up to date, understood, and strictly followed in all children’s ministry activities.

Personal Qualities

The candidate will need to embody innovation, passion, and a strong sense of self-awareness in all aspects of their work and relationships. They should be a natural team builder with the ability to connect with and attract families, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging at Thrive Church.

Ethos

Our ethos is an expression of our character – it is a statement of who we are, what we believe and hold to as our values. Thrive Church UK is inspired by and committed to living out the message and example of Christ – promoting spiritual, emotional, physical and environmental growth whilst furthering the work of Christ and establishing Kingdom principles in the local and surrounding communities.  Accordingly, as an Ecumenical Christian Movement, all staff in posts are central to the fulfilment of Thrive Church UK’S Christian Ethos. The nature of this post and the context in which it will be carried and its link to the ethos of the Charity give rise to an occupational requirement (OR) for the post-holder to be a Christian.  The applicant for this position is required to demonstrate a clear, personal commitment to the Christian faith.