Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission:
- Shades Mountain Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus by helping people live a daily lifestyle of worship as they go into their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and the world.
Vision:
- Shades envisions a church where every generation is equipped to live sent, engaging their everyday lives for the sake of the Gospel. The church is committed to cultivating worship that extends beyond weekend gatherings into daily faithfulness, discipleship, and mission—locally and globally.
Values:
- Gospel-Centered Living: Everything flows from the truth and power of the Gospel.
- Biblical Discipleship: Scripture shapes belief, behavior, and spiritual formation at every stage of life.
- Next Generation Priority: Children and students are not just the church of tomorrow, but the church of today.
- Family Partnership: Parents are equipped and supported as the primary disciplers of their children.
- Living Sent: Faith is lived out through everyday mission, service, and presence in the community.
- Relational Ministry: People matter deeply, and ministry is built on trust, care, and authentic relationships.
Staff Culture
Shades’ staff culture is marked by humility, service, and collaboration. Leaders at every level embody a culture where every person is valued and honored, executives thank interns and pastors invest personally in residents.
This is a team that values:
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- Humility: Leaders daily posture themselves at the foot of the Cross.
- Equipping: Empowering ministries and volunteers with tools and clarity.
- Collaboration: Building trust across departments with open communication.
- Mission Alignment: Ensuring communications always connect back to Living Sent.
- Joyful Community: Genuinely enjoying one another, bringing fun and laughter into the work of ministry.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide vision, leadership, and pastoral care for all Kids Ministry environments, serving kindergarten through elementary-age children.
- Lead, develop, and support Kids Ministry staff, interns, and volunteers, fostering a healthy, relational, and mission-aligned team culture.
- Oversee the planning and execution of Sunday, midweek, and special Kids Ministry programs, ensuring safe, engaging, and gospel-centered environments.
- Partner closely with parents and caregivers, equipping them as the primary disciplers of their children.
- Collaborate with Preschool, Student, and Discipleship leaders to ensure smooth transitions and aligned ministry pathways.
- Shepherd and strengthen the volunteer culture, helping recruit, train, encourage, and retain leaders over time.
- Provide leadership and coordination for Special Needs ministry efforts connected to Kids Ministry.
- Manage the Kids Ministry budget, resources, and systems with clarity, stewardship, and excellence.
- Represent Kids Ministry as a collaborative leader within the broader church staff, aligning efforts with the mission and vision of Shades.
Key Qualifications
- A growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ and a clear calling to ministry in the local church.
- Alignment with Southern Baptist theology and the mission, vision, and values of Shades Mountain Baptist Church.
- Proven experience leading Kids Ministry in a large or comparable church context, including oversight of staff and volunteers.
- Strong relational and pastoral leadership skills with kids, parents, volunteers, and staff.
- Demonstrated ability to develop leaders, build healthy teams, and foster volunteer engagement and retention.
- Strategic thinker who can strengthen systems and programs while pacing change wisely in a season of transition.
- Effective, clear communicator who can articulate vision and inspire others to move together.
- Organized and detail-oriented leader with the ability to manage budgets, schedules, and ministry systems.
- Bachelor’s degree preferred; ministry training or graduate theological education is a plus.
- Experience or familiarity with Special Needs ministry is preferred, though not required.