Oak Park Christian Church 
Children & Youth Pastor Job Description – August 2026 
Children and Youth Pastor Job Description

Summary: 
The primary responsibility for this position is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as an associate 
pastor (shepherd-teacher) with the Oak Park Christian Church family. 
The secondary responsibility for this position is to provide leadership to grow and mature a 
ministry to disciple children (birth–6th grade), youth (grades 7-12), and their parents. 

Responsibilities: 
1. Children’s Ministry: 
a. Oversee ministry to children ages birth through sixth grade. 
i. Establish, advocate, and implement a philosophy of ministry in 
alignment with the overall vision, mission, and strategy of the 
congregation. 
ii. Articulate goals and establish regular assessments. 
iii. Select and implement comprehensive curriculum and other necessary 
teaching resources. 
b. Plan and grow a comprehensive and balanced program including: 
i. An inviting and effective ministry for children during our Sunday 
morning worship gatherings. 
ii. Occasional and/or annual outreach events to attract new children and 
families. 
iii. Strategizing, developing, and implementing new online and in-person 
ministries for reaching and teaching children. 
iv. Create ways for children to be integrated regularly into the Sunday 
morning worship gatherings. 
c. Develop a team of adult volunteer staff. 
i. Recruit the necessary number and quality of adult volunteers to serve 
the needs of the Children’s Ministry. 
ii. Facilitate background checks and proper training for all potential 
adult volunteers. 
iii. Contribute to the discipleship of those adults for spiritual growth. 
iv. Train the adult staff with specific skills for “leading by serving and 
serving by leading.” 
v. Empower and engage the adult staff in ministry. 
d. Organize adult care and children’s activities for all-church events. 
e. Craft a yearly budget and, in conjunction with the Finance Team and 
Eldership, ensure proper tracking and accounting. 
f. Establish and maintain regular communication with parents. 

2. Youth Ministry (7th-12th grades): 
a. Oversee ministry to junior high and high school age students. 
Oak Park Christian Church 
Children & Youth Pastor Job Description – August 2026 
b. Plan and grow a comprehensive and balanced program (evangelism, 
discipleship, ministry, fellowship, and worship). 
c. Develop student leadership. 
i. Select students with interest and abilities to serve on a Leadership 
Team. 
ii. Disciple those students for spiritual growth. 
iii. Train those students to develop their skills for accomplishing their 
tasks and responsibilities. 
iv. Empower those students as servant-leaders within the youth ministry 
and in the life of the church overall. 
d. Develop a team of adult volunteer staff. 
i. Recruit the necessary number and quality of adult volunteers to serve 
the needs of the youth ministry. 
ii. Disciple those adults for spiritual growth. 
iii. Train the adult staff with specific skills for “leading by serving and 
serving by leading.” 
iv. Empower and engage the adult staff in ministry. 
e. Craft a yearly budget and, in conjunction with the Finance Team and 
Eldership, ensure proper tracking and accounting. 
f. Provide clear and frequent communication with parents of all events, 
activities, schedules, deadlines, and requirements (i.e., cost) of youth 
gatherings. 

3. Family Life Ministry: 
a. Create and oversee a comprehensive ministry for developing healthy, 
biblically-oriented marriage relationships at all stages. 
b. Create and oversee a comprehensive ministry for encouraging, equipping, 
resourcing, and networking parents of children up through high school. 
4. General Pastoral Ministry: 
a. Serve as an integral part of pastoral and staff team. 
b. Regular preaching for Sunday morning worship gatherings (minimum of 5 
times per year), if so gifted and inclined. 
c. Counseling and pastoral care as opportunities arise. 

Preferred Candidate Profile: 
We are seeking an associate pastor who will have primary responsibility for developing, 
leading, and growing a dynamic ministry to children and youth and their parents. We are 
looking for the man of God who will be the best fit with our current pastoral staff and the 
culture of 5 Cities community and the Oak Park congregation. 

Preferred candidates will have: 
1) A deep and intentionally growing personal faith in Jesus. 
2) A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Bible or Theology. Preference will be given to 
those who graduated from a college or seminary affiliated with the Christian 
Churches/Churches of Christ. 
Oak Park Christian Church 
Children & Youth Pastor Job Description – August 2026 
3) A deep love for the Word of God and a high commitment to communicate it 
passionately and compassionately. 
4) Theological alignment with Oak Park Christian Church in particular and the 
Restoration Movement in general. 
5) A deep love for the local church and commitment to "lead by serving and serve by 
leading.” 
6) At least three years’ experience leading children’s ministry in a similar sized 
congregation or larger. 
7) Experience in, or be acclimated to, ministry within the culture of the west coast. 
8) A commitment to team-based ministry. 
9) A Christ-centered marriage and home life. 

Contact Information 
Please send a resume with at least five references, a philosophy of ministry, a statement of 
core doctrinal convictions and values, examples of curriculum or training material you 
have written, and web or video links of preaching or teaching.
 
Mike Gunderson 
mike@oakparkchristian.org 
386 N. Oak Park Blvd. 
Grover Beach, CA. 93433