How to hire a children's minister

How to hire a children's minister, step by step

Here's a step-by-step children's minister hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a children's minister job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new children's minister
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the children's minister you need to hire. Certain children's minister roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a children's minister to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a children's minister that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of children's minister salaries for various roles:

   Type of Children's Minister	Description	Hourly rate
   Children's Minister		$12-37
   Pastor	Pastors are considered the leader of a church whose primary role is to give sermons to church members. They also have other duties, including conducting worship services, planning weekly sermons, and interpreting scriptures for the congregation... Show more	$14-30
   Evangelist	The primary job of an evangelist is to spread the gospel message, also known as the evangel. As an evangelist, you will travel from one place to another to preach the word of God... Show more	$12-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Outreach Events
   • Bible Studies
   • VBS
   • Children Birth
   • Oversight
   • Children Ages
   • Easter
   • Pastoral Care
   • Background Checks
   • Worship Services
   • Event Planning
   • Spiritual Growth
   • Budget Planning
   • Community Events

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead church to incorporate a vision for integrating evangelistic and discipleship efforts.
   • Revamp 5th & 6th grade VBS to be more age appropriate in a large group concept.
   • Plan and give oversight of all children's activities.
   • Perform other various functions as needed including communication with church leadership to ensure efficient operations for church outreach activities.
   • Develop deacons in fulfilling their respective leadership obligations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your children's minister job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A children's minister can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, children's ministers' average salary in alaska is 67% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level children's ministers 68% less than senior-level children's ministers.
   • Certifications. A children's minister with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a children's minister's salary.

   Average children's minister salary

   $45,421yearly

   $21.84 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level children's minister salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a children's minister job description

   A good children's minister job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a children's minister job description:

   Children's minister job description example

   • Ability to meet all minimum eligibility requirements to be a member of Family Church.
   • Affirm the FCN statements of belief and practices as codified in our organizational bylaws and detailed in the Baptist Faith and Message confessional statement of 2000.
   • Maintain a close and healthy walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
   • Maintain a high standard of excellence and moral character.
   • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
   • Demonstrated ability to multi-task and prioritize workflow.
   • Professional and positive demeanor.
   • Record of consistent, high-level performance.
   • Excellent organizational skills.

   General Responsibilities

   • Receive and make ministry contacts including phone calls, text messages, etc.
   • Effectively manage personal workflow and prioritization of assignments.
   • Maintain a positive and professional attitude in a stressful work environment.
   • Maintain a cooperative spirit assisting others when needed or requested.
   • Promptly and professionally communicate with leadership, peers, members, volunteers, and prospects.
   • Properly steward church resources including supplies, equipment, intellectual property, etc.
   • Understand and adhere to procedural guidelines and policies.
   • Recruit, train, shepherd and engage volunteers in every aspect of children’s ministry.
   • Direct the biblical and theological study within children’s ministry.
   • Develop a healthy campus identity while prioritizing an atmosphere of cooperation and connection to the Family Church network.
   • Participate in the planning, promotion and execution of Children’s Ministry events, retreats, camps, trips and special programs.
   • Provide pastoral counseling and support to children and their families.
   • Create an environment of leadership reproduction among interns and volunteers.
   • Be an active and prepared participant in required meetings.
   • Maintain a reputation that is above reproach in conduct with children and their parents.
   • Assist the Campus Pastor, including, but not limited to support of monthly First Connection meeting, performing various platform duties, assisting in contact work and supporting the ministry of the campus pastor.
   • Provide oversight and compliance for administrative duties such as Data Entry, Database Maintenance, and Weekly Set up.
   • Coordinate special events, such as Parent-Child Dedications, Egg Hunt, Trunk or Treat.
   • Coordinate Milestone Classes (First Steps, New Believers & Passport to Purity).
   • Identify, recruit and train individuals for the Young Leader Program.
   • All other duties assigned by leadership.

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find children's ministers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any children's ministers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level children's ministers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your children's minister job on Zippia to find and recruit children's minister candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit children's ministers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new children's minister

   Once you've decided on a perfect children's minister candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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