Part Time Kids Pastor — Maternity Cover - #2178966

Part-Time — 2½ days per week including Sundays

Location: Manchester City Centre

Salary: £24k - £30k per annum (full-time equivalent) depending on experience

About Fabric Church

Fabric Church is a growing Church of England church in the heart of Manchester, passionate about helping people encounter Jesus, find community, and play their part in God’s story.

We’re a young, vibrant, city-centre church with a strong culture of worship, creativity, hospitality, and mission. Across Sundays, students, young adults, worship gatherings, social action, and midweek communities, we want to communicate the life of the church with clarity, beauty, warmth, and authenticity.

We’re looking for a Kids Pastor to join us on a maternity cover basis, who is passionate about Jesus, loves children and families, and is excited about helping create a church where children are known, valued, discipled and given opportunities to encounter God.

This is a relational, pastoral and practical role. The Kids Pastor will help lead and develop Fabric’s ministry to children, build and support a strong volunteer team, oversee the Sunday kids ministry, host and develop a weekly toddler's group, and help children and families feel genuinely connected to the wider life of Fabric Church.

The Role

The Kids Pastor will oversee and develop the kid's ministry at Fabric Church during this period of maternity cover, helping create a safe, welcoming and engaging environment where children can discover Jesus, grow in faith and belong within the life of the church.

The role combines vision, pastoral leadership, volunteer development, Sunday ministry, toddlers ministry, family engagement, administration and practical delivery.

We’re looking for someone who is both spiritually passionate and highly organised: someone who can think about the bigger picture of children’s discipleship while also being happy to get stuck into the practical details of making Sunday ministry and the weekly toddlers group happen. 

Key Responsibilities

Sundays

• Take responsibility for the overall running and development of Fabric’s kids ministry on Sundays.
• Prepare and oversee age-appropriate sessions, ensuring leaders and volunteers have the resources and information they need.
• Create a warm, welcoming and safe environment for children and their parents/carers.
• Coordinate Sunday kids volunteers and ensure teams are appropriately staffed.
• Develop clear systems for registration, attendance, communication and follow up.
• Be visible and available to children, parents/carers and volunteers on Sundays.
• Help integrate kids and families into the wider life and worship of Fabric Church.
• Gather feedback and continually look for ways to improve the Sunday experience for children and families.

Toddlers & Families

• Host and lead a weekly toddler's group, creating a warm, welcoming and safe environment for babies, toddlers and their parents/carers.
• Plan and deliver an engaging programme of play, activities, stories, songs and opportunities for connection that is appropriate for toddlers and their families.
• Build relationships with parents and carers who attend, helping them feel known, welcomed and connected to Fabric Church.
• Recruit, coordinate and encourage a team of volunteers to help run the toddler's group where appropriate.
• Ensure the group operates in line with Fabric Church’s safeguarding and health and safety policies.
• Look for appropriate opportunities to introduce families to the wider life of Fabric Church and help them take their next steps in community and faith.
• Develop the toddler's group as an accessible point of connection for families in the local community.

Volunteer Team - Sundays

• Recruit, develop, encourage and pastor a strong team of kids volunteers.
• Create a healthy team culture where volunteers feel valued, supported and equipped.
• Communicate rotas, expectations, teaching resources and practical information clearly and in good time.
• Provide regular vision, training and encouragement for kids volunteers. Identify and develop potential leaders within the volunteer team.
• Help volunteers grow in confidence and understanding of ministry to children.

Administration & Planning

• Maintain appropriate records of children and families attending kids ministry and toddlers.
• Coordinate volunteer rotas and communications.
• Manage the kid's ministry calendar, resources and practical requirements.
• Work within the agreed kids' ministry budget and oversee purchasing where appropriate.
• Plan ahead for key dates, seasonal programmes, church-wide events and special services.
• Use relevant church systems, including ChurchSuite, to support communication, administration and pastoral care.
• Ensure kids ministry communication is clear, timely and aligned with the wider communications of Fabric Church.

Safeguarding

• Take responsibility for ensuring kids and toddlers ministry operates in line with Fabric Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Complete all required safeguarding training and ensure appropriate training is in place for kids and toddlers volunteers.
• Ensure appropriate DBS checks are completed for those working with children.
• Complete appropriate risk assessments for kids activities, toddlers sessions and events.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries and a culture of safety, care and accountability.

Safeguarding is a central responsibility of this role. Fabric Church is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We’re Looking For Someone Who

• Loves Jesus and is excited about the vision and culture of Fabric Church. Has a genuine passion for children and families and wants to see them flourish.
• Is warm, relational and able to build trust with children, parents and volunteers.
• Is organised, proactive and able to manage multiple responsibilities.
• Communicates clearly, warmly and appropriately with different audiences.
• Is creative and able to develop engaging ideas for children and families.
• Can work independently while also being a strong team player.
• Is adaptable, calm under pressure and solutions focused.
• Is willing to get involved practically and lead by example. Has a personal and evident Christian faith.
• Is committed to working within the vision, values and safeguarding culture of Fabric Church.

Desirable Experience

• Experience leading or coordinating children’s ministry.
• Experience recruiting, training and leading volunteers.
• Experience developing children’s teaching or discipleship resources.
• Experience running or supporting a toddlers, baby or family group.
• Experience working with families in a church, charity, community or similar environment.
• Experience using ChurchSuite or similar church management systems.
• Relevant safeguarding training or experience.
• Experience organising children’s or family events.
• Understanding of current safeguarding and health and safety best practice.

Success in This Role Success in this role will look like:

• Children feeling known, welcomed, safe and excited to be part of Fabric Church.
• A growing culture of children actively engaging with Jesus and developing their faith.
• Parents and carers feeling welcomed, supported and connected to the church.
• A healthy, committed and growing team of kids volunteers.
• Volunteers feeling equipped, encouraged and confident in their roles.
• Sundays being well organised, engaging and safe for children and families.
• The weekly toddlers group providing a warm, welcoming and accessible place for local families to connect.
• Parents and carers attending the toddlers group developing meaningful relationships with one another and with Fabric.
• Kids and toddlers ministry being well connected to the wider vision and life of Fabric Church.

Working Pattern & Expectations

• The role is 2½ days per week on a fixed-term maternity cover basis.
• Sunday working will be required as part of the role
• Some evening work will be required during events or key church moments
• Flexible working arrangements may be considered
• The successful candidate will need to be comfortable working within the vision and values of Fabric Church.
• The role holder will be expected to participate actively in the life of Fabric Church.

Safeguarding

Fabric Church is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. The successful applicant will be required to complete appropriate safeguarding checks and training, including an Enhanced DBS check where applicable. The role holder will be expected to understand and follow Fabric Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures and to promote a culture in which children and families are treated with dignity, care and respect.