Elementary Program Associate

Wooddale Church; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie is seeking a full-time Woods Kids Program Director to lead elementary and Pre-K ministry—planning, developing, and delivering biblically faithful and developmentally appropriate programming across Sunday mornings, WOW evenings, and events.

You will collaborate with the Children's Director and staff to recruit volunteers, mentor leaders, and design family discipleship resources that extend faith beyond weekly activities.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and wholehearted support of Wooddale Church's mission, vision, and values.
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Children's Ministry, Family Studies, or related field preferred.
• Experience working or volunteering in a large children's ministry setting preferred.
• Strong understanding of child development and age-appropriate discipleship.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to recruit, lead, equip, and encourage volunteers.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Planning Center, and ministry software preferred.
• Must become or remain a regular participant in weekend services and a member in good standing at Wooddale Church.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, coordination, and execution of elementary (K–4) programming across Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings (WOW), CWKs, and age-specific special events.
• Create immersive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate environments that help children know Jesus, understand Scripture, build meaningful relationships, and take next steps in faith.
• Oversee elementary ministry experiences, including Fourth Grade Ministry, children's worship, student-led worship, and technology teams.
• Implement, customize, and evaluate elementary curriculum to ensure biblical accuracy, developmental appropriateness, and alignment with Wooddale Church's discipleship strategy.
• Develop teaching resources, volunteer materials, and family discipleship tools that reinforce biblical truth beyond weekly programming.
• Develop and implement spiritual formation and student leadership pathways, including Fourth Grade Ministry's transition into 5/6 Ministry.
• Own the relational recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, equipping, and ongoing care of all elementary ministry volunteers serving Sundays, Wednesdays, special events, and CWKs.
• Identify volunteer needs, assess individual strengths and gifts, determine ministry placements, and establish weekly volunteer coverage requirements.
• Provide direct leadership and support to elementary volunteers during programming, addressing classroom needs, performance concerns, and ministry challenges.
• Own the planning, programming, and execution of elementary-specific events, family experiences, and CWKs elementary activities.
• Determine event programming, volunteer needs, ministry activities, and classroom requirements while partnering with the Operations Coordinator on logistics, communications, and administrative processes.
• Ensure elementary ministry environments are safe, welcoming, organized, creative, and spiritually engaging.
• Collaborate with the Nursery–Pre-K Ministry Coordinator on shared ministry initiatives, family experiences, and transitions between age groups.
• Partner with the Operations Coordinator to ensure volunteer onboarding requirements, scheduling administration, ministry communications, and operational workflows support elementary programming.
• Provide approved volunteer assignments and ministry information to the Operations Coordinator and Administrative Assistant for processing and documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Organizational skills

Communication

Project management

Volunteer recruitment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education

Bachelor's degree in Children's Ministry

Bachelor's degree in Family Studies

Tools

Microsoft Office

Planning Center

Ministry software

Job description

Wooddale Church is a multigenerational, Bible-teaching church in Minnesota with campuses in Eden Prairie, Edina and the University of Minnesota. With a mission to honor God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ, Wooddale has a rich history and a future of sharing the gospel locally and globally by planting churches, supporting global partners and serving its local community.

Overview

At Wooddale Church, we exist to honor God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ. The Woods Kids Program Director advances that mission by leading engaging, Christ-centered ministry environments where children develop a lifelong relationship with Jesus.
This full-time position provides leadership for the planning, development, implementation, and continual improvement of all elementary and Pre-K programming at the Eden Prairie Campus. The Program Director ensures every ministry experience is biblically faithful, immersive, developmentally appropriate, engaging, safe, and aligned with Wooddale Church's discipleship strategy.
Working in close partnership with the Children's Director and the Woods Kids staff team, this role champions excellence in curriculum implementation, classroom environments, ministry innovation, volunteer leadership, and spiritual formation while helping children and families develop a resilient, lifelong faith in Jesus Christ.

Responsibilities

Elementary Ministry Programming & Leadership

• Lead the development, coordination, and execution of elementary (K–4) programming across Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings (WOW), CWKs, and age-specific special events.
• Create immersive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate environments that help children know Jesus, understand Scripture, build meaningful relationships, and take next steps in faith.
• Oversee elementary ministry experiences, including Fourth Grade Ministry, children's worship, student-led worship, and technology teams.
• Implement, customize, and evaluate elementary curriculum to ensure biblical accuracy, developmental appropriateness, and alignment with Wooddale Church's discipleship strategy.
• Develop teaching resources, volunteer materials, and family discipleship tools that reinforce biblical truth beyond weekly programming.
• Develop and implement spiritual formation and student leadership pathways, including Fourth Grade Ministry's transition into 5/6 Ministry.

Elementary Volunteer Leadership & Care

• Own the relational recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, equipping, and ongoing care of all elementary ministry volunteers serving Sundays, Wednesdays, special events, and CWKs.
• Identify volunteer needs, assess individual strengths and gifts, determine ministry placements, and establish weekly volunteer coverage requirements.
• Provide direct leadership and support to elementary volunteers during programming, addressing classroom needs, performance concerns, and ministry challenges.

Elementary Events & Ministry Environments

• Own the planning, programming, and execution of elementary-specific events, family experiences, and CWKs elementary activities.
• Determine event programming, volunteer needs, ministry activities, and classroom requirements while partnering with the Operations Coordinator on logistics, communications, and administrative processes.
• Ensure elementary ministry environments are safe, welcoming, organized, creative, and spiritually engaging.
• Collaborate with the Nursery–Pre-K Ministry Coordinator on shared ministry initiatives, family experiences, and transitions between age groups.
• Partner with the Operations Coordinator to ensure volunteer onboarding requirements, scheduling administration, ministry communications, and operational workflows support elementary programming.
• Provide approved volunteer assignments and ministry information to the Operations Coordinator and Administrative Assistant for processing and documentation.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and wholehearted support of Wooddale Church's mission, vision, and values.
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Children's Ministry, Family Studies, or related field preferred.
• Experience working or volunteering in a large children's ministry setting preferred
• Strong understanding of child development and age-appropriate discipleship.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to recruit, lead, equip, and encourage volunteers.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Planning Center, and ministry software preferred.
• Must become or remain a regular participant in weekend services and a member in good standing at Wooddale Church.

Relationships

Reports To: Children's Ministry Director

Benefits & Compensation

Wooddale Church offers a comprehensive benefits package for all 40+ hour full-time employees, which includes opportunities to elect Medical (30+ hour full-time), Dental, Life/AD&D, HSA, Flex, LTD, optional Vision, optional Life/AD&D, optional STD, a Health & Wellness Plan and a 403(b) retirement plan with company match and immediate vesting. The projected salary range for this role is $41,000 - $50,000 depending upon qualifications and experience.

Expected Hours of Work and Travel

Attend staff meetings, planning meetings, trainings, and ministry events. Maintain an on-campus presence including Sunday mornings. Schedule includes weekday, evening, weekend, and seasonal ministry responsibilities with occasional travel to other Wooddale campuses.

Physical Demands

• Frequently stand, walk, and move throughout classrooms, ministry spaces, and event environments while supervising and supporting elementary-age children and volunteers.
• Sit for extended periods while completing curriculum development, planning, communication, and administrative responsibilities.
• Occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, and work at floor level when interacting with children or preparing ministry environments.
• Occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull supplies, teaching materials, classroom equipment, and event materials. The weight and frequency of these activities will vary depending on ministry programming and event needs.
• Set up, organize, and take down classroom materials, activity stations, worship environments, and event spaces, with assistance as needed for heavier items.
• Use a computer, telephone, and other ministry-related technology to develop resources, communicate with volunteers and families, and coordinate programming.
• Communicate effectively in person and through electronic means with children, parents, volunteers, and ministry team members.
• Move safely throughout ministry facilities and respond appropriately to the needs of children and volunteers during programming and special events.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds

This position requires sufficient physical mobility and stamina to support ministry activities during Sunday morning services, Wednesday evening programming, and occasional special events. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Other Duties

Responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.
Wooddale Church participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility.