Reaching Japan: Ministry Full-Time Position

Children's Ministry & Family Outreach Director

Position Purpose

Lead a biblically grounded, outwardly focused children's ministry in Japan. Beyond Sunday programming, the director actively creates pathways for unchurched families to encounter the Gospel and connect with the church, making children's ministry one of the church's primary bridges into the community.

The director oversees children's church, recurring outreach (e.g., Kids Club), family follow-up, volunteer development, special events, and summer camps run in partnership with U.S. churches.

The ideal candidate is someone who is creative, relational, outreach-minded, organized, and willing to experiment to reach new families.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Children's Church — Plan and teach age-appropriate Bible lessons, songs, crafts, and activities; build a consistent curriculum; train volunteers so the ministry isn't director-dependent; continually improve how new families are welcomed.

2. Creative Outreach — Develop new, low-barrier programs (Kids Club, English activities, seasonal events, camps) that appeal to unchurched families; incorporate biblical content without assuming prior knowledge; promote through social media and community connections; evaluate and iterate on what works; build next steps from one-time visits toward ongoing relationship.

3. Kids Club & Recurring Outreach — Run repeated-contact programs; manage registration, attendance, and communication; track new/returning/inactive families; follow up on no-shows and lapsed families; handle event logistics; measure success by relationships built, not just attendance.

4. Family Relationship Development — Follow up after events; maintain ongoing communication; personally invite families back; notice and reconnect with families who disappear; build genuine relationships with parents that open doors to spiritual conversations. Progression: first contact → repeat participation → relationship → deeper spiritual engagement.

5. Volunteer Recruitment & Training — Recruit and train volunteers for teaching, hospitality, safety, and outreach; build schedules and clear roles; coach volunteers and develop leaders who can own parts of the ministry.

6. Summer Outreach Camps — Coordinate with U.S. partner churches on curriculum, staffing, and logistics; adapt American VBS materials for the Japanese context; manage local recruitment, registration, and facilities; ensure camps feed into ongoing programs and produce lasting relationships rather than one-off events.

7. Outreach Development & Experimentation — Continuously research community interests, test new event concepts, evaluate results, and turn successful one-time events into repeatable programs.

8. Ministry Administration — Maintain calendars, volunteer schedules, family records, and follow-up systems; manage the budget and program resources; build repeatable systems for registration, check-in, and communication.

Helpful Experience

Children's/family ministry, elementary or early childhood education, VBS or camp leadership, community outreach, event planning, volunteer management, curriculum development, social media/email/digital advertising, cross-cultural ministry, or short-term mission team coordination.

What Success Looks Like

• Children taught the Bible faithfully
• Families of children brought to a deeper understanding of the Gospel
• New children and families regularly entering the ministry, and returning after first contact
• Parents forming genuine relationships within the church
• Consistent follow-up and continuous improvement of outreach ideas
• Volunteers growing into capable leaders
• Summer camps producing relationships that last beyond the visiting team's stay
• Families gradually moving toward deeper engagement with the church and the Gospel

The guiding question: not just "Are we caring for the children we have?" but "How are we creatively using children's ministry to reach the next family?"

Onramp

Those who do not possess Japanese language skills will be involved in full-time language school (2 years) and transition into fulltime ministry as language skills and cultural awareness increase.

 Learn more about Reaching Japan Here