This is me and Justin at their Kids Day in September 2015. This properly depicts our relationship. ;)
About
Justin Jeter
In
2014, Justin and Hillary joined the Calvary Tabernacle (Bentonville, AR) family
to lead the Children’s Department. Justin and Hillary desire to see children built up in Christ, rooted in doctrine and established in faith. They also believe that learning how to follow Jesus should be dynamic, fun and exciting and they seek to infuse that energy into all of their children’s events and activities. Justin began his work with children’s
ministry in 2006 in Belleview, FL. This was the church he grew up in, with his entire family. So Justin understands the excitement and uncertainty of being the "new guy" in a new church in a new city with a new position. Justin has some insights that might help a "new" children's pastor or ministry leader. Transition can be tough, so here's a few thoughts and ideas that might make it a little easier. To learn more about the children's ministry in Bentonville, visit: http://www.ctbentonville.com/
1) Who’s your
favorite superhero?
Wolverine. Love the backstory of how he obtained his abilities.
Love the movies because Hugh Jackman is awesome! We can all admit that at some
point in our lives we have put butter knives between our fingers and pretended
to be Wolverine. I know some adults who still do it. Don’t worry Daniel, I won’t
tell them you do.
2) What’s
something you wish you would have learned before becoming a Children’s Pastor?
I wish I‘d studied more about leading different age groups. I
have read multiple books on leadership, but the greatest impact on my life was
having great leadership over me. I learned a lot from my Bishop, Pastor and
Children’s Pastor(Daniel Autrey). I gained most of my experience from being a
leader over teenagers and college and career aged volunteers at the church I
grew up in. At the time, those were the majority of people helping in
children’s ministry. When I came to Bentonville, AR, it was completely
different. 95% of the volunteers were older than me. I was leading adults and
not teenagers. I didn’t feel I could interact with them the same way. It was a
bit of a shock. Fortunately, the adults that we work with are fantastic. They
love our kids and support me. It took me a while to get over the thought that
maybe they just think I’m a kid. Even though they have never acted that way, it
was my mindset. I have pushed through that and feel like I have stepped into a
role of leadership that our staff, parents, and children support. Wherever
you are in ministry, whether it be a volunteer or Children’s Pastor, you can
always sharpen your leadership skills.
3) What’s the hardest part of being a children’s
pastor?
The
hardest part but also the best part of being a children pastor is working with
my spouse. We have learned so much within the past year about ourselves, and
our relationship. It has only made us stronger. We both work full time jobs, church
functions several nights a week, staff meeting, music practice for choir, and try
to stay married (just kidding). Unfortunately, the latter gets the left overs
depending on the workload of projects and events that are happening at the
church. We do our very best to give ourselves 1-2 nights a week to “check-out”
from responsibilities and enjoy each other’s company, which could include a
movie or playing Skipbo (that’s my jam). The point is to be present and in the
moment. If we are lucky, we get to fellowship with other adults on the weekend,
which is a real treat. What I have come to realize is that it’s such a
privilege to work in God’s Kingdom with your spouse. We have the same
passion in ministry. Our motives are the same, “To see kids be saved”. Yes, you
need to invest in your marriage. It is vital. If your marriage is not strong,
your ministry will not be strong. But I know that God has brought Hillary and I
together for a purpose. It is our reasonable service to be a living sacrifice
for Him.
4) How do
you keep things fresh and change things up?
It's so important to keep things fresh. We have made numerous
changes since we've been in Bentonville and the CT kids staff just get behind
us and go with it. Here are few things I've practiced and that have helped make
changes smoother.
-Keep your staff in the
loop. We have tag-in meetings every Sunday morning where we address week-to-week
operations and issues that arise. We also have quarterly meetings reviewing
curriculum and future ideas.
-Get their input.
Great ideas come from the people in the trenches. Want to make the rotation
schedule more efficient? Ask your staff and teachers what they think.
- Don't change everything
at once. Small changes make big changes. Take small steps to get where you
want to be. Children’s ministry is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. We are
in it for the long haul. You don’t have to make big changes overnight. Of
course, there are situations that conflict with my statement, but it stands
true in most cases.
5) What’s your best advice for new children’s
pastors?
Build relationships! Build relationships with your pastor and
the pastoral team, kidmin staff, parents, and the kids. This means spending
time with them in small groups and individually, if possible. Don't get so
busy you forget you're working with people. The best curriculum and world's
coolest facility means nothing if you don't focus on the needs of the people
you are trying to reach. In our case, children. Do they come from a split
family? A single parent home? Does grandma bring them? Know your kids. Let them
see that you care and love them. Who knows how long it’s been since someone has
showed them love. Kids have their “phoney boloney” detectors on all the time so
be REAL!
