Kidside InternAt — Eastside Christian Church

The Children's Ministries Internship program is designed to compliment an
intern's educational experience with practical ministry experience. The internship
program offers supervised, practical experience in all aspects of Children's
Ministry. The ultimate objective of the internship program is to prepare a person
both personally and professionally for lifelong ministry.

Assist in planning and delivering weekend service programming across age groups
Lead small group and large group teaching
Help develop and adapt curriculum for elective classes and weekend programming
Recruit and onboard new volunteers, including conducting portions of training
Provide ongoing coaching and support to existing volunteers
Plan and help execute mid-size and large-scale events, including seasonal programming and camps
Support parent and family communication around ministry programming
Participate in staff planning meetings and contribute ideas to program development
Assist with basic administrative tasks tied to ministry operations, scheduling, or communications
Rotate through Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary settings to gain exposure across the full age range Kidside serves

Training:

Initial orientation covering Kidside's safety and child protection procedures, facility policies, and team expectations
Shadowing period across Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary environments before taking on independent responsibilities
Bi-Weekly one-on-one meeting with the Kidside Coordinator to review progress, discuss challenges, and set goals for the coming weeks
Mandatory weekly attendance at the Wednesday Kidside/All Staff meeting for team-wide training and vision alignment
Debrief conversations following major events to evaluate what worked and identify growth areas
Opportunities to attend outside training conferences, seminars, or retreats as they arise during the internship period
Direct mentorship from ministry staff with intentional investment in the intern's personal and professional growth, not just task completion

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to:
Plan and lead age-appropriate large group and small group teaching segments for Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary ministries
Develop and adapt curriculum to meet the developmental needs of different age groups
Recruit, train, and provide ongoing support to volunteer teams
Plan and execute events at both small and large scale
Apply basic administrative and operational practices used in running a multi-campus children's ministry
Communicate effectively with parents and families regarding ministry programming and their child's spiritual development
Articulate a philosophy of children's ministry rooted in discipleship, and evaluate how programming decisions support that philosophy
Collaborate as part of a ministry staff team, giving and receiving feedback in a professional church environment