Common Ground West (Indianapolis, IN) – Associate Pastor - LancasterSearch

Common Ground West (Indianapolis, IN) – Associate Pastor

The Big Picture

Common Ground West (cg-west.org) seeks a full-time Associate Pastor. 

Requirements

Summary: As Common Ground West continues to deepen roots and live out our mission in Pike Township, Indianapolis, we are hiring an Associate Pastor. This role will include overseeing the spiritual formation, leadership development, and discipleship of adults as well as working closely with the Lead Pastor to cast vision, share administrative and pastoral care responsibilities, and preach 5-12 times per year. 

Qualifications/Relevant Experience 

·       Agreement with Common Ground West's mission, vision, values, beliefs, and philosophy of ministry 

·       A four-year degree from an accredited college or university 

·       At least 5+ years of ministry and leadership experience in some form (campus, church, parachurch, lay ministry, etc) 

·       Experience identifying, developing, encouraging and leading volunteers 

·       Experience in pursuing reconciliation across racial, gender & socio-economic backgrounds is tremendously valued but not required 

·       Experience discipling others and overseeing groups and structures that do the same 

·       Experience and capacity to preach and teach in large and small groups. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Giftings 

·       A gracious, Christ-like demeanor in demanding situations 

·       Self-motivated; takes initiative and demonstrates flexibility. 

·       High natural drive but values rest and family/work balance. 

·       Organized and administratively gifted: must be able to manage schedules, wear multiple hats, and lead or be heavily involved on several teams. 

·       Relational: able to build trusting relationships and be a bridge-builder inside and outside the congregation. 

·       Teachable, with a passion to grow in their faith and abilities; committed to expanding knowledge through reading, engaging and experience 

·       Able to work as a team with the rest of the staff & particularly partner well in conjunction with the lead pastor in implementation of adult spiritual formation vision 

·       Willingness to preach 5-12 times per year depending on giftedness, capacity, and balancing with primary duties/responsibilities listed below. 

·       Current resident of northwest Indianapolis, within 20 minutes of the church, or willing to relocate to Pike Township if moving from out of town. 

Primary Duties/Responsibilities  

Spiritual Formation 

-Lead the charge in cultivating a culture of discipleship and spiritual formation in community for our church. 

-Recruit, train, and raise up new leaders for spiritual formation groups. This includes pursuing and pouring into them relationally, developing a leadership development track for newer and younger leaders in order to welcome them into leadership, and putting them in relationship with other leaders. 

-Shepherd current spiritual formation group leaders. This requires pursuing them relationally by contacting them individually in some form on a weekly basis, being available to meet or call them as they are willing, being responsive in digital communication within 24 hours of receiving a text and 1 business day of receiving an email, and praying for them. 

-Training and coaching spiritual formation group leaders. This includes meeting them as leaders every 4-6 weeks for training and support, understanding and addressing issues and concerns in their ministry areas, developing future plans, providing ministry accountability, and being available for one on one meetings to support these goals. 

-Lead and/or oversee and support other training and equipping or formational opportunities, such as retreats, mid-sized gatherings, and welcome to CGW events. 

-Develop and distribute resources to assist volunteer leaders of groups, events, and training. 

Executive leadership 

-Serve on the admin team, which is a team of volunteers that oversees property, finances, and HR. As a representative of the admin team, know and ensure we are following through on HR processes. 

-Be present at elder meetings twice per month and fulfill obligations that emerge.
-Be present at weekly staff meetings and available for a weekly check-in with the lead pastor. 

Preaching and Sunday Mornings 

-Work with the lead pastor on sermon planning and then work together to develop practical applications for sermon principles in our various groups and ministries.
-Preach 5-12 times per year
-Work alongside staff to oversee and lead healthy Sunday worship gatherings. Be present, relationally engaged, and willing to serve on Sunday mornings in various capacities, such as preaching, leading announcements and prayer, helping with set-up, connecting with volunteers, and problem solving when things do not go according to plan. 

 

General
-Be willing and able to fill in the relational, pastoral, and administrative gaps, within reason, that naturally emerge as the second full-time staff member of a smaller congregation. -Devote time, attention, and effort towards personal spiritual formation through reading, prayer, spiritual friendship and accountability, other spiritual practices/disciplines, and making room for relationships with people that pour into you.
-Be relationally invested and present with people at CGW, which is shown through pursuing people in relationships and being available to meet with them. -Other duties as assigned. 

Benefits

The Process

Please look over this job description and the church website. Along with your resume please answer these questions:

 

Why do you believe that you might be a good fit as the Associate Pastor at Common Ground West?

 

Describe your experiences in ministry and how you may be qualified to serve as the Associate Pastor of Common Ground West?

 

In just a few sentences please give a summary of your theology and how that is in line with the doctrine of Common Ground West?

 

Please send your resume, the answers to these questions and a link to at least one online sermon to

The expectation of this minister is to nurture the middle school and high school teenagers in the areas of worship, fellowship, outreach and discipleship. The minister is required to assess the needs of the youth, set the vision, plan and execute curriculum and events, preach and teach the word of God, and review the ministry progress with the board, the youth ministry team, and the parents. It is expected that the minister will be a team player and a communicator; it is not expected that the youth minister will do everything him/herself, but he/she must be able to work with the youth ministry deacon, the adult and youth volunteers and delegate responsibilities. It is expected that the youth minister may spend time with the youth outside the church in more casual or fun settings. Outside of the heart of a shepherd, organizational skills are very important for the position. It is expected that in the interview process, the prospective youth minister provides a self-evaluation on his/her strengths and weaknesses as a youth minister and team player. There is a part-time pastor’s assistant who supports the Mandarin ministry pastor, the English ministry pastor (open position), the children minister, and the youth minister. Founded in 1981, Wilmington Community Evangelical Church (WCEC) is a bi-cultural and bilingual (Mandarin Chinese and English) church committed to building up the kingdom of God in Northern Delaware and the surrounding Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Average Sunday attendance is around 250 of which ~40-60 people attend the English Sunday service, with the remainder attending the Mandarin Sunday service. A typical English Sunday service includes youth, parents of the youth, college students, young professionals, and adults. The church currently has a Mandarin ministry pastor and a full time children’s minister. The average attendance of the weekly youth ministry Friday night activity is between 40 and 60. The church is currently in the process of searching for an English ministry pastor who is expected to be a close coworker with the youth minister. Knowledge of Chinese Culture and Mandarin Chinese is an advantage but not a qualification for the candidate. The vision of the church is “Mission and Planting 宣教與拓植”. Two churches have been planted: One in West Chester, PA [West Chester Chinese Evangelical Church 威徹斯特主恩堂] and another in Bear, DE [New Castle Chinese Evangelical Church 新城主恩堂/Gospel Christ for All Nations] in 2000 and 2007, respectively, with steady growth witnessed in both. The mission of the English Ministry is “Empowering people to serve God in a cross-cultural community through transformed living”. General Qualifications Evangelical faith Education: Bible college graduate or Master’s of Divinity Shepherding experience preferred Spiritual Qualifications Living a life of faith in Jesus Christ Demonstrating a passion for shepherding students Ministry Qualifications A vision for youth ministry Able to recruit and if needed train adult volunteers in youth ministry Able to communicate with youth and parents General Responsibilities Preach and teach Conduct ordinances, e.g., baptism, Holy Communion, etc. Conduct visitation and counseling Collaborate with youth ministry leaders of nearby churches for joint youth ministries Specific Responsibilities -Plan and lead the development of a comprehensive youth ministry in accordance with the long range ministry vision. -Set annual ministry goals and develop plans to achieve such goals -Organize and/or lead weekly Sunday School classes for youths -Recruit and train a ministry team of youth leaders (Student Ministry Team) -Organize an adult youth ministry leadership team (and train if needed) -Organize and/or lead weekly youth ministry events on Friday nights, or additional days as required -Organize special Youth Ministry events, e.g., youth-parent seminars, youth retreat, 30-hrs Famine, Gospel Jam, etc. -Involvement with in-campus ministries in local high schools -Develop and oversee the annual budget for youth ministries Participate in ministry meetings, such as monthly meetings of the church Elder and Deacon Board, and the English Ministry Team -Share responsibility preaching in the Sunday Morning Worship Service