SENIOR PASTOR QUALIFICATION PROFILE & POSITION PROSPECTUS

Transcription

1 SENIOR PASTOR The Lake of the Woods Church One Church Lane, Locust Grove, Virginia (540)

2 The Lake of the Woods Church is excited to present an opportunity for a seasoned preaching and teaching pastor with superb leadership skills and a passion for carrying the gospel message into the community.

3 POSITION TITLE: LOCATION: Lake of the Woods, Locust Grove, Virginia DENOMINATION: Independent, Non-Aligned, Multi-Denominational The Lake of the Woods Church is seeking a seasoned, preaching and teaching pastor to assume executive leadership of a large, denominationally diverse congregation in the exurban environs of central Virginia. This year the church celebrated its 40 th anniversary. During those four decades, we have attempted to honor and retain the varied liturgical practices of our congregation s wide-ranging experience. In worship, we seek to foster unity rather than uniformity. At the same time, we are uncompromising in matters of faith and Biblical doctrine, which center on the person, message, and atoning work of Jesus Christ. WE ARE MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL We baptize believers by immersion with a public ceremony in the lake twice a year. We also baptize and dedicate infants and conduct regular confirmation classes for youth. A recitation of the Apostles Creed is a regular feature of our traditional worship services. We operate without ecclesiastical oversight under our own constitution and bylaws. We are need-oriented, missionminded, and worship-driven. Every member is a minister and every member is a missionary.

4 Vacancy Our current, Rev. Thomas K. Schafer, has served our congregation exceedingly well for more than 20 years and has indicated the time has come for him to take his retirement. After retirement, Pastor Schafer will continue to serve the church in a part time non-leadership role, reporting to the new. Pastor Schafer has a servant s heart and will be a valuable support to the new. The sets the preaching schedule and makes assignments in all areas. It s anticipated that Rev. Schafer will be a regular participant in that preaching schedule. A minimum of 104 preaching slots need to be filled annually (not 52). Because we hold four Sunday worship services, two of which run concurrently, one pastor cannot cover all assignments. Video recorded sermons are used on occasion, and we make liberal use of guest preachers.

5 Spiritual Leadership The serves as the leader of leaders, chief communicator, and primary Biblical teacher for The Lake of the Woods Church. The successful candidate will bring a blend of preacher, teacher, and visionary leader traits. As the theological leader of the congregation, the successful candidate will adhere to a Biblically orthodox, Gospel-centered theology. The will nurture a deep personal relationship with God, and will lead the entire congregation in doing so. The pastor we are seeking will have ample real life experience, and will be able to address the diverse needs of the congregation and interact with the community. Our must be a strong proponent of small group ministry. The incumbent will be familiar with the concept of community missions and will be comfortable putting missional ministry into practice in the context of a traditional church.

6 Communication & Team-Building The successful candidate will have demonstrated leadership success in a large church environment and leading a sizeable staff team. The will have an authentic passion for nurturing and growing small group ministry and using that ministry as an entry door to spiritual enrichment and greater involvement in the life of the congregation. EVERY MEMBER IN MINISTRY WE ARE SAVED TO SERVE We believe we are a congregation of ministers. The ministry belongs to the laity. True spiritual maturity cannot be attained unless we are channels of God s love. We believe God has gifted every member of the body to serve.

7 QUALIFICATION PROFILE Vision Our church has long been a significant presence within the confines of the private gated community of Lake of the Woods. Led by the current and the Board of Elders, the congregation is now awakening to a new vision which seeks to extend the church s reach farther into the surrounding geographic area; to become a regional church rather than a neighborhood church. Accordingly, the new must have a passion for reaching the unchurched and for extending the church s message and ministry beyond the limits of Lake of the Woods. It s not our goal to be the best church in the community, but to be the best church for the community. We seek to be the hands and feet and mind and heart of Jesus Christ in our community. It will be necessary for the new to be committed to missional type outreach activities while at the same time retaining our traditional church setting.

8 Governance The Lake of the Woods Church is structured as a blend of the Elder Board and the models of church governance. The mission and vision of the church is guided by its congregationally elected Board of Elders, of which the is an ex-officio member. The must be comfortable deferring to the Boards of Elders and Trustees in a wide variety of matters including the development and management of the church budget and finances. We believe that under the pastor s leadership, ministry belongs to the laity. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are elder ruled, laity run, and pastor led. BOARD OF ELDERS We have an elder assigned to each of the following ministry areas: Administration & Budget Adult Education Buildings & Grounds Congregational Care & Fellowship Missions & Benevolence Outreach Worship Young Families & Children Youth

9 Staff Structure & Ministry Resources The pastoral and program staff at The Lake of the Woods Church is organized horizontally rather than vertically. The must be comfortable directing staff in a collegial environment, where territorial lines are blurred and responsibilities are shared horizontally across perceived organizational boundaries as needs dictate. The importance of vertical reporting relationships is minimized in favor of individual empowerment. The must be adept at developing and employing lay talent and leadership to carry out a large measure of the church s mission. OUR PASTORAL & PROGRAM STAFF Pastor of Young Families & Outreach Pastor for Community Missions Visitation & Care Minister Youth Minister Director of Children s Ministries Director of the Child Care Canter HR & Operations Manager

10 QUALIFICATION PROFILE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working in a setting committed to reaching the unreached with a high degree of innovation, recruitment, and retention of new believers. The successful candidate will have experience working as an effective leader of a large ministry team, instilling vision, and mobilizing leaders in a church of significant size. The successful candidate will have a proven record as a gifted teacher, leader, and communicator in a, Senior Associate, or similar capacity. The successful candidate will possess outstanding interpersonal skills, authenticity, and an ability to connect well with people from all backgrounds and life stages. The successful candidate will have earned, at minimum, a master of divinity degree or equivalent from an accredited theological seminary or Bible college.

11 QUALIFICATION PROFILE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE (continued) The successful candidate will be sensitive to the multi-denominational nature of the congregation and to the need for a variety of worship experiences that honor the varied liturgical backgrounds and preferences of the worshipers. The successful candidate will be a proponent of deep-rooted unity without appeal to uniformity, but uncompromising in matters of faith and Biblical doctrine, which center on the person, message and atoning work of Jesus Christ. The successful candidate will be familiar with community-focused mission and ministry and will understand what it means to carry out such a ministry within the context of a traditional church environment. The successful candidate will be adept at inspiring and directing the use of small group ministry as a means of reaching seekers and new believers, assimilating new members, and nurturing all members in faith and fellowship.

12 HOW TO APPLY We invite you to apply for the position of at The Lake of the Woods Church. You may contact the search committee by at: PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR APPLICATION: A Letter Of Intent Resume A One Page Spiritual Biography If you prefer, you may mail printed application materials to: Wayne Thompson Search Committee The Lake of the Woods Church One Church Lane Locust Grove, Virginia Thank you for your interest We re located midway between Washington and Richmond about 20 miles west of Fredericksburg via Virginia Route 3 Maps courtesy of Google Maps