Job Overview
Associate Pastor of Youth and Discipleship
Introduction
Over the last three years, God has grown Berean rapidly. We are seeing unprecedented growth, especially among youth, young adults, and young families. Recently, we have sensed the Lord directing us to hire an Associate Pastor who is both gifted and passionate about next generation ministry and discipleship.
Our hope is that this Associate Pastor will help us as we seek to grow spiritually healthy and increasingly holy disciples at Berean, unleashing them to live as sent ones in Kodiak and around the world. We believe this role will help us become a powerhouse for discipleship, raising up and sending out a generation of believers who have an outsized impact on the nations. A key part of this will be cultivating a culture of deep discipleship, genuine fellowship, and passionate outreach. We believe God has called Berean to saturate this island with the gospel, showing and sharing the Gospel of grace with everyone.
Position Description
The Associate Pastor will partner closely with the Senior Pastor and elders to shepherd the church, mature believers in their faith, and help mobilize them for gospel ministry. His primary responsibilities will be overseeing our next gen ministries (youth and young adult) and overseeing and strengthening our home group ministry.
He will provide vision, leadership, and hands-on shepherding for our youth ministry (grades 6–12) and young adults: equipping volunteers, discipling students personally, supporting parents, and helping integrate younger believers into the full life of the church.
He will also work to develop our home groups into a primary engine for discipleship: equipping leaders to shepherd well, teach faithfully, foster meaningful community, and help members live on mission in Kodiak.
While both the associate pastor and senior pastor are elders and have equal votes on the elder council, the associate pastor directly reports to the senior pastor for his vocational responsibilities.
About Berean
At Berean, we are a church of broken people passionately pursuing Jesus together. Our purpose is to glorify God in all we do. Our body contains families from diverse denominational backgrounds unified by a common desire to make Christ preeminent in all things. We have a strong emphasis on expository preaching and church-wide discipleship. We are an inter-generational church, spanning the gamut from young people to families to elders. We have strong departmental ministries (Children, Youth, etc.) emphasizing personal discipleship. Additionally, we have an excellent Special Needs ministry consisting of people with different exceptionalities including cognitive, physical, and emotional disabilities. Our church isn't perfect, but we genuinely love one another and take care of our pastors.
Our church is not affiliated with any denomination or association, though it was planted in 1960 by the Regular Baptists. Theologically, we are generally aligned with the 1689 London Baptist confession.
Berean is located at 1216 Ismailov St., Kodiak, AK 99615, USA.
For more information, please visit: http://www.kodiakberean.com
About Kodiak
Known as the Emerald Isle, Kodiak Island offers vibrant landscapes and abundant outdoor opportunities. While people tend to think of ice, snow, and darkness when they think of Alaska, Kodiak Island's location in the Gulf of Alaska makes our climate more like the Pacific Northwest than mainland Alaska. Not only is Kodiak one of the most beautiful places on earth, our greatest quality is our diverse and unified community. Located 250 miles south of Anchorage, Kodiak is an isolated community with its own unique culture. Kodiak may be limited in shops and restaurants, but the landscape offers many activities to residents who embrace our "outdoors culture," including hiking, hunting, fishing, surfing, and beach barbecues. Kodiak has a population of around 12,000 people, mostly unchurched. Kodiak is home to a large population of Asian Americans and Alaska Natives (Alutiiq), as well as a large military community (Coast Guard and Navy).
For a short video showcasing Kodiak Island, please click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9EuyXjiuHY
Who Thrives at Berean
The associate pastor who thrives at Berean is someone who flourishes in a culture of trust, freedom, and shared responsibility. Our senior pastor is not a micromanager and intentionally seeks to place the right people in the right roles and then give them room to lead faithfully. Therefore internally-motivated leaders who thrive when trusted and unleashed will find it deeply life-giving. Our leadership culture is warm and deeply relational. We pray for one another, support one another in both ministry and life, and genuinely enjoy serving together while not taking ourselves too seriously.
He thrives in a close-knit, intergenerational church where people genuinely know one another and where ministry often happens organically rather than programmatically. He enjoys the quiet work of equipping others for ministry and mobilizing them for the kingdom. He also thrives in Kodiak's unique environment. Life here rewards those who are adaptable, community-minded, and excited about island rhythms. He enjoys hospitality, embraces the outdoors, and sees long winters and geographic isolation not as obstacles but as opportunities for deeper community and discipleship.
Most importantly, he loves the local church and desires long-term faithfulness over short-term flashiness. He wants to pour his life into the flock God has entrusted him to help lead.
Job Description
Qualifications
- Meets the character qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9
- Minimum of 3 years of vocational ministry experience (5 preferred)
- Experience leading in youth ministry
- Young adult and small group ministry experience strongly preferred
- A desire to serve at least 5 years at Berean
- Maintains spiritual health through prayer, the study of Scripture, and biblical fellowship
Core Competencies
- Firm grasp of sound doctrine
- Ability to discern truth from error through a biblical lens and practice theological triage; strong doctrinal and theological discernment
- Faithfully and passionately teaches God's Word
- Effective recruiter, leader, and developer of volunteer leaders
- Biblically wise and winsome in counseling
- Strong shepherding instincts
- Self-motivated and faithful in unseen work
- Maintains healthy rhythms in ministry and family life
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee Berean's youth and young adult ministry
- Equip, train, and shepherd youth and young adult volunteer leaders
- Cultivate a culture of personal discipleship where students and young adults are matured and mobilized in their faith
- Build pathways into membership, service, and leadership within the church
- Lead and oversee Berean's Home Group Ministry
- Equip, train, and shepherd home group leaders
- Strengthen home groups as environments of discipleship, care, and mission
General Pastoral Responsibilities
- Preach approximately 6–12 times per year on Sunday mornings
- Provide soul care (biblical counseling) for members in need
- Serve as a member of the Elder Council
- Oversee assigned deacons: equipping and encouraging them
Benefits
- Competitive salary ($75,000–$85,000 depending on experience)
- Retirement plan, health insurance, and life insurance
- Pastoral development opportunities (conferences, training, etc.)
- Generous book budget
- Personal soul care budget