Job Overview

About Risen Hope Church

Risen Hope Church is an energetic young church excited to reach their community with the Gospel. This church family has a heart to live missionally in Anamosa, Iowa, by intentionally building relationships, engaging in community events as well as planning outreach events of their own, and seeking creative ways to gather people into new learning and worshipping communities.

Anamosa is a town of 5,500 with a clear need for a Gospel preaching church. This need prompted a group of families at Cornerstone Church in Marion (about 20 miles away in the Cedar Rapids metro) to take a step of faith in planting the church. Beginning as a weeknight Bible study more than two years ago, the core group has progressively laid foundation stones to establish their church leadership and membership.

Risen Hope's Sunday morning worship service is currently attended regularly by 25-30 adults and an equal number of children, and growing. Other ministries include Life Groups, men's and women's Bible studies, and an English as Second Language class. Outreach events have included a pool party, cookouts and a concert in the city park. RHC has benefitted from continued volunteer and financial support from Cornerstone Church and has received national and district EFCA church planting grants.

Job Description

About the Candidate

The ideal pastor for RHC will be a relational leader who loves to be around people, gifted in gathering groups and encouraging their growth. He will build trust through intentional, personal relationship building within the congregation and in the community at large. Since the church is still young, the pastor will provide spiritual direction and will collaborate with the leadership team in setting the vision of Risen Hope Church and developing a church culture and ministry activities that build upon established biblical theology. He will be a Spirit-led man of God who values a complementarian elder team in a congregational church structure. He will be actively engaged in ministries of the EFCA Central District and will pursue ordination if not already credentialled.

The Planting Pastor will be responsible for:

Gospel-centered Preaching

• Investing in the lives of those in the body through sermons that are relational and applicable
• Preaching biblical messages that speak into the lives of both believers and non-believers
• Ensuring that the church's preaching and teaching fulfills the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ committed to the spread of the Gospel

Evangelistic Passion & Equipping

• Modeling relational evangelism to the church
• Creating avenues of equipping for the body to grow in evangelism
• Helping establish a culture of intentional discipleship
• Equipping lay leaders to serve in their areas of gifting

Gathering People

• Investing in the community by building relationships with those outside the church
• Spending a good portion of his time personally connecting with the lost
• Cultivating a culture that glorifies God in worship, oneness and witness