Job Overview

What is Pastoral Residency?

Pastoral residency is a full-time paid pastoral position where you can practice, learn, and grow in the skills and character needed for long-term effective pastoral ministry. It is pastoring with guardrails. It's pastoring with direct mentoring from seasoned leaders. It's a spot where you can do ministry, and others can encourage and pass wisdom to you from years of experience.

We are offering this role for a 3-year term so you can have multiple cycles of the church calendar. And you can have a variety of experiences in a small church environment. It's a spot where you can be a part of a growing community. And then be guided toward launching into a lifetime of ministry.

Take some time to check out the rest of the description and process. Please reach out to us with any questions.

Job Description

Who are we looking for?

• • • Male (Hope is complementarian in reference to the pastor/elder roles)
    • Seminary trained (or close to completion) or graduate level degree
    • Ability to teach & preach
    • Teachable
    • Elder Qualified in process (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4)
    • Desire to go toward lead ministry (eventually)
      • Hopefully, in a smaller church setting
    • Agreement with EFCA statement of faith & ethos
      • Statement of Faith – https://www.efca.org/sof
      • Ethos meaning – ‘In essentials unity, in non-essential charity, in all things Christ'
    • Alignment with Hope Church
      • • • Reformed inclined
          • Credo-Baptist
          • Consecutive exposition
          • Historic orthodox position on human sexuality
    • Willing to work in the context of the Southeast

What are we offering?

• • • 3-year pastoral position to grow
    • $55k annually (willing to license to enable housing allowance)
    • Path toward health insurance
    • Moving expenses (up to $2500) –
    • $2000 scholarship/student loan payoff
    • Annual book budget
    • Annual Conference budget
    • Path toward licensure with the EFCA
    • Help with placement at the end of the Pastoral residency

What are we seeking to develop in our residents?

Develop as communicators of Scripture.

• • • • Understanding of the preparation & study of expositional messages
      • Clarity in the delivery
      • Connection to the people
      • Learn to study deeply and deliver simply
      • Gospel-centeredness (application of Law/Gospel distinctions)
      • Understanding of different needs in different environments (Sunday AM, Youth, Community Group, Adults, etc.)

Grow the heart of a Shepherd.

• • • • • Become a good listener.
        • Express care and connection.
        • Know how, when, and what truth should be applied in an individual's life
        • Have a balance of grace and truth
        • Work at seeing and loving difficult people
        • Know when to call for help

Live in intentional life/ministry rhythms.

• • • • Maintain a personal faith within ministry.
      • Have a weekly cycle of sabbath.
      • Know when to up/down shift during busier and slower seasons of ministry
      • Working knowledge of the life cycle of a church
      • Find what encourages and builds them personally for long-term effectiveness

Understand being a relational leader.

• • • • All levels (leadership team, ministry leaders, volunteers)
      • Gather, encourage, equip, and retire volunteers
      • Be comfortable living in the blessings/pitfalls of Integrative pastoral life (circles of life)
      • Discover and understand your personal strengths/weaknesses in leadership.

Become an able administrator of ministry life

• • • • Assess and do directional planning (programs/events)
      • Communicate with the team in ways that are received
      • Follow through on plans
      • Understand budgets and cycles

Evaluate and grow in Elder character.

• • • • Seek areas of growth (evaluation)
      • Be willing to seek professional counsel
      • Working understanding of pastoral finances
      • Openly discuss and work in these areas with a mentor
      • Seek to have your family connected in ministry life
      • Foster a healthy relationship with your wife and family

Develop a Network in the wider ministry world

• • • • Maintain friendships
      • Make connections with local and EFCA partners
      • Build relationships with other pastors

How will we accomplish these goals?

Preaching and Teaching in a regular rotation

• • • Preaching in the main service every 4-6 weeks in the normal rotation
      • Includes meeting before/after to discuss prep and eval
    • Teaching regularly in another ministry (likely youth)
      • Includes developing the plan for teaching
    • Preach a series of messages (3-4 weeks)
      • The resident will conceive, design, and sequence
      • At least once a year
    • Work to become proficient in the flow of prep & presentation

Be an active participant in leadership meetings

• • • Monthly Elder meetings – annual elder retreat
    • Weekly staff meetings
    • Quarterly combined elder/deacon meetings
    • Annual congregational meeting
    • Other leadership meetings as needed
    • Ministry department/volunteer meetings

Weekly meetings (at least) with the Lead pastor

• • • Reading through key books (as assigned)
    • Discuss areas of preaching, teaching, theology, and shepherding
    • Consider areas of character & development

Lead a Key Area of Ministry (under the supervision of Elders/Lead Pastor)

• • • • Work with youth, children
        • Recruit, encourage, and administrate volunteers
        • Develop systems to admin
        • Communicate with parents & volunteers
      • Work in worship ministry (as gifted)
      • Work in Community Group (as much as possible)
      • Work in church Admin (database)

Meet regularly with members of the congregation

• • • Develop connections and foster relationships
    • Understand their life, family, and work

Be involved in other opportunities (as available)

• • • • Hospital visits (consider chaplaincy)
      • Weddings/funerals
      • Counseling
      • Seasonal Activities (Advent, Easter, Summer, Fall)