Job Overview

For the past 32 years, the faithful leadership of Pastor Gary Zacharias and his wife, Carmen, has not only helped the church grow numerically and spiritually but has positioned it as a significant partner with those living in the surrounding communities. In fact, Terrace Shores is a unified and dynamic regional church reaching people as far away as a 45-minute drive. With a mission to "Glorify God by becoming and helping others become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ," the congregation experiences a surge in attendance during the summer as city dwellers flock to their seasonal cabins/homes to enjoy the stunning lake surroundings. The church is conservative in theology and adheres to a high view of Scripture. The church employs several staff persons who share leadership with the Senior Pastor. Terrace Shores is governed by a team of committed elders who love their church and want to see it reach many more people for Christ. A recent congregational assessment showed the church is in a healthy state; members are highly satisfied and engaged with the ministry of the church. While the church is doing well, one of the challenges the church faces is how to best accommodate the many people attending worship each week. In this next season of ministry, a creative and energetic Senior Pastor will look forward to addressing this opportunity.

Job Description

The Church:

Affiliation: Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) Attendance: 300 (adults and children) About: The church hosts two blended worship services on Sunday mornings at 8 & 10 a.m. During the service, children's ministry is offered. The youth program is dynamic and reaches over 50 students per week. The church is debt free and owns 17 acres of land in two locations.

The Candidate:

The ideal pastor for Terrace Shores is a confident, yet humble man of God who is transparent, energizing, self-assured and wise. He should lead from the abundance of his personal relationship with Christ, valuing biblical authority. He must be willing to teach biblical truths with grace and love, recognizing the church's faithful commitment to the Scriptures as the very word of God. The congregation has consistently benefited from biblically anchored messages that offer deep insights into the Bible while connecting to everyday life. A pastor who speaks with wisdom, relevance and humor will find an eager audience. He will lead the elders and staff with thoughtfulness and grace. This pastor will love people and look forward to doing life together with authenticity. He will appreciate a rural lifestyle.

The Location:

Terrace Shores is a regional church, located on the literal shores of Big Green Lake, and draws people from several different cities in the area. Averaging between 1,000–1,500 residents each, the towns of Markesan, Princeton and Green Lake are all located about 10–15 minutes from the church. Ripon, a larger city of nearly 8,000 people, is located about 20 minutes from the church. The church is located in an agriculturally-focused section of the state where corn, soybean, alfalfa fields and lakes dot the landscape and make this part of Wisconsin so unique. Those who live near the church are accustomed to driving at least 10–30 miles to partake in shopping, restaurants and entertainment. If one wanted to travel to larger cities, Madison and Milwaukee are between a 60–90-minute drive, with Chicago just over three hours away. The local school systems are highly rated.

The Qualifications:

The person who applies for this role should possess the following qualifications: a theological master's degree with preference for a Master of Divinity; 10 years of Associate or Senior/Lead Pastor experience in a growing ministry; be ordained in the EFCA, if not ordained, willing to obtain ordination; agree to Terrace Shore's Core Values and Beliefs; previousexperience understanding or exposure to life in rural America; able to preach a minimum of 40 weeks per year; demonstrate ability to develop and oversee paid staff and volunteer teams; be spiritually mature, emotionally stable and relationally intelligent.