Associate Pastor – Pilgrim Church

Experience with worship leading in a volunteer or other part-time/full-time capacity is highly desirable.

Position Expectations/Responsibilities

• Lead congregation in worship.
• Lead weekend worship services.
• Be able to provide vocal (voice) leadership in and through a worship set.
• Develop worship leadership skills vocally “pastoring” the church around and during worship sets.
• Facilitate the congregation’s participation in worship.
• Understand worship that is broader than music (including, but not limited to, preaching/teaching time, scripture reading, prayer, testimonies, art, media, etc.).
• Work with lead pastor (and future staff) to plan weekend worship services.
• Lead and continue to develop the worship team in a way that fosters good communication and a strong sense of community among all musicians/vocalists.
• Lead worship team rehearsals.
• Recruit, schedule, develop, and mentor servant worship team leaders.
• Recruit, schedule, develop, and mentor servant instrumentalists, vocalists, and songwriters.
• Develop an annual ministry plan and a budget for worship.
• Work with part-time/volunteer production lead team (over sound, video, lights).
• Part-time production team lead first reports to this role, then lead pastor.
• Work with part-time service producer who coordinates between lead, production, and associate pastor for weekend gatherings.

Discipleship Track Ministry

A typical season will involve planning courses around four directions of peace (God, others, self, creation/matter). It will mean leading these and recruiting a few core leaders to help lead as well. Courses should be six to eight weeks in duration, ideally spread throughout the year, particularly around on-ramp times (post Christmas, post Easter, summer, fall).

Occasionally, there will be special study groups as well (e.g., marriage course, parenting course, financial course, etc.).

Role will work with other staff and volunteers to develop and maintain discipleship courses that do a deeper dive into character, competency, and craft of following Jesus.

The purpose is to flesh out knowledge/experience that can be applied in courses short term and long term in the Home Churches and Outreach culture of the church.

The associate pastor will work with Community and Connections staff, as well as lead pastor to connect with Home Churches.

The associate pastor should also be able to help with weddings, funerals, etc.

Connections and Community Life

Home Churches
• Be in regular contact with all Home Church leadership teams.
• Bridge Sunday teaching and help with Home Church questions.
• Develop Home Church teams (ideally each Home Church has facilitators, care coordinator, compassion/parish care).

 
Connections

• Oversee welcome teams (greeter, usher, etc) for all campuses.
• Be in charge of one to three guest follow-up.

 
Guest Care

• Work with Communications staff/volunteers and lead pastor to funnel curious and new adherents into communication systems.
• Work with worship and discipleship staff/volunteers to connect into discipleship track course.

 
Care

• Help coordinate pastoral care – first by linking with Home Church care-coordinators.
• Visitation for those homebound and/or hospitalized, with other staff and elders.
• Be able to help with weddings, funerals, etc.

 

Position Accountability

• Write an annual report to the congregation.
• Is an employee of the church whose first report is to the lead pastor (spelled out in annual “Covenant of Understanding” contract), then indirectly to Board, or in the absence of a lead pastor, the chair of board.

 

Compensation

• Full-time position (but could be part time / broken up); open to structuring as best fits.
• Annual contract connected with growth of church and role, experience, and benefit needs.
• Initial estimate ~$48–52K, plus benefits, with flexible structuring/choice (dental, prescription, AD&D/basic life, travel insurance, continuing education, tech).

Requirements and Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications / Theological Commitments

• Must be a Christian (follower of Jesus with a living faith – words like “born again” and “relationship with Jesus” make sense to you) and ready to commit as a person/family covenant partner at Pilgrim Church.
• Embraces a “big-tent” Evangelicalism, including openness to Anabaptism and the Spirit-filled life (the Pietist background of NAB and also our Jesus Collective affiliations).
• Egalitarian (we have women on our Elder Board / Governing Board).
• Affirm the vision, mission, values, and core strategies of Pilgrim.

 

Other

• Attend staff and worship congregational and team meetings, seeking direction from them.
• Pursue ministerial credentials with the NAB or other like-minded group
• Participate in a Home Church / small group.
• Because this is a developing salaried position, this person will be expected to be flexible.
• Be able to use modern technology for varied communication and administrative purposes

Special Notes