Church Planter – Steamboat Rock Baptist Church

Church Planter – Steamboat Rock Baptist Church

Steamboat Rock Baptist Church is seeking a church planter to partner with the Upper Mississippi Region of the North American Baptist Conference in Renewing Rural Iowa.

Vision: We have a vision for Renewing Rural Iowa by planting churches to empower communities in rural areas, churches that embrace Jesus’ mission for the people in their area, churches that produce followers of Jesus with a vision for who Jesus wants to invite into his kingdom, how Jesus wants to transform them, and what they can be and do to glorify God. We are praying for God to send us a church planter to partner with in bringing this vision to reality.

Objective: Plant churches in rural Iowa towns with populations under 5,000 that host an active consolidated public school. (Schools are vital community centers in rural Iowa and could serve as good places to start meetings as everyone in the district owns the school and feels comfortable entering.)

Requirements and Qualifications

Responsibilities:

• Participate in a church planter assessment (paid for by the North American Baptist Conference)
• Prayerfully work with Steamboat Rock Baptist Church, and the Upper Mississippi Region leading through a process of discovery and discernment to seek out where God would want to plant the next church.
• Establish vision agreement with North American Baptist Conference and Upper Mississippi Region
• Live and work in the church planting target area
• Cast the vision for the new congregation
• Build relationships with people in the mission area
• Recruit a launch team and refine a church plant strategy
• Recruit and develop volunteers to serve in ministry
• Discern opportunities to advance the mission
• Plan and lead worship services
• Raise support for the ministry
• Oversee and manage finances and property related to the plant
• Work with UMR to develop church governance plan
• Participate in UMR and NAB gatherings
• Coordinate with UMR and Steamboat Rock Baptist Church for possible areas of cooperation and support, especially in planting more churches

Qualifications:

1. Spiritual vitality and maturity
2. Theological clarity
3. Love for people
4. Model healthy relationships and biblical marriage convictions
5. Call to rural Iowa life and rural Iowa people
6. History of godly leadership
7. History of personal evangelism
8. Support the North American Baptist Statement of Beliefs and Statement on Marriage
9. Commitment to planting a church that will help plant future churches

Special Notes

Benefits:

• Assessment provided
• Guidance through mentoring and coaching
• Support through association with other like-minded churches and pastors
• Opportunity to share vision, recruit volunteers and raise support from congregations in UMR
• Help with administration and moving toward autonomy by establishing constitution
• Financial Support of up to $40,000 over two years from UMR tied to milestones in your vision agreement
• Financial support of $10,000 from Steamboat Rock Baptist Church to help with relocation and start-up expenses