TITLE: Director (or Pastor) for Care & Discipleship
LEVEL: 5+ Years of Experience
REPORTS TO: NewCity Session POSITION SUMMARY
Our church has always prized being a tight-knit intentional community that works out its sanctification together under the shepherding of appointed elders. Given its significant growth over the past five years, we require a Pastor of Care & Discipleship that can relieve and extend the responsibilities of the Senior Pastor in shepherding. Using the general model of Timothy Witmer outlined in The Shepherd Leader, and consulting with our current Senior Pastor on his regular practices, the Session has organized the duties of the position under the four main categories of knowing, feeding, protecting, and leading.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Note: These general responsibilities are subject to the change as the church grows and requires additional and/or different needs per the discretion of the Session.
Knowing the Sheep
Deliberately and doggedly pursue intimacy with the members of our church and the ups and downs in their lives. While this can partially be done through formal participation in official activities within the church, it is expected that this is also done primarily through informal and purposeful relationships: soliciting appointments, get-togethers, regular meals-and-meetings during the week and especially on the weekends, and visitations. The goal is to engage all members of our diverse congregation and inquire about their spiritual state. This is not only to be attuned to their needs, but also to help foster an overall sense of care, connection, and cohesion. We want our members to feel that they are individually seen, cherished, and cared for by the Pastor and thus have a vital place in the larger body of the church. The Pastor should be an "expert" with what's going on with our members by regularly reviewing the membership directory and deepening connections.
Feeding the Sheep
Provide theologically-sound and gospel-centered guidance and instruction. We want our members to be challenged and inspired by the Bible understood and interpreted through the theological lens of the reformed tradition and be regularly invited to move from "milk to meat." We see this being done through:
• Adult Sunday School classes. 3-4 classes a year running between 6-8 weeks a class.
• Intensive seminars. 3-4 a year, 4-8 hours an intensive (typically over Friday and Saturday). These have functioned as focused mini-retreats for our members.
• 8-10 sermons per year
Note: These classes and seminars afford invaluable opportunities for the Pastor of Care & Discipleship to connect with the members.
Leading the Sheep
Communicate and model the missional focus of our church and counseling our members in accordance with those distinctives. We have distilled the vision of our church into three areas—Family, Philanthropy, and Doxology—and have provided pastoral exhortations within them to promote reasonable accountability. The Pastor should model these values for our members.
We expect our pastors also to directly counsel members, both in periodic circumstantial issues (e.g., help with discernment regarding a decision) and in persistent ones (e.g., ongoing marital difficulties). The Pastor's intimate knowledge of our member struggles should provide useful in advising the elders and deacons of the church's overall struggles and future needs.
Protecting the Sheep
Protect our members from the pitfalls of sin and folly through teaching, counseling, and direct rebuke. As our pastors grow in their knowledge and love of our congregation, we expect them to direct members to the fullness of their union in Christ, which includes dismantling idols, repenting of ungodly behavior, and growing in wisdom and humility. They should also direct the church to maintain harmony, goodwill, and sustainability, rebuffing gossip and hostility, while promoting understanding, trust, and grace.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
• Committed to Reformed Theology; committed to learning and evolving, committed to mentoring.
• Deep understanding of the NewCity culture; committed to supporting its unique family culture.
• Relational, generous, organized, discerning, communicative, able to receive feedback.
CONTACT INFORMATION
To inquire about the position or to submit a resume and accompanying documents, please contact Dr. Paul Jeon by email.
