Pastoral Resident Hope Church

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.

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://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./sof
  • Ethos meaning – ‘In essentials unity, in non-essential charity, in all things Christ’
• Alignment with Hope Church
• Reformed inclined
• Credo-Baptist
• 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 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…