Job Description

Position: Lead Pastor

Church: First Christian Reformed Church

Location: Hanford, CA

Reports to: Governing Council

Weekly Attendance: 130

Website: https://hanfordcrc.org/

See full profile (with pics) of the position, church, and area HERE

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We, the First Christian Reformed Church of Hanford, CA have begun a search for a Lead Pastor to lead us towards the fulfillment of our mission to “make more and better disciples” and towards the realization of our vision to see everyone building caring relationships with one another and those outside our community, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

The ideal candidate for this position will be an excellent communicator and strong leader with a passion to achieve and exceed ministry objectives outlined within the Governing Council's Guiding Principles. He will be a motivational force, a team-builder, decision-maker, and a vision-creator. He will champion and shape both the vision and mission of the church, thinking beyond current circumstances and looking to broader, Kingdom-inspired opportunities.

Personal Qualifications—The Lead Pastor will:

  1. Be able to give testimony to his love for the Lord and his call to pastoral ministry.
  2. Have a deep passion to understand and teach the truths of God’s Word from a Reformed perspective.
  3. Love people (both seekers and saved) and be able to create and sustain positive relationships with them.
  4. Be persistent and resilient while pursuing the realization of the vision of the church.

Professional Competencies: The Lead Pastor will be gifted as:

  1. A communicator, able to craft and deliver biblical and relevant sermons that effectively speak to both new and maturing Christians.
  2. An organizational leader with experience developing strategic initiatives and managing change while guiding the Governing Council, staff, and congregation into a new season of ministry.
  3. A team-builder with experience fostering unity within the Governing Council, staff, volunteers, and congregation as together they live out the mission of the church.
  4. A pastor whose care for the spiritual well-being of the congregation is characterized by love and humility while being strengthened by discernment and prayer.

Primary Responsibilities:

  1. Preaching—the Lead Pastor is responsible for the bulk of the preaching.
  2. Corporate Worship—the Lead Pastor is responsible for planning and orchestrating engaging worship services. This responsibility will be shared with the Pastor of Worship & Liturgy.
  3. Leadership—the Lead Pastor will guide and empower the Staff/Governing Council in such a way that unifies the staff and congregation around a preferred vision of the future.
  4. Pastoral Care—the Lead Pastor will assure timely pastoral care for those seeking baptism, profession of faith, marriage, healing, encouragement, and spiritual direction. This responsibility will be shared with the Pastor of Discipleship, Pastor of Visitation, Elders, and Congregational Care Team.
  5. Public Presence—the Lead Pastor will represent the congregation in the community and denomination.

Expectations – The Lead Pastor will:

  1. Promote a corporate climate where people are treated with the dignity and respect due people created and loved by God.
  2. Promote a corporate culture of grace where people are readily accepted as they are and patiently nurtured toward the Christ-likeness that marks a mature follower of Jesus.
  3. Support the mission and vision for the church approved by the Governing Council.
  4. Meet or exceed the requirements for ordination as a Minister of the Word & Sacrament in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). Consequently, he will be ordained or be ordainable as such, though ordained individuals from other historically Reformed denominations will be considered.
  5. Support Christian day-school education.

Supervisory Relationships:

  • The Lead Pastor reports to and is accountable to the Governing Council.
  • The Lead Pastor supervises the paid and volunteer staff.

About First Christian Reformed Church

The First Christian Reformed Church is a multi-generational church in the Reformed tradition that has been gathering for worship for over 100 years. The congregation has been led by Rev. Lambert Sikkema who is retiring in the fall of 2022 after twenty years of service to the congregation.

 

The congregation has been described by its members as generous, hardworking, loyal, prayerful, and supportive. They value preaching from God’s Word, their Reformed heritage, and multigenerational worship. They are devoted to the discipleship of their  children and youth, an attitude accompanied by a commitment to Christian day-school education.  You may learn more about First Hanford by viewing its Welcome Video.

 

The congregation is united in its desire to reach the lost with the Gospel, to experience spiritual and numerical growth, to witness increased diversity among its members, and to becoming a more vibrant part of the community. The congregation, however, acknowledges a need to minimize the tension between the old and the new, the traditional and contemporary. They hope to do so by uniting around a shared and compelling vision of the future. 

Position Filled
Experience Required
1-5 years
Type
Full-time
Education Required
Master's Degree
Date Posted
1 year ago
Location
Hanford, California
Denomination
Reformed
Church Size
200-300 people
Website
https://hanfordcrc.org/