Pastor

The Ocheyedan Christian Reformed Church has begun a search for a Pastor to equip the saints for the work of ministry inside and outside the church body, and to make disciples through the preaching of God’s Word.

Personal Qualifications—The Pastor will:

• Be able to give testimony to his love for the Lord and call to pastoral ministry.

• Have a deep passion to understand and teach the truths of God’s Word.

• Love people and be able to create and sustain positive relationships with them.

• Cultivate a dynamic relationship with the Lord through the practice of spiritual disciplines.

• Be an emotionally healthy person.

Professional Competencies—The Pastor will be:

• A gifted communicator, able to craft and deliver biblical and relevant sermons that effectively speak to both new and maturing Christians.

• A gifted coach, able to walk alongside Elders, Deacons and Ministry Leaders towards the development and delivery of effective strategies for ministry.

• A gifted liturgist who enjoys planning and participating in worship services.

• A gifted pastor whose love for the congregation and desire for its spiritual well-being prompts him to provide spiritual direction and pastoral care to those in need.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Preaching/Teaching—the Pastor is responsible for the bulk of the preaching and will do so in a manner that is both biblical and relevant. He will also have opportunities to teach.

• Leadership/Management—the Pastor will serve as the spiritual and organizational leader of the congregation partnering with the Council towards a unified vision for the future of the church.

• Worship—the Pastor will serve as chairman of the Worship Committee. This committee is responsible for the planning and delivery of engaging, life-transforming worship services.

• Pastoral Care—the Pastor will provide timely spiritual direction and pastoral care for those seeking baptism, profession of faith, church membership, marriage, healing, and encouragement, as well as for those suffering the loss of love.

• Public Presence—the Pastor has the privilege of representing the congregation in the broader community.

Expectations – The Pastor will:

• Affirm a Reformed interpretation of Scripture as described in the historic confessions of the Reformed faith.

• Be ordained or ordainable by the Christian Reformed Church in North America or by a historic Reformed denomination.

• Support Christian day-school education.

• Engage with denominational agencies and regional ecumenical groups as time and circumstances allow.

• Find ways to care for his physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and that of his family members.

The Ocheyedan Christian Reformed Church is a dedicated, multigenerational, congregation nestled in the lovely community of Ocheyedan in rural Northwest Iowa, the breadbasket of America. The multi-dimensional mission of the congregation is to gather weekly to praise God, as well as listen and respond to His Word, to nurture one another in faith and obedience to Christ, and to serve others by sharing the Gospel and pursuing God’s justice and peace in every area of life. The congregation affirms the centrality of God’s Word in their lives and ministries, and takes seriously its ministry to children and youth. They hope that the future will include more consistent efforts of making more disciples. Towards that end and more, they look forward to the arrival of a pastor who will walk alongside them and encourage them to be all they can be in Christ. They use the following words to describe the