Associate Pastor

The Associate Pastor shall be responsible for the development and execution of a comprehensive program for Christian discipleship of families: (partnering with and equipping parents, developing and overseeing ministry and outreach for children ages birth through senior high school.)

This position will be the primary pastor and shepherd of the junior and senior high families. This pastoral position will develop and implement teaching, recruiting, training and deployment of volunteer leaders, and provide support systems that will enable the families of the Bridge to fulfill its vision of loving God and loving others. 

Essential Characteristics 

• The Pastor must meet the spiritual, personal, and character qualifications of an elder found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9 and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23. 
• • A strong, biblically grounded marriage and family dynamic; able to manage your household well, cf. 1 Timothy 3:4-5.
• A love for families.
• Experienced in recruiting, organizing and developing volunteer and leadership teams.
• A team builder with a passion for discipleship of people in the fellowship and in the community.
• Flexible and calm under pressure and/or in emergency situations.
• Self-motivated, Spirit obedient-oriented, collaborative and independent worker with the leadership and administrative skills necessary to recruit, engage, and lead others.
• An understanding, or at least an awareness, for special needs children ministry dynamics.
• Highly value prayer and the Word, sensitive to what the Spirit is saying to The Bridge. He will devote himself to prayer and Bible reading. He will be willing to participate in mutual care and accountability with other believers. 
• Maintain regular attendance in Sunday Morning Services as well as appropriate church functions. 
• The Family Pastor will support the leadership of the church generally and specifically that of the Elder Board. He will strive to maintain positive and fruitful relationships with other Bridge employees, leaders, members, and visitors. While concerns or differences of opinion may arise, the Pastor will communicate in a biblical manner and abide by appropriate supervisory direction. 
• As outlined in Scripture, and in Article 8 of our by-laws the Pastor (Elder) must be male. 
• The Pastor should be an authentic communicator who is easy to understand, down to earth and possesses a blend of humility and zeal. 
• Participating in activities that support our focused objectives: 

a. Mission Statement: “To Lead Everyone to Full Life Development in Jesus Christ.”

b. Our Core Values: 

1. Relational--We all need Christ. I need you and you need me. 

2. Gospel-Centered--The Gospel permeates all we do. 

3. Scripture Based Authority--An acknowledgement of Scripture being written by God for us and therefore applicable, authoritative, sufficient and inerrant. 

c. Our Pillars: 

1. Missional 

2. Relational 

3. Prayer 

4. Worship 

• The Pastor should be comfortable with the following: reformed theology and free will theology (leaving room for the mysteries of God), complementarian, continuationist regarding the Holy Spirit,  expository preaching primarily, Elder-led, and contemporary worship setting. 
• The Pastor should be in agreement with the Constitution and By-laws for The Bridge Bible Church as well as the following official statements: “The Bridge Bible Church Marriage Statement”, “The Bridge Bible Church Statement on Divorce and Remarriage”, and “The Bridge Bible Church Statement on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage”. The Pastor should also be in agreement with the Beliefs stated on The Bridge web-site or any other publicly pronounced statements of faith. Any concerns regarding doctrine should be brought forth to the Elder Board for clarification. 
• Be willing to be humble enough to accept input from those he is leading, as well as be appropriately transparent with the many, and intimately transparent with a few.  Be self-governed, and self-sufficient with regard to time management. Be able to professionally manage their time during the week and be able to differentiate priorities. 
• The Family Pastor may have direct reports and should be able to assist in vision-casting, mentoring, provide day to day guidance and feedback to those direct reports. 
• Servant Leadership—being able to promote the well-being of those around him--The Family Pastor should be able and willing to lead in a variety of contexts (individual, small groups, large groups) in such a way that Jesus Christ and his Gospel are central, and those being led feel heard and understood. 
• Administrative—while seeking mainly to shepherd people, the Pastor should have the skill set and ability to effectively manage the various administrative tasks associated with the position. 
• Peacemaking—the Family Pastor should seek to unite people tactfully and winsomely with varying perspectives to advance harmony and love, and to achieve common goals. 

General Use of Time 

• Be a part of the Pastoral/Elder team to help fulfill the church vision as a whole.
• Champion the vision and direction of the family ministries team.
• Assist in helping to care for the congregational needs of the church.
• Help in church wide events to support the mission and vision of the church.
• Participate in all staff meetings and prayer times.
• Provide theological leadership and biblical teaching to the congregation.
• Manage the budget for the family ministry team.
• Provide leadership, direction, and cohesion within the family ministries team.
• Equip, encourage and care for family ministry volunteers as they lead their teams/classes.
• Ensure that new volunteers are equipped to effectively minister to kids, students, and their parents.

Planning & Programming

• Help plan and lead Sunday morning (when appropriate) and midweek gatherings for junior and senior high students, may include music, media, message, set up/tear down, and other activities. (Primarily managed by ministry teams)
• Help Plan and oversee Sunday morning programming for elementary school students with the Children's Team Leader.
• Oversee all events, camps and retreats within the family ministry: (which may include family camp, youth retreats, VBS (with childrens team leader), and/or family/youth mission trips.)
• Establish and oversee a comprehensive curriculum between all areas of the family ministries, such as “Orange” or something along those lines (does not have to be the Orange philosophy per se).
• Develop and implement a plan for on-going parent training and encouragement, which may include Bible studies to help them understand their role and responsibilities in discipling their kids.
• Oversee the safety of children, youth, and volunteers by ensuring all volunteers have met appropriate safety protocols.

Manage Sunday Morning Service  

The Family Pastor will be one of the primary teachers for The Bridge Bible Church and will strive to present God’s Word faithfully, according to sound doctrine, consistently expressing the central message of the text in the Sunday morning messages. The Family Pastor should be committed to the historical-grammatical exposition of Scripture and seek to present the teaching in a way that is relevant, authentic, and personally applicable. In addition, the Family Pastor has pulpit freedom to teach as the Holy Spirit prompts. The Family Pastor should: 

1. Preach and teach and lead a team-based ministry model, wherein discipleship, counseling, shepherding, and community happen. 
2. Preach in conjunction with the Teaching Pastor covering several Sundays within a calendar year. (Reciprocated by Teaching Pastor, who may cover Youth ministry teaching at times when needed)
3. Help organize and manage the teaching calendar for the children’s ministry in conjunction with the children’s team leader over the course of the year.
4. Communicate teaching series to ministry staff and volunteers in order to coordinate their respective responsibilities as needed. 
5. Coordinate with the First Impression Team, when applicable 
6. Help Plan preaching for any special services participating in. (Christmas, Easter, etc.) 
7. Help in the administration of the ordinances of Believer’s Baptism and Communion

Send resume and an applicable resources (example: sermon) to [email protected].