Senior/Lead Pastors
Pastor
The Church on the Hill (Dixfield, ME) – Pastor
The Big Picture
Dixfield Congregational Church on the Hill (https://www.facebook.com/dixfieldcongregationalchurchonthehill/) is searching for a full-time Pastor.
The Church
Our pastor of over 20 years has retired, and we are searching for the right person to help us move forward and grow our church. Established in the community in 1806, the Dixfield Congregational Church has a strong foundation made up of hard-working members. Our body of
believers is diverse in outlook but united by our faith in the gospel of Christ. We seek a full-time pastor to lead our close-knit and welcoming church family.
Confession of Faith
As a community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ associated together with the teachings of the New Testament for the public worship of God, for the observances of the Gospel ordinances and the Sacraments of Baptisms and the Lord’s Supper, for the mutual edification and encouragement of Christian life, and for the advancement of the Redeemer’s Kingdom on Earth, we declare our union of faith and love with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Receiving the Scripture of the Old and New Testament as the Word of God, inspired by God, the rule of faith and practice, we accept the creed known in history as the Apostle’s Creed as the
doctrinal basis of our union.
The Job Description
Prepare and deliver meaningful sermons: this means taking the time for adequate preparation and receiving/absorbing feedback on content, style, delivery, etc. This congregation loves to receive a biblically based message delivered with humor, authenticity and clarity.
Maintain office hours and schedule visits: while we realize real-life always brings unexpected schedule changes we expect to have awareness of planned office hours and visitation times so persons can be directed to the pastor/can seek out the pastor with high confidence of finding him/her at the designated location.
Become dedicated and established in the community: A critical part of ministry is being part of the community beyond the church walls. We expect the minister to build relationships with other pastors, be familiar with community services that might benefit parishioners or those seeking assistance and be a familiar face that persons can turn to in time of need.
Pastoral counseling: this means having the skills, office hours and availability to be the listener/counselor to church members and community members as called upon to do so. We see this as an integral part of strengthening the existing congregation and supporting newcomers.
Committed to the Youth: This means having a heart for youth ministry – Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Youth engagement, Teen engagement, drawing young people to the church – but not necessarily leading a youth ministry personally. We recognize it takes a village to draw youth to the church but today’s youth are tomorrow’s church so youth play a critical role in God’s plan for our community. We expect our Minister to be relatable and engaged as he/she is called.
Willing to do weddings and funerals: this efforts brings the pastor face-to-face with a wide range of community members – something we feel is critical to establishing a presence for our church in the wider community.
Willing to do house, hospital and nursing home visit: this efforts brings the pastor face-to-face with a wide range of community members – something we feel is critical to establishing a presence for our church in the wider community. Church members/church affiliated are a priority but visitation is not limited to those criterial
Concern for Church financial status: being a small, rural congregation we operate on a tight budget though we always leave the door open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in taking on new expenses and/or ventures. We expect the minister to be conscious of the church’s financial status while advocating for expenses as he/she feels called to do so.
Be involved in all operations of the church: this means having a working knowledge of what takes place in committees and contributing ideas/thoughts as appropriate. The minister is not asked to be officially appointed to each and every committee and is not required to attend every committee meeting.
Interact with the Pastoral Relations Committee: this Committee is in place to support and mentor the pastor. This committee will listen to how the pastor spends his/her time and advise accordingly, e.g., if much time is spent in counseling the committee may support additional training in this area
Pastoral Requirements
We expect a full-time Senior Pastor to:
- Have education/training in Theology
- Reside in the community or be willing to relocate
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Be able to provide Communion and Baptism – if not formally ordained, would be ordained by the congregation for the short-term and would pursue more formal ordination through NACCC channels. https://www.naccc.org
The Compensation
Total Package: $70,000 + Housing assistance in the form of a loan, from the church, on a downpayment to purchase a home may be available.
The Process
Please look over this job description and the church website. Along with your resume please answer these questions:
Why do you believe that you might be a good fit for Dixfield Congregational Church?
Describe your experiences in ministry and how you may be qualified to serve as the Pastor of Dixfield Congregational Church?
In just a few sentences please give a summary of your theology and how that is in line with the doctrine of Dixfield Congregational Church and the NACCC?
Please send your resume and the answers to these questions to Jason@LancasterSearch.com
To Apply: Jason@no-feepastorsearch.com