Middle School Student Pastor

Job Description

About River Christian Church

River Christian Church (RCC) is a healthy, growing church on a mission to win people to Christ, train believers to be disciples, and unleash disciples to impact the world. We are a passionate, Christ-loving church body that believes the Bible is God’s divinely inspired Word and we are to encourage each other to live and worship by it. RCC is on a mission to see Clay County transformed. We believe that encountering the love of the Father, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, participating in the Kingdom mission of Jesus, and building the family of faith for continued growth is essential to becoming the people God has created us to be.

Our church began meeting in March 2015 with a handful of families meeting together in a home. Our church has grown into a vibrant church family of more than 2,000+ people gathering each week. We are about to begin our building expansion this year by adding on a new worship center as our church continues to grow. The old worship center will be transformed into the new student space as we are outgrowing our current space.

About Fleming Island, FL

River Christian Church is located in Fleming Island, Florida, just south of Jacksonville. The area is one of Northeast Florida's most growing communities, known for its excellent schools, family-friendly neighborhoods, and convenient access to the greater Jacksonville area. As the region continues to grow, so do the opportunities to reach people with the hope of Jesus.

Job Description

The Middle School Pastor is responsible to develop and oversee an effective ministry to Junior High students (7th-8th grade), Pre-Teen students (5th-6th grade), and their families. The RCC Middle School Student Pastor will work as a part of the larger RCC Ministry Team to carry out the vision, mission, and strategy of River Christian Church.

Primary Goals

• Own the Environment - Intentionally craft your ministry environment in a way that is open, safe & welcoming to students & families from our community and is most conducive to sharing the Gospel. Environment includes the physical space, welcoming relationships, approachable language & varied programming.
• Pursue Innovation - Keep current with the latest trends and research relating to Jr High students, Pre-Teens, and their families in order to develop and maintain creative ways to reach students and families in our community with the gospel of Jesus.
• Show Up Where They Are - Develop strategies to connect with students who are in varying places along their faith journey. This will include students in our neighboring communities who have no interest in faith, students in our church community who are struggling with their faith, students in our church who are strong in their faith, and every student in between.
• Create Transformative Experiences - Design experiences for students that will transform their faith into a strong, passionate, lifelong relationship with Christ. These include large group and small group experiences, mission trips, social events, camps, retreats, etc
• Grow a Missional Lifestyle - Mobilize students to a life on mission for Christ through service and evangelism in their homes, neighborhoods, and the world around them. Develop a global awareness of God’s Kingdom and a desire to partner with Him in the mission He is completing both at home and abroad.
• Promote a Healthy Leadership Community - Recruit, equip and develop an expanding team of volunteer leaders who use their gifts, skills, and passions to lovingly serve Jr High Students and Pre-Teens. Foster a culture where leaders enjoy being with one another, are celebrated and valued, are united in vision and mission, and are catching the interest of others to join them.
• Partner with Parents - Equip parents to lead and disciple their children through effective communication, genuine relationships, resourcing and purposeful events and teaching opportunities. Build genuine relationships with parents in order to align and multiply efforts.
• Integrate Ministry - Consistently look for ways for your ministry to participate in and support church wide initiatives, programs, and activities. This includes working closely with all Family Ministry staff to integrate Family Ministry philosophy throughout all ministries.
• Equipping of RCC as a whole - This position is an integral part of the pastoral staff at RCC and will be responsible for equipping and empowering other leaders outside of 5-8th grade students and their families as RCC continues to grow and send out other leaders.

RCC Student Ministry Team Collaboration

• Oversees - Jr High Volunteers/Students, Pre-Teen Volunteers/Students and Volunteers/Students involved in CREW (our before school outreach program in several local Jr High Schools)
• Works Closely With - Student Ministry Team
• Reports to - Student Pastor

Roles and Responsibilities

Oversee the development of a strategic and integrated plan for Jr High and Pre-Teen Students in partnership with the Student Pastor that includes:

• Prepare for weekly Jr High ministry and Pre-Teen ministry meetings and small groups
• Build relationships with students, parents, small group leaders and staff throughout the week
• Outreach - Model, equip and provide opportunities for 5-8th grade Students and families to reach their community and world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Service and Mercy - Partner with God and RCC to instill a heart of service and mercy in every Jr High and Pre-Teen Student
• Attend and invest in worship services and church-wide events
• Promote student ministry enthusiastically and creatively throughout the church
• Make budget recommendations to the Student Pastor and be responsible for the Jr High and Pre-Teen Ministry budget
• Receive feedback on ministries and continually strive to improve their quality
• Maintain current outreach relationships with local Jr High schools, and develop relationships with other area schools, churches, and other organizations that support our efforts to reach students in the church and community

Other job responsibilities will include but not be limited to the following.

• Assist the pastoral staff in providing pastoral care and oversight for those who are sick or shut in

• Meet with those who are hurting outside of middle school students and their families

• Assist the pastoral staff in the coordination, oversight, officiating, and execution of weddings, funerals, and baptisms

• Assist the pastoral staff in preaching throughout the course of a calendar year

• Assist the pastoral staff and ministry leaders in making hospital and home visits

• Participate in staff meetings and retreats

• Character, Competencies, and Qualities

• Growing disciple of Jesus with daily rhythms of prayer, reading, spiritual disciplines

• Maintain God ordained priorities in your life by putting Jesus first, your spouse second, your family third, and ministry fourth.

• Protect and preserve the unity of the church body, especially in the context of RCC leadership and staff relationships.

• Be an active and relationally engaged member of the RCC family, including regular participation in a life group and weekend service attendance.

• Invest and invite the lost to know Jesus, connect with God, connect at RCC, and grow spiritually.

• Understand and translate vision to volunteer teams, setting clear goals and managing results.

• Strong personal heart for people, the faith community, and the surrounding community

• Productive, proactive, manages time well, organized, and self-starter.

• Ability to teach, lead high-level volunteers, develop strategy, solve problems

• Humble, collaborative, trainable servant leader with a pioneering mindset

• The candidate should agree with RCC’s beliefs, values, vision, and mission.

• Previous experience in Student Ministry is strongly preferred; including previous ministry employment, internships, apprenticeships, and/or years of high-level volunteer experience.

• Bachelor’s Degree with some formal Bible training at an institution of higher learning preferred. Candidates without formal Bible training should be willing to start a degree or certificate program agreed upon with the Student Pastor within 6 months of their start date.

To apply for the Middle School Pastor position at RCC:

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and typed responses to the questions below to Carson Powell at carsonp@riverchristian.church

• Why are you looking for a new job?
• How would your closest friends describe you?
• What are your two greatest weaknesses?
• How do you manage and cope with stress?
• How do you rest?
• What two books have you read in the past 3 years that have greatly influenced and impacted you?
• What are your goals?
• What is your preferred work environment?
• How do you handle conflict?
• How do you stay organized?
• When have you gone the extra mile?
• How do you develop team members and volunteers?
• How would you describe your personal theology?
• How would you describe your ministry philosophy and approach to ministry?