Job Title: Associate Pastor for Community Life
At City Church San Francisco, we aspire to be an inclusive community that follows Jesus with our heads, our hearts, and our hands. Guided by our Core Beliefs, we pursue this with a commitment to anti-racist values as we seek to introduce or reintroduce people to God and welcome folks right where they are, inclusive of age, race, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and stage of belief; to offer something good and joyful to the world that promotes God’s vision of wholeness of life for all.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Pastor for Community Life has an internal and external mission. Internally, they will facilitate opportunities for our community to build relationships and serve/care for one other. Externally, they will facilitate opportunities for our congregation to serve our city in ways that are guided by key relationships and partnerships, informed by a critical analysis of community change, and articulated by theological commitments that align with the Reformed Tradition. Areas of responsibility include:
LGBTQIA MINISTRIES
1) Dedicated and distinct pastoral care and spaces of support for LGBTQIA congregants that offers pathways for reconciling Christian faith sexual orientation/gender identity.
2) Support opportunities for LGBTQIA community members to cultivate a faithful, critical, and authentic understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
3) In collaboration with the Pastor of Discipleship: working with LGBTQIA congregants and leaders to develop feedback loops that ensure alignment and effectiveness of discipleship and spiritual growth pathways.
DEACON BOARD
1) Designing, launching, and cultivating a robust Deacon Board that:
Facilitates a network of mutual aid and care across the community that supports community members in times of spiritual and material need (ie, meals ministry, deacon fund).
2) Coordinate with relevant persons and networks of care to ensure that pastoral care needs are being met:
Meeting with congregants, praying for/with them
Shepherding people along their faith journeys
Visiting the sick
Providing spiritual and emotional care
COMMUNITY LIFE
1) Recruit, train, coordinate and support teams which facilitate congregational life: greeting, hospitality, follow up teams
2) Develop and ensure the facilitation of follow up processes for newcomers
3) Partner with the Pastor of Discipleship to:
Create opportunities for praxis of faith formation through service and justice opportunities
Ensure networks of care are attended to, in coordination with Affinity and Community Groups
4) In partnership with leaders, plan and carry out opportunities for fellowship and connection
CITY ENGAGEMENT
1) In partnership with the Senior Pastor and with guidance from the Elder Board: determining a strategy for city engagement that reflects the priorities and resources of the church in relationship with needs of the city
2) Build sustained partnerships with key service and justice organizations in the city to understand the organizational landscape of the city and identify opportunities for faithful impact
3) Identify, recruit, and train lay leaders for leading ongoing service and justice opportunities
4) In partnership with the Pastor of Discipleship: teach and assist congregants in making connections between issues of the city and faith, providing pathways for service, engagement, and contribution to the common good
WORSHIP LEADERSHIP
1) Occasional preaching (4-6x per year)
2) Liturgical leadership (2x monthly)
3) Oversees and facilitates processes that develop a culture of hospitality and belonging: greeting, hospitality, follow up teams
4) Leads planning and coordination for “Service” and “Fellowship” Sundays with key partners
CORE COMPETENCIES
1) A natural connector of people
2) Has a deep love for ministry in an urban context and enthusiasm for building networks for shared power and change for the common good
3) Passion for, and experience in, creating community and opportunities for people to serve
4) Passion for, and experience with, providing pastoral care, shepherding, and guidance for LGBTQIA-identified persons as they reconcile faith with identity.
5) Can offer a Jesus-centered articulation of their sense of vocational call and commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion, anti-racist practices, and social justice
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
At least 3 years working in faith-based community leadership, with oversight of volunteer groups
Leadership development and systems organization for mobilizing people around shared goals
Has experience with approaches for community organizing and an understanding of powerbuilding for change
Theologically trained (M.Div. preferred)
Ordination preferred
Skills and Qualifications
Strong communication skills
Can speak with critical understanding and robust theological confidence to assist and teach the congregation to draw connections between issues of community care, social justice, and following Jesus
Community builder with a compassionate heart
Collaborative working style
Organized and detail-oriented
Resourceful
How To Apply
TO APPLY
Submit the following materials to office@citychurchsf.org :
1) Resume, CV, or Ministerial Information Form
2) Cover letter (in letter or video format) that includes responses to the following:
Describe your sense of call to ministry.
In what ways does your sense of vocational call intersect with the role of Pastor for Congregational Care at City Church SF?
How does your experience intersect with the “Core Competencies” listed above?