Post by Liisa Analore on Jul 14, 2011 14:39:17 GMT -5
First Baptist Church
518 N. Franklin Avenue * Madison, Wisconsin 53705
(608) 233-1880 * E-mail: fbcoffice@firstbaptistmadison.org
Position Description of the Minister of Community
Vision :
The Minister of Community will help our congregation to grow as a community of Jesus Christ. We understand “community” to be the network of positive and supportive relationships among people, both within and beyond the current membership of First Baptist Church. These relationships should:
• Be Spirit filled, sustaining, renewing, and healing
• Strengthen the participant
• Encourage spiritual growth
• Manifest Christian love within our church and the wider community
The Minister of Community, working with a Community Ministry team (which may incorporate a number of distinct teams) and members of our congregation, will help First Baptist to expand and strengthen this community of relationships through creative and innovative ministries and activities --- particularly focusing on young adults, families (including non traditional families), children, and youth. Interacting with people outside the current membership of First Baptist will provide the Minister of Community and the congregation with new ideas on how our church can better reach out to these generations of the future.
The Minister of Community will support the purpose, beliefs, and values of First Baptist Church and will enable those in our expanding community of Jesus Christ to fulfill their callings as ministers of the Gospel. The Minister of Community will help facilitate activities that build relationships and provide quality education, supportive fellowship, meaningful worship, and fulfilling ministries.
Community Ministry Team
The Minister of Community will work closely with a Community Ministry Team (which may be comprised of a number of distinct teams) composed of members of First Baptist who are committed to strengthening our ministry with young adults, youth and families.
Responsibilities of the Minister of Community:
• Encourage and empower congregational members to participate in ministry
• Serve as resource and advisor to relevant boards, committees, and groups (in particular the boards of Outreach and Education) as they relate to ministries with young adults, children, youth, and families
• Respond to the pastoral needs of young adults, parents, children and youth
• Participate in planning and leadership of worship
• Undertake a search for ministry opportunities by gathering information that will help our church discover how we can best minister to the needs of young adults, families, children, and youth within First Baptist and the wider community. Particular emphasis will be placed on building relationships with the wider community.
• Using the results of the search for ministry opportunities, the Minister of Community and Community Ministry Team will work to improve and expand relationship building ministries with young adults, families, children, and youth.
For illustrative purposes, here are some examples of possible activities:
o Fellowship/social activities
o Neighborhood gatherings in individuals’ homes
o Prayer partnerships
o Family/”grandparent adoptions” of mutual support
o Parenting clusters and programs
o Welcoming and integrating new persons
o Caring partners for special needs
o Support circles
o Mission teams and projects
o Connections with groups and associations in the Madison community
o Environmental concerns and care
o Classes, workshops, and retreats
o Christian hospitality
o “Virtual” communities using web, internet, and cell phone technologies
Experience and Training
Minimum
• Demonstrated effectiveness in assisting churches to develop activities that minister to young adults, families, youth and children. We will consider relevant academic preparation other than divinity degrees.
.
Desired
• Higher educational preparation appropriate for this position, such as masters of divinity, religious education, social work.
• One unit of clinical pastoral education or equivalent clinical experience such as in mental health or social work.
Professional and Personal Qualities
• Has a deep and contagious love of God
• Is a creative thinker, critical evaluator, and practical implementer.
• Leads by example – in addition to being a motivator, resource, and advisor, is an active participant.
• Relates well to young adults and youth no matter what their faith, religion, or attitudes toward church may be.
• Is friendly, approachable, caring, and can influence others. Is inclusive and comfortable relating to alternative forms of families. Uses popular communications technologies.
• Enjoys and is effective in helping a church better express God’s love to people in the wider community.
• Possesses self-initiative, vision, imagination and creativity.
• Understands what it takes organizationally to achieve effective ministries, including the formation of effective teams when activities or programs are used to build relationships.
• Supports the church’s purpose, and core beliefs and values (see below).
Relationship to Senior Pastor
The Senior Pastor is the executive officer of the church staff and has authority to entrust specific areas of responsibility to other pastoral staff upon consultation with them, where consistent with the terms of call of employment. The Minister of Community is a pastoral staff member whose focus is on achieving the objectives and responsibilities for the position as described herein while working in a collegial relationship with the Senior Pastor.
A Pastoral Relations Committee fosters communication between the membership and the pastoral staff, and serves as the personnel committee for the pastoral staff.
Evaluation
The Community Ministry Team, working with the pastoral staff and relevant Boards, will conduct regular, on-going evaluations to learn from and improve activities that minister to young adults, families, children, and youth.
Term of Service
This is a full-time position for three years with the hope that it will continue beyond the three year period. The Congregation will make the decision on whether to extend the relationship with the Minister of Community.
Should the Minister of Community choose to terminate the relationship, a three-month notice is requested. Should the Congregation choose to terminate the relationship, a three month notice will be given.
Compensation
Compensation will be negotiated based on relevant experience and qualifications.
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church, Madison strives to be a non-judgmental community of hope and faith – whose purpose is to enable and facilitate the mission and ministry to which Jesus Christ is calling us. We promote democracy in the church, enable disciples to participate in areas where they are gifted and called, and seek the mind of Christ in all of our decision-making processes. This church is a community of interdependent people, committed to equality and mutuality of all men and women, and to the ministry of all the people of God. The Bible is held to be our primary source of faith and practice, the Holy Spirit our guide and interpreter, and the local congregation the fundamental community for nurturing our faith and discipleship. We seek to express that faith and discipleship in pursuing our vision of peace, love, and justice in the world.
This church’s core values are inclusive community, soul freedom, spiritual growth, and mission.
Our shared beliefs are:
• God loves all people unconditionally and seeks a personal relationship with every person;
• God offers forgiveness and hope to heal our lives and make us whole;
• Jesus shows us who God is and who we can become; and
• God is present, speaking to us through prayer, the Bible, other people, and creation.
Beyond these shared values and beliefs, a great diversity of personal faith, beliefs, and values is found and treasured within our community. We expect no conformity to any creed.
Our church invites all people, regardless of race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status, to unite as full participants in Christian Fellowship. First Baptist is a welcoming and affirming congregation.
This church’s denominational affiliation is with the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin and the American Baptist Churches USA; we are also committed to ecumenical Christianity
518 N. Franklin Avenue * Madison, Wisconsin 53705
(608) 233-1880 * E-mail: fbcoffice@firstbaptistmadison.org
Position Description of the Minister of Community
Vision :
The Minister of Community will help our congregation to grow as a community of Jesus Christ. We understand “community” to be the network of positive and supportive relationships among people, both within and beyond the current membership of First Baptist Church. These relationships should:
• Be Spirit filled, sustaining, renewing, and healing
• Strengthen the participant
• Encourage spiritual growth
• Manifest Christian love within our church and the wider community
The Minister of Community, working with a Community Ministry team (which may incorporate a number of distinct teams) and members of our congregation, will help First Baptist to expand and strengthen this community of relationships through creative and innovative ministries and activities --- particularly focusing on young adults, families (including non traditional families), children, and youth. Interacting with people outside the current membership of First Baptist will provide the Minister of Community and the congregation with new ideas on how our church can better reach out to these generations of the future.
The Minister of Community will support the purpose, beliefs, and values of First Baptist Church and will enable those in our expanding community of Jesus Christ to fulfill their callings as ministers of the Gospel. The Minister of Community will help facilitate activities that build relationships and provide quality education, supportive fellowship, meaningful worship, and fulfilling ministries.
Community Ministry Team
The Minister of Community will work closely with a Community Ministry Team (which may be comprised of a number of distinct teams) composed of members of First Baptist who are committed to strengthening our ministry with young adults, youth and families.
Responsibilities of the Minister of Community:
• Encourage and empower congregational members to participate in ministry
• Serve as resource and advisor to relevant boards, committees, and groups (in particular the boards of Outreach and Education) as they relate to ministries with young adults, children, youth, and families
• Respond to the pastoral needs of young adults, parents, children and youth
• Participate in planning and leadership of worship
• Undertake a search for ministry opportunities by gathering information that will help our church discover how we can best minister to the needs of young adults, families, children, and youth within First Baptist and the wider community. Particular emphasis will be placed on building relationships with the wider community.
• Using the results of the search for ministry opportunities, the Minister of Community and Community Ministry Team will work to improve and expand relationship building ministries with young adults, families, children, and youth.
For illustrative purposes, here are some examples of possible activities:
o Fellowship/social activities
o Neighborhood gatherings in individuals’ homes
o Prayer partnerships
o Family/”grandparent adoptions” of mutual support
o Parenting clusters and programs
o Welcoming and integrating new persons
o Caring partners for special needs
o Support circles
o Mission teams and projects
o Connections with groups and associations in the Madison community
o Environmental concerns and care
o Classes, workshops, and retreats
o Christian hospitality
o “Virtual” communities using web, internet, and cell phone technologies
Experience and Training
Minimum
• Demonstrated effectiveness in assisting churches to develop activities that minister to young adults, families, youth and children. We will consider relevant academic preparation other than divinity degrees.
.
Desired
• Higher educational preparation appropriate for this position, such as masters of divinity, religious education, social work.
• One unit of clinical pastoral education or equivalent clinical experience such as in mental health or social work.
Professional and Personal Qualities
• Has a deep and contagious love of God
• Is a creative thinker, critical evaluator, and practical implementer.
• Leads by example – in addition to being a motivator, resource, and advisor, is an active participant.
• Relates well to young adults and youth no matter what their faith, religion, or attitudes toward church may be.
• Is friendly, approachable, caring, and can influence others. Is inclusive and comfortable relating to alternative forms of families. Uses popular communications technologies.
• Enjoys and is effective in helping a church better express God’s love to people in the wider community.
• Possesses self-initiative, vision, imagination and creativity.
• Understands what it takes organizationally to achieve effective ministries, including the formation of effective teams when activities or programs are used to build relationships.
• Supports the church’s purpose, and core beliefs and values (see below).
Relationship to Senior Pastor
The Senior Pastor is the executive officer of the church staff and has authority to entrust specific areas of responsibility to other pastoral staff upon consultation with them, where consistent with the terms of call of employment. The Minister of Community is a pastoral staff member whose focus is on achieving the objectives and responsibilities for the position as described herein while working in a collegial relationship with the Senior Pastor.
A Pastoral Relations Committee fosters communication between the membership and the pastoral staff, and serves as the personnel committee for the pastoral staff.
Evaluation
The Community Ministry Team, working with the pastoral staff and relevant Boards, will conduct regular, on-going evaluations to learn from and improve activities that minister to young adults, families, children, and youth.
Term of Service
This is a full-time position for three years with the hope that it will continue beyond the three year period. The Congregation will make the decision on whether to extend the relationship with the Minister of Community.
Should the Minister of Community choose to terminate the relationship, a three-month notice is requested. Should the Congregation choose to terminate the relationship, a three month notice will be given.
Compensation
Compensation will be negotiated based on relevant experience and qualifications.
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church, Madison strives to be a non-judgmental community of hope and faith – whose purpose is to enable and facilitate the mission and ministry to which Jesus Christ is calling us. We promote democracy in the church, enable disciples to participate in areas where they are gifted and called, and seek the mind of Christ in all of our decision-making processes. This church is a community of interdependent people, committed to equality and mutuality of all men and women, and to the ministry of all the people of God. The Bible is held to be our primary source of faith and practice, the Holy Spirit our guide and interpreter, and the local congregation the fundamental community for nurturing our faith and discipleship. We seek to express that faith and discipleship in pursuing our vision of peace, love, and justice in the world.
This church’s core values are inclusive community, soul freedom, spiritual growth, and mission.
Our shared beliefs are:
• God loves all people unconditionally and seeks a personal relationship with every person;
• God offers forgiveness and hope to heal our lives and make us whole;
• Jesus shows us who God is and who we can become; and
• God is present, speaking to us through prayer, the Bible, other people, and creation.
Beyond these shared values and beliefs, a great diversity of personal faith, beliefs, and values is found and treasured within our community. We expect no conformity to any creed.
Our church invites all people, regardless of race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status, to unite as full participants in Christian Fellowship. First Baptist is a welcoming and affirming congregation.
This church’s denominational affiliation is with the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin and the American Baptist Churches USA; we are also committed to ecumenical Christianity