The Associate Pastor is a part-time, paid position under the supervision of and serving in tandem with the Senior Pastor to shepherd the congregation through
prayer1, care2, and preaching the Word of God3.
. The ideal candidate would meet the qualifications of an elder as outlined in Scripture. Additionally, he would also desire to be involved in the life of the church at FCCLW, would be available to lead a Bible study on Tuesdays, and would prayerfully & joyfully participate regularly in the other weekly services of FCCLW —
- Thursday morning Bible Study
- Friday evening Prayer Meeting
- One Worship Service on Saturday morning
- One Worship Service on Sunday morning
In addition to participating, the Associate Pastor would be asked to prepare and lead Saturday’s & Sunday’s service every 4th - 6th week, to give the Senior Pastor a weekend of respite each month or so, as well as — when scheduled — prepare and deliver a Communion Meditation and/or Call to Worship, and fill in as needed on Thursday and Friday on the occasions when the Senior Pastor is not available..
Beyond the weekly services, the Associate Pastor will participate in the monthly FCCLW Board Meeting (held after a Saturday morning service), and will lead the monthly Missions Meeting (held before or after the Thursday morning Bible Study). At the Missions meeting, letters from supported missions are read, missionaries are prayed for, and recommendations to the Board are prepared that suggest the distribution of the Mission funds each month.
1Prayer
- We believe prayer — adoration, confession, thanksgiving & petition — should be every believer’s ongoing practice.
- In addition to spending quality time in the practice of personal prayer, the Associate Pastor will participate in congregational prayer, speaking to God conversationally out loud with others, and small group or one-on-one prayer as needed by those seeking spiritual comfort and connection.
- In addition to praying for the world, the Church, the FCCLW community, and the ministries FCCLW supports, we desire that the Associate Pastor also be authentic and humbly share prayer needs as he seeks God’s power and presence to do the work he’s called to do.
2Care
- We believe a shepherd’s job is to know & care for entrusted sheep.
- Caring involves participation in the life of the congregation through church functions such as pot lucks and special holiday services; getting to know the FCCLW flock.
- Noticing and helping to follow up when regular attenders are missing from gatherings or reaching out to visitors — seeing and caring for people.
- Assisting as needed with memorials, hospital calls, or home visits.
- On preaching weekends, care involves preparing the weekly church letter. The church letter consists primarily of a sermon transcript with related Scriptures and is distributed on Thursdays by a team of members both by mail and by hand-carrying to those in the community who are unable to attend weekend services. Additionally, on the weekend, the letter is distributed at services to those in attendance so they may follow along, take it home, and share it with others.
3Preaching/Teaching
- Approximately once every 4-6 weeks, at the request of the Senior Pastor (SP), preach a Bible-based topical sermon useful to teach, correct, and train the congregation in righteousness.
- Oversee all programming responsibilities on weeks the Senior Pastor is absent, as needed.
- Engage with Elders by participating in a “feedback team” to continue growing as a preacher/communicator. Work with the Senior Pastor in the preparation and evaluation of sermons, and identify strengths and opportunities to grow as a communicator of God’s Word.
- As needed, assist the Senior Pastor to assess the needs of the congregation in scheduling sermon topics.
EXPECTATIONS
- The Associate Pastor must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures of the Holy Bible, and must demonstrate the ability to communicate and teach from these Scriptures sound Christian Doctrines, in accordance with the church Mission Statement and Statement of Faith.
- The Associate Pastor must at all times exhibit a compassionate, loving, caring attitude not only to church members but to anyone who attends church services. This posture of love and care should also be carried into the public arena.
- The Associate Pastor must exhibit in all aspects of ministry a Servant’s Heart, willing to perform the most menial tasks with enthusiasm and to the best of his ability.
- The Associate Pastor is a Spiritual Ambassador, a representative and minister of and for Jesus Christ, and as such shall live his life in a manner that brings glory not to himself, but to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a high calling and as a bondservant for Christ is held to a higher standard, any personal activities that bring shame to and/or dishonor the Father, the Son Jesus Christ our Lord, or the Holy Spirit, will be grounds for removal from the position of Associate Pastor.
- The Associate Pastor shall be responsible for many and varied activities within the operations of the church. These responsibilities and activities will include, but not be limited to, the following list. From time to time, these responsibilities may be updated.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Teach Tuesday Bible Study: Must be prepared, arrive in time to open doors and prepare the sanctuary for attendees. Must remain and assure that the church and grounds are securely closed and locked up.
- Attend as often as possible all church functions as a representative of the church in support of other teachers and attendees.
- When necessary and appropriate, call on the sick and shut-in.
- When scheduled, prepare for and deliver Saturday & Sunday Communion Meditations and/or Baptisms.
- When scheduled or are called to fill in for Senior Pastor on Saturday and Sunday services: prepare the weekly letter by Tuesday prior for distribution on Thursday prior to weekend services, coordinate with ministry leaders (Greeters, Hospitality, Communion Servers, Music teams). Arrive early to open doors, turn on lights, turn on a/c or heating, turn on sound system and mics
- Learn how to operate the sound system.
- Assist with set up and tear down of special events when needed.
- Meet with the Long Beach Rescue Mission when scheduled. Have donation out and ready for loading; assist truck driver with loading.
- Attend monthly Missions Committee meetings and Board meetings.
- Chair the annual Budget Committee.
- Coordinate with, schedule, and monitor the performance of any contract services as necessary.
