Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Outreach
The First Baptist Church, Worcester, MA is seeking a full-time Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Outreach.Her/his/theircentral responsibilities will be to provide for the spiritual formation of children and youth and to foster opportunities for the broader congregation to engage in missions locally and more broadly.
Candidates shouldmodel a meaningful faith, possess organizational and communication skills, and thrive in a collaborative ministry setting. A strong candidate will possess a graduate degree from an accredited seminary, and she/he/they will have experience in one or both areas of ministry.
The First Baptist Church of Worcester is a progressive, inclusive, inquisitive congregation. Welcoming & Affirming since 1993, at least 350 people actively participate in the life of the church from many backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences.
A job profile and application instructions can be found here:
Job Description
Spiritual Formation Responsibilities:
- Coordinate innovativeministries with children, youth, and their families
- Build an authentic and faithful youth group that fosters a sense of community yet remains integrated with the whole congregation in identity.
- Oversee and organize Sunday School program, including the recruitment and training of new teachers
- Provide pastoral care to youth, children, and their families
- Provide growth opportunities and fellowship through retreats and mission opportunities
- Collaborate with the Youth Ministries Team and attend their meetings
- Serve as the lead administrator for youth functions, collecting payments and forms; making arrangements for retreats, trips, fundraisers; and managing the Youth Ministry budget
- Update and maintain the safe church policy, and ensure its implementation
- Organize childcare for church events as needed
Outreach Responsibilities:
- Identify, promote, and lead mission/service opportunities for youth, families, and the congregation that honor the dignity of every person and practice a mutuality of mission
- Educatethe congregation about the purpose of mission in Worcester specifically, and the world more broadly
- Foster relationships outside the church with local congregations, denominational mission groups, non-profits, colleges, and the wider community
- Work with the Outreach team in the stewardship of the Outreach budget, and attend their meetings
Pastoral Leadership Responsibilities:
- Perform general pastoral duties as assigned, including worship leadership for Sundays and special services, hospital & homebound visitation coverage when the Pastor is away, monthly weekend on-call duty, collaborative part of vision/mission development for the church.
- Specific to candidate’s interests, opportunities for preaching, worship planning, teaching, or other areas of interest
Supervision and Support:
- The Associate Pastor will work in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Pastor.
- The Associate Pastor will support the ministries of the church broadly, and the work of the Youth Ministry and Outreach Teams, specifically
Qualifications:
A Master of Divinity or similar degree from an accredited seminary or divinity school is preferred.
A strong candidate for this position will demonstrate the following:
- Christian faith with an ecumenical approach to ministry (Baptist identity a plus)
- Progressive theology that welcomes and affirms all people
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
- Strong communication skills, both written and spoken, across many platforms, including social media
- A desire to minister alongside a diverse community of believers
- Experience working or volunteering with children and/or youth, or in outreach/mission/service settings
- A relational and pastoral presence (a good sense of humor is a plus)
Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience.
Application:
To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, andthree references (at least one professional) to