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Overview of Pastor of Community Groups Role
We have a deeply-held belief that growth happens in intentional, missional communities outside of Sunday services. When our church started, much of the congregation moved across the city (and even from out of the city) to the same neighborhood, in order to create a missional, Acts-like community. Today, this plays out in community groups (small groups): led by our lay leaders, these range by location, gender, age, marital status, and background.
Groups are particularly important for our churchs immediate context. We were founded in fall 2017; since then, weve grown to 1,000-1,200 congregants across the citys five boroughs. Helping individuals find communities where they can be known, be loved, be fed, and ultimately where they can invest, is challenging in a church where everyone no longer knows everyone. And this is particularly true in New York Citythe concrete jungle where loneliness and competitiveness are an integral part of the citys DNA.
The Pastor of Community Groups reports to the Executive Pastor. This leadership position will oversee our community groups, with a focus on three key traits:
- Scaler: Set and execute on the vision and strategy for community groups
- Shepherd: Recruit and equip the lay leadership to create thriving community groups
- Culture Carrier: Embody and role model COTCs vision, values, and beliefs
Requirements
Key Responsibilities & Competencies
Scaler: Set and execute on the vision and strategy for community groups
- Key Activities (what you will do)
- Define and articulate the COTC community groups philosophy and strategywhat good looks like
- Oversee content and curriculum creation for community groups (e.g., weekly sermon discussion questions)
- Define, track, and report on key success metrics (quantitative and qualitative) to ensure consistent quality across groups
- Key Competencies (what we will look for)
- Experience building systems (not just executing on existing systems)
- A track record of community groups that healthily replicated/reproduced
Shepherd: Recruit and equip the lay leadership to create thriving community groups
- Key Activities (what you will do)
- Maintain a high-level relationship with all community group leaders (~50)
- Lead a community group coaching team of lay shepherds (~5) to build deeper care/mentorship relationships with the leaders
- Lead formal training and equipping, both directly (e.g., with monthly trainings, training resources) and in partnership with the community group coaches
- Identify and recruit new leaders in partnership with the community group coaches and existing community group leaders
- Key Competencies (what we will look for)
- A relational shepherd who loves 1:1s
- A train the trainer who empowers others
- A lived experience in urban ministry contexts within secular, postmodern cities and with multiethnic congregants from many backgrounds
Culture Carrier: Embody and role model COTCs vision, values, and beliefs
- Fully embodies Church of the City New Yorks vision & purpose. You desire to see the fame and deeds of God renewed and known in our time (Habakkuk 3:2) by pursuing the:
- TANGIBLE PRESENCE: We are seeking the tangible presence and power of God through a culture of prayer.
- COUNTER-FORMATION: We are practicing counter-formation by walking in the way of Jesus as transformed disciples.
- SACRIFICIAL MISSION: We are living on sacrificial mission for the spiritual, social, and cultural renewal of the city.
- Fully embodies Church of the City New Yorks values
- Culture of Honor: Servant leader, humbly submits to the churchs existing vision, is willing to get in the trenches with the team. Demonstrates high levels of discretion, particularly with highly-sensitive and confidential information.
- Overcoming Spirit: Resilient and flexible; deep love of urban ministry and life (the city is your calling, not a pit stop).
- Holy Ambition: Possess a strong, self-motivated work ethic. Motivates others to do the same--even among the mundane
- Defiant Joy: Emanates joy; displays a deep passion for this role.
- A spiritually mature Christian in submission to the authority of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the Biblical character qualifications of an elder. Subscribes to and is in full agreement with Church of the Citys statements of faith (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Lausanne Covenant, the statement of faith of the Langham Partnership).
- A man or woman qualified for spiritual leadership, as laid out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Experience
- Preference for professional experience in ministry with small groups / community groups / life groups
- Preference for professional experience in a church that experienced meaningful growth
- Preference for Bachelors degree