Associate Pastor of Community Discipleship

Associate Pastor of Community Discipleship
ET staff writer
ET staff writer
01 September, 2024 5 min read

Wantirna, Victoria Australia

Hills Bible Church is a Reformed Baptist, multicultural, multiage, and evangelical independent church situated in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. We are committed to glorifying God by making, maturing, and multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ in our local communities and to the least reached peoples of the earth. Since our inception in 2009, God has been pleased to bless our HBC community through the week-by-week faithful preaching of God’s Word and formal and informal ministry both inside and outside the local body.

Due to the growth of our church family (approx. 400 in attendance each Sunday), and the desire to intentionally move forward with our church vision, we have identified the need for a man to support and assist the Lead Pastor in fulfilling our vision to glorify God by making, maturing, and multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ in our local communities and to the least reached peoples of the earth.

ROLE DESCRIPTION:
The Community Discipleship Pastor will be a friendly, godly, and energetic community builder who has the passion and experience to make, mature and multiply disciples of Jesus Christ who are joy filled, Christ-dependent, and faithful. He will have experience in pastoral ministry and exhibit strengths in Bible teaching, preaching, disciple-making, pastoral care and outreach. RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Community Discipleship Pastor will work closely with the Lead Pastor to help follow and implement the church vision and strategy. The specific and general responsibilities of the role are as follows: Discipleship Ministries | Setting vision, overseeing structure, and providing pastoral leadership over the discipleship ministries of our church.

Setting Vision and Mobilizing Ministry
• In conjunction with the eldership, refine a clear vision and philosophy of the church’s discipleship ministry.
• Communicate this vision effectively and regularly with the church.
• Mobilize the church to create a culture where people are known, cared for, and prayed for by one another.
• Train, equip, and encourage people to lead in discipleship relationships/ministries. Families, Children, Youth and Young Adults Ministry
• Develop the church’s overall strategy for partnering with parents in discipling the next generation (from birth to the completion of high school).
• Build, oversee, direct and Biblically equip a team of ministry leaders and workers in the Children, Youth and Young Adults Ministries.
• Through the ministry leaders, plan and implement a variety of children’s, youth and young adult’s ministry events and programs consistent with the fulfillment of the vision of HBC. This may include camps, day-trips, missions trips, family events etc.
• Build a strong partnership with parents and children/youth through regular communication and the provision of resources.
• Assess and recommend age-appropriate curriculum and Bible studies that are gospel-centered, and discipleship focused for each area of ministry.

Adult Discipleship
• Facilitating Sunday Equip classes, courses and experiences that equip people with Biblical wisdom for following Jesus and effective witness to the world.
• Provide direction, support and encouragement to Men’s and Women’s ministries.
• Help plan and execute strategic retreats - family, men’s, women’s, leaders, etc.
Life Groups | Cultivating healthy community groups and investing in group leaders

Provide Direction and Vision
• Lead with and communicate a clear theological vision for the ministry that incorporates inward growth and outreach.
• Create a ministry calendar and effectively communicate with group leaders.
• Monitor group health through visitation etc.
• Oversee content and resources for Life Groups.
• Work with Lead Pastor to strategise how sermon series or other key church-wide themes can be deployed into groups.

Develop Leaders
• Build a team of leaders to work alongside you in planning and oversight.
• Oversee the Life Group ministry by caring for, shepherding and training existing Life Group leaders.
• Maintain and set up systems of recruiting, coaching, developing, and multiplying new Life Groups in strategic locations.
Pastoral Leadership and Care | Shepherding, teaching and leading the church as a whole.

Teaching and Preaching
• Regularly preach/teach in English and Chinese services as well as in the adult Equip classes.
• Participate in various aspects of Sunday services through leading in announcements, prayers, and communion.
• Teach and facilitate church-wide classes and courses.
• Assist with teaching our HBC baptism and membership classes from time to time.

Pastoral Care and Oversight
• Maintain a life of prayer - communion with God, intercession for our people.
• Contribute to the care and oversight of the entire church at the eldership level.
• Assist with pastoral visitation and counselling where required.
• Maintain Safe Church policies that protect the safety and well-being of our kids, youth and vulnerable people.
• Be open and flexible to take on any other ministry responsibility as required to ensure the continual care, support, development, and equipping of the congregation.

EXPECTATIONS
Pastoral Formation and Mission
• Receive full support from spouse and family.
• Attend the Sunday service(s) and be involved in the regular ministries of the church.
• Hold a current Working with Children Check and complete a National Police Check.
• Support and uphold HBC Codes of Practice
• Live a life of commitment to Christ and His mission in all areas.
• Clearly commit to ongoing spiritual growth.
• Continue pastoral learning and development.
• Maintain presence with the people and places God has opened up to you for Gospel mission.

Team Ministry
• Attendance at weekly worship, pastoral meetings, staff meetings and eldership meetings.
• Family participation in the life of the church.
• Be an active member of the board of elders in all discussions and decision-making.
• Receive regular evaluations from Lead Pastor and Eldership - focused on both the ‘Being’ and ‘Doing’ of pastoral ministry.
• Attend staff and elders’ meetings, retreats, and other church functions, as directed.
• Work closely with the Lead Pastor and other ministry staff and workers.
• Once appointed to the position, the Community Discipleship Pastor will automatically be an elder at HBC and participate within the HBC plurality of elders.

REQUIREMENTS
• Possess a clear, personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Saviour that is marked by personal prayer, Bible reading, and holiness that depends on Christ.
• Fulfil the qualifications of an elder/pastor in 1 Timothy 3:1-8 including the ability to teach.
• Experience of 3+ years of related church or ministry experience. • A passion and a vision for seeing people formed in Christ. • Has had multicultural ministry experience.
• Theologically trained - completed theological education (BTh or above).
• Theological and Philosophical agreement with HBC and its elders.

DESIRED QUALITIES
• Love people: a genuine enjoyment of people from all backgrounds and ages.
• Team builder: demonstrate an ability to cast vision, recruit, coach and deploy leaders and volunteers in order to ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry’ (Eph. 4:12). Has an entrepreneurial but not independent working style; able to strike the balance of working as a team player, while also taking initiative as a self-starter. Possess a humble and teachable spirit.
• High self-awareness: a clear ability to read yourself and how others experience you.
• Theologically driven: can articulate a clear biblical-theological “why” behind the strategies employed for ministry.

TIME COMMITMENT / WORKING ARRANGEMENTS:
• Work hours: 38 hours per week.
• Workdays: Tuesday to Friday, half day Sunday.
• Work location: Church office.

PAY & CONDITIONS:
• Full time
• Remuneration: Commensurate with ability, skills, and situational needs
• Position subject to a 6-month performance review
• Minimum 4yr commitment

For further information or to apply contact:
admin@hillsbiblechurch.org
Closing date for applications: October 15th, 2024.

Hills Bible Church
Hills Bible Church is a Reformed Baptist, multicultural, multiage, and evangelical independent church situated in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. We are committed to glorifying God by making, maturing, and multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ in our local communities and to the least reached peoples of the earth. Since our inception in 2009, God has been pleased to bless our HBC community through the week-by-week faithful preaching of God’s Word and formal and informal ministry both inside and outside the local body.



www.hillsbiblechurch.org
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