Employment Opportunities

Are you the pastoral leader we are looking for?

Neighbourhood Church [Mennonite Brethren] in Nanaimo, BC is an intergenerational congregation that believes the gospel which includes a call to be in close and healthy relationship with one another. We are looking to add an Associate Pastor to our team, a leader who is highly relational, authentic, and has a passion for building community. Our intention at the Neighbourhood Church is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that people can call “home”.

We are looking for someone who leads by example and holds a deep Christian faith. This person builds connections by promoting relationships and community building, fostering spiritual maturity through discipleship, and helping others grow in their faith. This person believes this cannot be done alone, but is best accomplished through a team-based collaborative approach where individual gifts are honoured and weaknesses acknowledged.

Ideally, we want a person who has demonstrated skill in equipping church members to lead ministries that will bless people in the church while welcoming those from outside the church. This new pastor has adaptive leadership skills and a special gift in recruiting volunteers and oversight, using their honed gifts of compassionate listening, fostering, and nurturing to empower lay leaders to do the broad work of the church.

This person has had theological training and ministry/life experience that can help speak into the lives of others. We also want this person’s voice to help shape a vision of what ministry can look like at Neighbourhood Church in Nanaimo.

If this calls to you, please email a cover letter and resume to neighbourhoodchurch@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or inquiries please contact Pastoral Search Committee Co-chairs Jessica Boy (theboyfam@gmail.com) or Andrea Smith (andrea@simsrealestate.ca).

View job description below.

Neighbourhood Church Associate Pastor Job Description

A. Purpose: To build community, disciple and equip people to do the work of the church

B. Reports to: Lead Pastor and Church Council

C. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Pastoral Care:

a. Build and nurture church community and culture through mentoring and discipleship, basic pastoral counselling, equipping volunteers and leaders, and providing intergenerational congregational care.
b. Practice and further develop a culture of hospitality that welcomes and includes newcomers, visitors, and longtime congregants. NC desires to create a sense of being “at home”.
c. Be approachable, accessible, willing and able to work through conflict and hard conversations with empathy and grace.
d. Participate in pastoral visits including in hospital and palliative contexts.
e. Collaborate with the Lead Pastor in the planning of and facilitation of funerals.

2. Discipleship/Equipping Ministries:

a. Provide leadership, discipleship and support for key volunteer leaders in annual planning and implementation for youth and children’s ministries and small groups.
b. Collaborate and support the building of ministry plans that are aligned to the church vision and mission.
c. Oversee, equip and disciple volunteers to lead different aspects of ministries by fostering a culture of ownership and connection to NC.
d. Operate according to the protocols for safe-ministry as outlined by NC’s Safe Place policy.

3. Promote Community Development and Growth:

a. Nurture trusting and authentic relationships among congregation members.
b. Collaborate with volunteers to create events and ministries that promote deeper connections that are accessible to newcomers, visitors and guests.
c. Listen to church lay leaders and provide needed support, as required (spiritual, resources, etc).
d. Ministry development beyond church walls.

4. Contribute to the overall Church vision:

a. Participate in shaping the church’s vision by contributing thoughts and ideas.
b. Responsible for developing an annual plan that lays out goals, priorities, objectives and needed resources for the Associate Pastor’s areas of ministry.
c. Share regular ministry updates with the Lead Pastor and Council during scheduled council meetings.

5. Collaborative Member of the Church Staff Team:

a. Participate in weekly staff meetings by contributing ideas, thoughts, opinions, and providing/receiving feedback on the items of discussion.
b. Participate in the developing a comprehensive strategy for pastoral care that is sustainable for our current staffing level.
c. Participate in preaching ministry (min. 20%/year, roughly every 5 weeks) providing messages that are congruent with NC’s vision and core values.
d. Oversee the form and content of church-wide communications (e.g. announcement segment of the Sunday service, congregational emails, social media, website, and newsletter).
e. Assumes lead pastor responsibilities during absence due to illness, vacation, completing professional development, etc.
f. Staying informed of partner agencies by:

D. Qualifications:

1. Personal belief in alignment with the MB Confession of Faith.
2. Credentialed by the Mennonite Brethren or willing to become credentialed within 1-2 years.
3. Commitment to personal growth and development in faith, life and work.
4. Demonstrated affinity and passions for new and healthy relationships and working as a team.
5. Demonstrated ability in leading and equipping volunteers.
6. Proven capability of pastoral care and conflict management.
7. Self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision.
8. Demonstrated communication and organizational skills.
9. The successful applicant will be required to complete an RCMP Criminal Record Check.

E. Education and Experience:

1. Master’s Degree in relevant field preferred, including formal or informal study of theology.
2. Significant practical ministry experience in contexts that address intergenerational needs.
3. Demonstrated experience and participation in and/or leadership in a church setting.
4. Training in spiritual formation is preferred.

F. Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Download Associate Pastor job description here.