Other Details

Denomination: Kingdom Network USA

Weekly Attendance: 700

Location: Orange City, IA

The Role: Lead Pastor

Meet First Reformed Church:

The First Reformed Church began in 1871 — as the fulfilled dream of a community of Dutch settlers to Northwest Iowa. The earliest members worshiped God, in the Dutch language, and in a one-room structure that also served as the town’s schoolhouse. Though facing a myriad of prairie life obstacles, the congregants possessed a deep resolve, borne of a deep faith and trust in God.

Under the leadership of many gifted pastors and hard-working laypersons, the church grew. In time, the congregation’s vitality and heart for new ministries led the members to plant eight additional churches in Sioux County. They also laid the groundwork for a Christian academy known today as Northwestern College.

As First Reformed grew in attendance, so did their facilities, through many renovations and construction projects. Their current worship center was completed in 1979, and an office wing was added in 2000. In 2016, a massive renovation and expansion added a gymnasium, nurseries, a chapel, and a two-story youth area. The church staff has also expanded to now employ associate pastors, music leaders, and children and youth directors.

At present, FRC consists of around 375 member families and employs around fifteen paid staff. The church has a regional reputation for excellent children’s and youth programming, strong Biblical preaching, attentive pastoral care, and hands-on mission experiences.

About the Lead Pastor:

The ideal Lead Pastor for First Reformed will be a man who gives evidence of a vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and a working knowledge of the Bible and doctrines of the Reformed faith. He will have demonstrated experience in effective preaching and teaching ministry from a Reformed perspective, and possess the ability to assume a leadership role in a multiple staff ministry.

First Reformed Church Service The Lead Pastor Responsibilities Include:

Primary responsibilities are to proclaim the Word of God to the congregation of FRC and cast the vision and direction of FRC. This is to be accomplished through the pulpit presence as well as interaction with CORE teams (four smaller ministry teams), Consistory members, Church staff and the community. Assure that all educational programs and ministries build knowledge and faith according to the inspired Word of God. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Seek and search God’s revelation for the development of annual preaching and teaching plans.
• Inform the elders responsible for the oversight of sermon content and presentation.
• Coordinate themes and plans among all applicable ministries.
• Preach the Word of God a minimum of all but one AM service per month. (Approx. 40 annually).
• Be in the pulpit for all special services (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas).
• Administer sacraments with other pastoral staff as scheduled.
• Oversee the development and implementation of education plans for FRC.
• Have cooperative oversight responsibilities for the Vision CORE Team, and participate as requested with the other CORE teams.
• Oversee and support the entire ministry staff at First Reformed Church.
• Conduct wedding and funeral services as appropriate and within church policy.
• Provide pastoral support and care to congregational members as needed and requested.
• Serve as president of Consistory and chair full Consistory meetings.
• Oversee efforts to contact prospective members.
• Serve as “quality control” on worship preparation and music.
• Serve as church rep to Northwestern College Board of Trustees.
• Represent FRC at civic functions when appropriate.
• Provide leadership on Kingdom Network Administrative Committees.
• Attend meetings related to building projects/renovation projects.
• Take part, with the Director of Operations, in the evaluation process of all FRC staff.

First Reformed Church Child Dedication: What You Bring:

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Lead Pastor.

Education & Experience

• Undergrad degree relevant to this role; Master of Divinity is preferred
• Will have 7-10 years of experience in similar roles with ever-increasing responsibility

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Must be in agreement with the mission and vision of the First Reformed Church.
• Accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God and be in agreement with the Reformed interpretation of the Bible (doctrinal standards).
• Devote time to regular prayer, intensive study and exegesis of God’s Word and revelation, committing to daily and weekly Scripture study for personal growth and for application in preaching and teaching ministries.
• Liaise on technology matters.
• Be willing to be accountable to the Consistory for the fulfillment of the assigned responsibilities.

First Reformed Church Gathering: What it’s Like to Live in Orange City, IA :

Orange City is a thriving community with a promising future. The community is a place where children are free to play outside in relative safety and families are comfortable with the environment. The cost of living is much less than the larger cities, and the city strives to maintain a clean, well-cared-for community through its attention to detail in the environment and to such things as utilities and other city-run services. The community maintains a strong commitment to high-quality education, outstanding health services, economic development and active churches.

Orange City has both a public and private school system along with a 4-year liberal arts Christian college. A large health system excels at care for all ages and attracts many specialties to provide services for the Orange City area. A variety of recreational opportunities exist, including extended walking/biking trails, organized recreational programs, several parks, a swimming pool and fitness centers. The arts are important to the citizens of Orange City and several opportunities are available such as summer “Arts in the Park” concerts and activities. There are also musical shows and concerts throughout the year. Many activities are available through Northwestern College, from sports events to theater productions and music concerts. Located about halfway between Sioux Falls, SD and Sioux City, IA and only two hours north of Omaha, NE, the drive to larger amenities is very manageable.