Denomination: Non-Denominational

Weekly Attendance:  180

Location: Elkhart/Bristol, IN

The Role: Lead Pastor

Meet New Life Christian Center:

New Life Christian Center is a family of believers who are dedicated to pursuing Jesus. The people at New Life Christian Center eagerly and kindly welcome whoever would come. The church offers small groups and seasonal festivals. The congregation is marked by generosity, close-knit community, authentic worship, a high value of scripture, and the Holy Spirit being alive and active within the people.

About the Lead Pastor:

New Life Christian Center is searching for a Lead Pastor who will lead and oversee the church to ensure the overall health of the ministries through vision, direction, leadership development, training, and administrative responsibilities. This position will help the staff to lead a healthy, flourishing church, fulfilling the vision.

The Lead Pastor’s Responsibilities Include: 

• Serve as the spiritual leader of the church.
• Creating an environment that encourages all the staff to work together as a team in ministry.
• Serve as the head elder.
• Lead and feed the congregation.
• Provide excellent preaching and teaching and be the primary teacher in the weekend services.
• Hear and obey God and be led by Holy Spirit
• To engage in pastoral care (Coaching, Visitations, Weddings, and Funerals).
• To complete various projects as assigned.
• Possess a heart to love and serve people, and the ability to guide, mentor, and minister to people.
• Be committed to the development of New Life’s vision and values for the staff, the church, and the community.
• Clearly communicates vision and direction to the elders, ministry leaders, and congregation.

What You Bring: 

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

Education & Experience

• 5+ years of ministry experience.
• Undergraduate degree, required.
• Seminary degree, preferred.
• Experience as a Lead Pastor preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Discretion with confidential matters.
• Able to guide, mentor, and minister to people.
• Ability to lead by example as a servant leader.
• Have a proven track record of healthy ministry.
• Successful organizational and relational abilities.
• Ability to develop, lead, and equip teams.
• Solid communicator of the Word of God.
• Navigates conflict resolution well.
• Ability to maintain a proper personal life balance between your own spiritual health and development, family, and ministry responsibilities.
• Possess solid verbal and written communication skills in all areas of pastoral leadership.
• Demonstrates clearly a proficiency in effective delegating.

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Called to full-time pastoral ministry and, more specifically, called to serve as the Lead Pastor of New Life Christian Center.
• Meet the scriptural qualifications of the position as outlined in 1 Timothy 2:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
• Passionate leader committed to New Life’s vision and values.
• Heart to love and serve people.
• Displays a positive attitude.
• Helpful.
• Team player.
• Lives a life that embodies a personal and growing relationship with Christ, that is congruent with the biblical requirements for leaders such as found in 1 Timothy. 3:1-3; 2 Timothy 2; and Titus 1:5-9.
• Possesses a teachable, correctable, and humble heart.

What it’s Like to Live in Elkhart/Bristol, IN: 

Bristol is a very diverse community ripe for evangelism, with many unchurched people. The local churches work well together to serve the surrounding community. The town is small and growing, with a large workforce. Many people know Bristol as the corndog capital of the world. Bristol is just 15 minutes outside of Elkhart City.

Elkhart has a population of about 52,000, and most residents tend to own their homes. The city is located about an hour drive from multiple major cities such as South Bend, Chicago, and Indianapolis. The community of Elkhart gives a small-town feel, making the people very tight-knit and friendly.  Elkhart County, due to its large RV manufacturing industry, is known as “The RV Capital of the World.” The Elkhart downtown is situated at the intersection of the St Joseph and Elkhart rivers and is a thriving, walkable downtown rich in an Arts heritage.

Some of its most enjoyed attractions include the Aquatic Center and the Wellfield Botanic Gardens. Elkhart is home to the historic Lerner Theater which brings in many popular shows and musical artists. This town also has easy access to the campus of Notre Dame and a large shopping district. In Elkhart, you will find the perfect place to settle and raise a family.