Church at the Crossing Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile DRAFT v4 Indianapolis, Indiana June 2017

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1 Church at the Crossing Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile DRAFT v4 Indianapolis, Indiana June 2017 Church at the Crossing ( is offering a rare opportunity for a pastor to lead an exceptional team and congregation to envision and design a plan that will advance this established, thriving ministry to the next level. Church at the Crossing is a congregation that makes a difference in this world. For the past ten years, this church has embraced a vision to Go Love ; a vision that that has breathed fresh life into this historic ministry and focused attention on important kingdom work: from feeding/sheltering the poor of Indianapolis, to tutoring in local schools, to work with anti-sex trafficking efforts, to planting churches and partnering with missionaries around the world. Church at the Crossing has put legs to the gospel. After 14 years of faithful service, Pastor Steve Rennick transitioned to a State Pastor role in February His departure creates a wonderful opportunity for an energetic and gifted successor to build on the solid foundation that has been laid, and to work with a talented, committed team of Elders, staff and lay leaders to cast a compelling vision for the next season of ministry in this influential church. Overview Church at the Crossing is a dynamic Christian community that seeks to serve God as they embrace both the great commission, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19 NIV) and the greatest commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27 NIV) They seek to be a community of life change by: Expanding the Kingdom of God on earth welcoming people to connect at Church at the Crossing, and partnering with local and global ministries to reach people for Christ Deepening the souls of all who call Church at the Crossing their church home equipping each person for spiritual growth and maturity by providing tools and opportunities for them to fully Go Love Multiplying their impact in their community, city, and world leaning into their already strong partnership with Nora Elementary, seeking ways to open their campus to the community, and NL Moore & Associates Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile Church at the Crossing June

2 strengthening existing partnerships in the city, state, and world Becoming an overwhelmingly generous people giving 20 percent of their tithes and offerings to missions-beyond-us by 2020 and strengthening service opportunities in which people can engage Raising a world-changing generation mentoring multiple generations, investing in Kids! and Youth programming and events, partnering with families, and providing opportunities for young adults to connect and serve Church at the Crossing (CATC) is a congregation with a tradition of healthy leadership and nearly 100 years of impact in Indianapolis and beyond. Welcoming about 900 people into two identical weekend worship services, the facility is excellent: highly visible (albeit a bit less easily accessible) and strategically located between the city of Indianapolis and the growing northern suburbs of Carmel, Fishers and Zionsville. CATC has developed into a regional church, where 49 percent of all attenders drive more than 10 miles to attend, and another 34 percent drive five to nine miles. As a multi-generational congregation, CATC attenders value a church experience where all ages and stages of life can fellowship together and learn from one another. This church desires to utilize the gifts, the stories and the experiences of an older generation while at the same time devoting themselves significantly to bringing up children and youth who are grounded in faith and mission. They look forward to developing new and effective ways to connect the generations, to connect to families, and to more fully represent the beauty and fullness of the family of God within their congregation. Affiliated with the Church of God movement, CATC draws attenders from a variety of communities, backgrounds and evangelical traditions. The people respond to preaching and teaching that is firmly rooted in Scripture, preferring an expository approach that engages, inspires and challenges the hearer to live on mission and apply God s truth to everyday life. CATC has been well led by a staff team of 16 FT and 11 PT employees (27 FT and 44 PT when adding in those who work in the Early Childhood Center), and an elder board of 15 men and women. Communication and unity between staff and elders is very good. Financially the church is in great shape. Several years ago, INDOT exercised eminent domain and took some property from CATC for freeway expansion. The resulting financial compensation allowed the church to pay off their mortgage and put some money in the bank. With an annual church budget of $2.2M and zero outstanding debt, CATC has set a goal to give away 20 percent of its tithes and offerings by the year They are on track to achieve this goal with 19.5 percent of the budget earmarked for missions-beyond-us in The Opportunity Church at the Crossing is an effective congregation with even greater kingdom potential. While the vision to Go Love is memorable and woven deep into the fabric of this church, CATC is experiencing some murkiness related to its current identity and priorities as it looks to the future. There is a tremendous opportunity for the next leader to come to the table, to listen and learn this congregation s story, and then to build on this good foundation with a clear, refreshed vision and plan for the future. The people are eager for a vibrant and visionary leader that will invest in them and with them, to clarify the church s identity and vision, and to see the church released into a new season of impactful, intentional kingdom work. This church desires to grow but needs to innovate some of its strategies as a regional congregation. Despite healthy leadership, a beautiful campus and convenient location, attendance has slowly decreased over the past four to five years. Internally, there is concern and confusion regarding the downward trend in attendance and people are asking key questions about the reasons why. Very few CATC attenders live in the areas adjacent to the facility and some wonder if proximity is an issue that NL Moore & Associates Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile Church at the Crossing June

3 inhibits attenders from extending invitations to others. A number of mega churches have grown up in the area as well, potentially increasing the number and convenience of other church options for busy families. Missional outreach is strong in the region but the pathways for those served by the church to be welcomed into the community of the church are underdeveloped. The next pastor will have an opportunity to assess these realities and to work with the team to answer key questions around decreased attendance, to make the necessary tweaks to address findings, and to ensure clear next steps and pathways for those who may desire to become involved in the community of the church. CATC does not need to be fixed, but it does need to be optimized and internally strengthened. The dedicated and talented staff that serve the church will be essential to the task. There is warm camaraderie and commitment to the ministry that is evidenced within the team and the incoming Senior Pastor will have the opportunity to capitalize on this strong pool of talent. The team is eager to welcome a collaborative team leader who will care about them, value their contributions, encourage new ideas, assess current offerings with fresh eyes, and create an empowering team dynamic. As the church moves to the next level, the team will be called on to restore an external/internal balance in the ministry, ensuring CATC is a place where people are welcomed and intentionally integrated into the church family, effectively equipped and supported in ministry, empowered and connected in community, as well as challenged to live on mission for Jesus. Worship is important at CATC. There is an opportunity to explore how the church might innovate and deliver a blended worship style that feels more engaging to those who long to draw near to God through it. Clear, expository and biblically centered preaching is a big part of crafting a vital worship experience at CATC. So is a truly engaging and participatory time of corporate worship and singing. The church is blessed with excellent musical talent and the performance quality is exceptional, but this congregation craves a worship environment that fosters a participative sense of connection with God throughout the service. The multi-generational make-up of the congregation will undoubtedly create an additional challenge in striking the right chord with the people, but the current format has not generated the desired unity and vitality so options should be explored. The incoming Senior Pastor has an opportunity to work with the worship leaders to consider options, suggest tweaks, and make the right changes to better engage the congregation in this important aspect of congregational life. For long term members, or those who have been blessed by a connection to the church or Church of God movement over time, CATC has historically offered a warm and wonderful family feel. However, new and younger attenders communicate that integration can be challenging, and many have struggled to find their way into meaningful relationships. There is an opportunity to raise awareness among longterm attenders and to create intentional opportunities for people to be introduced and integrated into the community of the church. The incoming Senior Pastor will be called on to challenge the church to look beyond their current circle and make space at the table for one more so that others may be truly welcomed into the church family. CATC is committed to the personal and spiritual growth of its people at every age and stage of life. The value for Christian education is seen through the large number of Sunday classes, Bible studies, Life groups or mid-week programs offered. Kids and youth ministries are thriving and the church encourages a variety of men and women s ministry activities. While these ministries are generally good, the church may benefit from a more cohesive, clear understanding of its disciple-making pathway. The next Senior Pastor will have the opportunity to work with the team to develop a clear, intentional plan for discipleship that will help the congregants to take next steps in their faith journey, in every stage and season of life. Changes take a toll on any congregation and the loss of valued relationships for some members over the past several years have taken an emotional toll. The incoming Senior Pastor has the opportunity to help CATC foster an increasingly warm, energized and revitalized environment. This will require a pastor who wants to understand the stories of the church and to help the people write the next chapters by valuing the past and then building bridges to a vibrant future. The right leader will understand the emotional and organizational dynamics of change management and be able to nuance these principles to an NL Moore & Associates Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile Church at the Crossing June

4 established, complex church like CATC. People feel valued when they feel heard before decisions are made. The incoming Senior Pastor will take a paced approach, taking time to listen, learn and build relationships first, which will foster trust within the community. As stated above, CATC has tremendous potential. The church is eager to welcome a Senior Pastor who will love, maximize and mobilize CATC toward a meaningful and fruitful future. With the right leader working with a talented team and a faithful, generous community of believers, this congregation is poised to make an even greater Kingdom impact in Indianapolis, Indiana, and around the world. The Candidate The ideal candidate for CATC is an experienced, skillful pastor and leader who conveys a passion for Jesus and God s Word, and who inspires others to take next steps in their faith journey through words and example. With a preference for an expository approach to preaching, the right candidate for CATC will be genuine and transparent, communicating God s Word in clear, practical ways that are understandable to people of different backgrounds and varying degrees of biblical knowledge and experience. The congregation will welcome a gifted, articulate communicator who handles the Word of God rightly, and is able to inspire, motivate and spur this congregation to application and action. Ideally, this individual will have a heart for the lost as one who desires to see people come to faith, and become reproducing disciple-makers who are equipped and motivated to touch others with the love and grace of Jesus. Highly relational and personally engaging, the right pastor for CATC will draw energy from time spent with people and will spur others on toward love and good deeds. The people will respond to a pastor who views leadership through the lens of biblical truth and values the interdependence of teamwork. The selected candidate will collaborate with staff and consult with the Elders to develop a clear vision and a focused, strategic plan that inspires, reinvigorates and aligns the people and ministries as a whole. The staff and people are hungry to understand the details of the plan and then to be empowered, challenged and supported as they meaningfully engage in it. The church wants to re-establish momentum that delivers CATC to the next level, draws people to engage, and sees this ministry empowered to make a continued impact for the next 100 years. The ideal candidate will possess a contagious energy that celebrates and builds on the strong foundation in the church, recognizing and maximizing the untapped potential, and empowering others into their gifts and strengths. As a refreshed vision takes shape, the incoming pastor will release the talents of the team, drawing out their gifts and strengths, developing potential, effectively delegating, and catalyzing the right improvements. As a collaborative team leader, the Senior Pastor will work well with others to develop and execute plans, celebrating wins, and affirming the contributions of others. The selected Senior Pastor will take time to socialize ideas, communicate rationale, and ensure opportunities for feedback when significant decisions are being made so that people are brought along on the journey of change. This individual will be well known as a person of integrity, who is self-secure and confident in his or her identity in Christ. Valuing prayer, both privately and corporately, the candidate will readily turn to the Scripture as the source of truth to gracefully engage believers and unbelievers, and to address timely questions that arise from personal issues, challenging circumstances or cultural realities. Preferred Candidate Qualifications Theological alignment with the Church of God as described under Our Beliefs at Ordained, or willing to pursue ordination, with the Church of God NL Moore & Associates Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile Church at the Crossing June

5 Bachelor degree required, Master s degree preferred At least 7 years of progressing ministry experience Excellent interpersonal skills and relational intelligence. Inquiry Process If after reading this description you have some interest in the Senior Pastor position at Church at the Crossing and you feel you meet the qualifications for the role, you are invited to submit the following information for consideration: 1. Your resume or CV (in Word doc format only) 2. Electronic links to audio/video of your teaching/preaching (2-3 examples, please) 3. Results of any personality or strengths assessments you have taken in the past three years (StrengthsFinder, DiSC, Myers-Briggs, etc.). 4. A current headshot photo of yourself, a current photo of your family, and a family bio 5. Five references, including: One supervisor or overseer (could be a board member), two or three staff associates, with at least one from someone you have supervised, and one or two personal. NOTE: These references will be contacted later in the process and only with your prior approval. 6. Written responses to the following questions (in Word doc format only): We believe that one can learn only so much from a resume. Your responses will help us to gain a more complete picture of you and your leadership. 1. Describe your faith in Jesus Christ. Tell us how you came to personal faith and something about your journey into ministry. How do you spiritually stay refreshed in the midst of ministry demands? 2. What is it about the opportunity at Church at the Crossing that attracts you to this position? 3. What are your spiritual gifts? Share two or three examples of ministry experiences that you believe exemplify your spiritual gifts in action. 4. What are two or three of your core strengths? Please share two or three examples of situations where you utilized your core strengths to move forward the church or ministry you were leading. 5. What are the key factors that you believe should be present in your next ministry in order for you to be most effective? Please submit your information to: Nancy Moore NL Moore & Associates nancy@nlmoore.com NL Moore & Associates Senior Pastor Opportunity Profile Church at the Crossing June