The Role: Wheaton Campus Pastor
Meet The Compass Church:
The Compass Church is a vibrant, growing, influential multi-site church in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. We believe Christian living should be summed up with one word, love, and that you would feel that love in every encounter you have at The Compass Church. We think there’s nothing greater in life to find than the love and acceptance that only Jesus offers. We believe that looking for meaning, hope, comfort, and peace can be found in a relationship with Jesus. The Compass exists to help people both find (evangelism) and follow (discipleship) God.
The Compass consists of 5 sites in Naperville, South Naperville, Bolingbrook, Wheaton, Three Rivers and a very robust Online participation with 1200 devices watching each weekend. So, when anyone steps into any of our five campuses or worships with us online, we have the same teaching by our Senior Pastor, Jeff Griffin, whether live or via video. We’re grateful for the ways we can stay connected during the week, no matter where we are, to build meaningful connections. Our planning, worship, operations, and communications are aligned and centralized, but each of our locations have a dedicated team, including a Campus Pastor, Worship Leader, and various ministry leaders, to help serve the needs of that community.
About the Campus Pastor:
The Compass is searching for a proven Campus Pastor to serve as the primary pastor and leader for the Wheaton Campus of The Compass Church. This person will oversee the church’s direction, staff, and budget to achieve our evangelism and discipleship mission for the Wheaton Campus family and in the cities (approximately 10 cities) in the area that we love and serve.
The Wheaton Campus is embarking on a $13M renovation. A successful Campus Pastor, while not leading the renovation, will navigate these improvements and changes while leading and developing the staff and leadership to a new level. The aim is, by embracing this challenging opportunity and leaning heavily into evangelism and discipleship strategies, the Wheaton Campus will grow from 600 to 1,500 people served per weekend.
The Campus Pastor’s Responsibilities Include:
Campus Responsibilities
Oversee the evangelism and discipleship efforts of our church family through the Wheaton Campus, helping hundreds of people each year to find faith and/or grow in faith. With a 750-seat Worship Center and the additional rooms and parking to support, it is expected that the Wheaton Campus could serve up to 1,500 people per weekend. The Campus Pastor stewards and leads this important spiritual work.
Accomplish the spiritual aims of the church family through the ministry departments of the campus; these are in line with other campuses of The Compass Church: CompassKids, Compass Students, Adult Ministries, Guest Services, Congregational Care, Support Groups, and Community Impact. The staffing, budget, and strategies of the campus will align with these departments. The campus will also work with central departments of the church to achieve our Mission, Vision, and Priorities.
Advocate for the 4 faith-growth Priorities of The Compass Church: Pursue Him Daily, Connect in Groups, Serve in Teams, and Reach Your Neighbor. Among all the biblical faith-growth virtues and values that are part of a discipleship life, these 4 will be most upheld and advocated for in the culture, vocabulary, and ministry strategies of the campus. A Campus Pastor is responsible for developing these campus cultures.
Oversee systems at the campus to help people connect in Groups and serve in Teams. A Campus Pastor will oversee systems to help new people engage with relationships and ministries at the campus. They will help people connect with Membership at the church. They will help people to connect with opportunities to expand their hearts for God’s work here, near and far. They also will encourage generosity toward the mission and ministry of God’s Kingdom and The Compass Church.
Be the primary communicator for the campus, beyond the teaching ministry of the Senior Pastor. Show spiritual care and set culture for the campus through times of leading and teaching, including worship hosting, guest preaching, written and video communication, various teaching opportunities, etc.
Hire, train, and care for all campus Staff. This pastor will be responsible for all campus equipment and budgets. This pastor will be accountable for campus outcomes and objectives. This pastor will be responsible for ensuring the campus contributes to our church wide goals; relating to attendance, budget, baptisms, groups, teams, Bible reading, etc. Foster a culture of church family at the campus.
Recruit, equip, and empower lay leaders as a vital part of the campus. These lay leader roles should include Group Leaders who oversee small groups, table groups, or shepherd the church family in other similar ways, Team Leaders who oversee volunteers as they serve in different ministry areas, and high-level Ministry Leaders who are trained and authorized to oversee entire ministries within the church.
General Responsibilities
As a member of the Senior Staff of the church, a Campus Pastor is responsible for serving in a round table environment with the other Campus Pastors and Executive Pastors and Directors to influence the philosophy of ministry and church culture of the Compass from the highest-level staff cohort.
A Campus Pastor is expected to lead their Campus Staff, lay leaders, and volunteers to work in unity with the other campus and central departments of the church. They are expected to role model teamwork, harmony, and healthy conflict as needed to achieve the overall goals and objectives of the church; some decisions are aligned churchwide, and others are autonomous per campus.
They are responsible for meeting regularly with the Executive Pastor, attending weekly Senior Staff Meetings, attending monthly All-Church Staff Meetings, and leading meetings of their own at their campus.
This pastor is expected to serve as a pastor-at-large in the church, performing pastoral functions such as shepherding, counseling, visitation, baptism, leading communion, and performing weddings & funerals.
As required of all staff at The Compass Church, this pastor should have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office. They must also have the technical skills to learn and use various other software programs, such as our Rock church database, Planning Center worship production software, Paycom HR software, etc. They also need to have a working knowledge of social media platforms and how our culture connects through texting and online.
They should network within their field and seek to be a blessing to other Pastors and churches. As a Staff member at large, they need to be willing and able to take on other duties as assigned.
What You Bring:
The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Campus Pastor:
Education & Experience
Undergraduate degree
5+ years proven experience in ministry
Multi-site experience, preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to serve as a shepherding pastor, leader of leaders, and ministry expert to lead staff, lay leaders, and volunteer teams; must exhibit spiritual leadership at a high level for this high calling.
Ability to serve as the primary shepherd and steward of the part of our church family entrusted to their care.
Ability to be an inspiring role model of faith life to our church family by exemplifying a holy life, set apart for the gospel.
Theological agreement with The Compass Church and the Evangelical Free Church of America denomination.
Personal Characteristics & Qualifications
Biblically-oriented
Dynamic leader
Team player
Pastoral shepherd
Mobilizer
People-developer and equipper
Community builder
Raving fan of The Compass Church
Vibrant, healthy, personal relationship with God.
Affirms The Compass’s Statement of Faith
Passion for the Mission, Vision, Priorities, and philosophy of ministry of The Compass Church.
What it’s Like to Live in Western Suburbs:
The Compass’s campuses are located in the Western Suburbs of Chicago in DuPage County. The Wheaton Campus Pastor is expected to live within 30 minutes of the campus. Here is a bit about the area:
Naperville: Located 28 miles west of Chicago, Naperville consistently ranks as a top community in the nation in which to live, raise children and retire. This vibrant, thriving city is home to acclaimed public and parochial schools, the best public library system in the country, world-class parks, diverse worship options, an array of healthcare options, and an exceptionally low crime rate. Naperville has ready access to a variety of public transportation, housing and employment options. The city’s diversified employer base features high technology firms, retailers and factories, as well as small and home-based businesses. With all the amenities of a modern city and all the charm of a small town, Naperville truly is the premiere community in which to live, work and play.
Wheaton, where the campus is located, is a distinctive community of more than 53,000 residents situated west of Chicago. Settled between 1837 and 1838, Wheaton serves as the County Seat of Du Page County. Residents and visitors are drawn to the blend of big-city comforts and small-town charm that makes Wheaton an excellent place to live, work, shop, and play. The Compass Wheaton is less than a mile from Wheaton College. From its top-ranked schools and picturesque downtown to its historic neighborhoods and dynamic community, Wheaton is a comfortable place to call home.
Awards and Recognition
Best Place to Live in Illinois, #27 Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine, 2018
Top 100 Safest Cities in America, ranked Number 6: National Council for Home Safety and Security, 2017
Distinguished Budget Award, 2003-2017: Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
Tree City USA, 1986 to 2019: National Arbor Day Foundation
Chicago Magazine Best Places to Live, 2014: Rated among the top 12 suburbs
Top Walkable Cities in Chicago Area, 2014, George Washington University School of Business study: “Foot Traffic Ahead: Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros.”
