Next Gen Pastor/Youth Pastor

Our vision at Stone Ridge Community Church in Decorah, Iowa is to create a place where everyone is known and loved. Our desire is for everyone who walks through our doors on a Sunday morning to make connections in a meaningful way (i.e. a handshake, hug, engaging conversation). Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. What does someone who is in a growing relationship with Jesus do? We believe they do the following: pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. We want to help people read their bibles, connect in small groups, and invite their friends in the community to church. Our values are the following: the word of God, hungry and available, a spirit of humility, a willingness to serve, and a desire to follow. We can work with anyone who has these values. We operate as a conservative non-denominational bible church. I would describe our church culture as very laid back. There isn’t a lot of red tape and bureaucracy. We have a lot of young families who have 3 to 4 kids with limited availability. Typically, both parents work full time jobs, and have full schedules throughout the week. Luther college is in our town and both the basketball coach, and the baseball coach are on our leadership team. Consequently, we have a lot of college students who attend on Sunday morning. They provide a lot of energy for our service with their presence and participation. I would describe the culture of our county (approximately 20,000) as very liberal. Most if not all the churches in our community are Catholic or Lutheran. Nevertheless, God continues to bless us every Sunday with new visitors. We currently run about 300 on Sunday morning and this past Easter we had 560.

Position Overview: This person will oversee kids and student ministries, providing vision, strategy, and leadership to create engaging environments that foster spiritual growth. This role focuses on equipping volunteers, partnering with parents, and ensuring that children and students remain connected to Jesus and the church as they grow.

Responsibilities: We are looking for someone who has a real heart for middle school and high school students. We would like this person to actively pursue relationships with them by being involved in their lives as much as possible (i.e. going to their games, having small groups on Wednesday night after teaching time, going to camp to create bonding experiences). For the most part, this person will have the freedom and flexibility to carry out the vision God has given them for the youth group. We currently have about 15 junior high students and 15 senior high students. As for our children’s ministry, oversee and organize kids classes (birth-5th grade) during weekly Sunday gatherings. Provide a warm, friendly, and safe environment for kids and families. Recruit the necessary teachers/leaders for Sunday morning. Train teachers/leaders to effectively disciple the kids. Encourage, connect with, and pray for volunteers on a regular basis. We have around 70 kids on Sunday morning.

Qualifications: Meet biblical qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9. Minimum Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred from an accredited institution and/or equivalent experience in church leadership and administration. We are really looking for the right fit based on character, competence, and chemistry. This person will be a leader of leaders. Someone who is great at building relationships and connecting much like a recruiter.

If you feel you might be a good fit for our church, then please send the following: a cover letter briefly explaining why you believe you would be a good fit, along with your faith journey/story/testimony. If you’d like to send this information on a brief video link that would be great; otherwise, in a word document is fine. You can send it to pastor Ed Krawczyk at [email protected] Salary is dependent upon experience. www.stoneridgecc.com