Associate Pastor For Connection and Spiritual Formation

Do you love meeting people? Is creating community your sweet spot?  Do you have a knack for developing teams? Does working with an innovative staff and servant-focused leadership sound like a dream? And most of all…does your passion ignite to see people discover and live out their role in God’s story?

If so, keep reading to learn more aout an important role at Lake Forest Church-WestLake!

Lake Forest Church-WestLake is seeking an Associate Pastor to oversee Connection and Spiritual Formation for its Denver, NC-based congregation. This person will love a growing group of imperfect people who may have “given up on church, but not on God.”

Our Story:

Founded in February 2014, Lake Forest Church – WestLake is a part of the Lake Forest Family of Churches (www.lakeforest.org) in the N. Charlotte, NC region. We worship in two services with an average attendance of 600 people. In August of 2021, we will move into our brand new 18,000 sq/ft facility on St. James Road in Denver, NC. (Learn more at Rooted at WestLake.)  This new facility, and the strategic addition of this new role, will continue to help us as we continue to grow and respond to the missional needs of the rapidly growing community around us.

We are a part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination.

About the Role:

With solid faith, exceptional interpersonal skills and a dynamic stage presence, the ideal candidate oozes relational ability and has experience empowering others to lead and serve as a means to grow spiritually.

Charged with shepherding our people, this pastor will play a vital role in leading our spiritual formation strategy at every point on the faith journey – from cautious to curious, from curious to committed followers of Christ. This person must have the skills to encourage and empower leaders, build and unleash teams, have a strong drive, self-initiative, and strategic capacity.

The Connection and Spiritual Formation Pastor will work closely with LFC WestLake’s Lead Pastor to plan and implement strategies so we can achieve our mission. While it’s not the primary role of this pastor, this person must also have a proven capability for Biblical teaching and leading from a stage, as he or she will also be a vital part of the preaching team.

Lake Forest Church-Westlake is a place where people experience radical grace, healing in Jesus, deepening of relationships, Spirit-infused living, and have honest conversations about life. Won’t you join us in creating this safe and dynamic thriving community of Jesus followers?

Specific duties:

1. Follows Jesus in a manner that is winsome and attractive for others and enables them to more effectively disciple and shepherd others for the long haul. This person will be able to say “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”
2. Recruits and Develops Leaders in a way that expands our capacity as a church to provide care, spiritual formation, and ongoing development beyond what one person could do.  Much of this role involves identifying, raising up, and empowering leaders (both staff and volunteers), building teams, and equipping them to do the work of the ministry. 
3. Builds Bridges that help a new person feel welcomed, get connected, and find his or her place at Lake Forest Church. This pastor will shape and lead the systems and culture that enable people to connect, grow, and engage. Where there is a gap, this person will build the bridges for effective ministry.
4. Pastors People as part of the pastoral team. This person is not expected to be everyone’s personal pastor, rather set a relational example and tone. He/she will be proactive in connecting and be known to the congregation as one of the key pastors they can turn to for spiritual care and leadership.
5. Grows the Church (“Smaller”) by building the network of leaders and small groups that are the critical building blocks of a church our size. The Associate Pastor will ensure that we have a steady and growing number of healthy groups (for all ages and stages), and that they are rich in content and care.

As a leader at Lake Forest WestLake, the Associate Pastor must be a DNA match for Lake Forest Church and resonate deeply with our Mission and Passions.

Requirements:

• Growing faith in Jesus Christ.
• Leadership experience in a vibrant church
• High level of relational energy 
• History of being a self-starter who sees projects to completion
• Proven ability of recruiting and developing leaders and teams
• Ability to set and communicate vision for respective areas of ministry
• Record of working well on a team
• Ability to teach in a way that is attractive and provoking, Strong communicator on stage.
• Preferred: M.Div. or comparable degree
• Added Benefit: EPC ordained or ordainable