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Snapshot
Denomination: Evangelical Free Church
Weekly Attendance: 3,500
Location: Indian Wells, CA
The Role: Family Pastor
Meet Southwest Church:
A Gospel-centered, Multiethnic, Intergenerational church. We LOVE Discipleship! Nestled in the heart of the Coachella Valley in Southern California, Southwest started with humble beginnings in 1973. Eight believers launched a church in hopes of becoming an outpost for the gospel of Jesus Christ for the community in the desert. Decades later that inaugural momentum remains the core of our church’s vision to be a church that is centered upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are a multiethnic church that believes that the gospel unites all people for the glory of Christ. We are excited about the gospel exchange that should take place from generation to generation. Our mission is to make disciples and unleash believers in the world to champion the gospel in their everyday lives.
Sitting on 42 acres that shares a property line with the famous Indian Wells Tennis Gardens. At one of the busiest intersections in the Valley, Southwest stands poised to minister to the 600,000 residents and an annual 3.5 million tourists that have made our region famous around the world!
Vision
A gospel-centered, multi-ethnic, intergenerational church. We love Discipleship.
About the Family Pastor:
The Family Pastor is responsible for the spiritual formation and discipleship of families, with a focus on children, youth, and parents. This role will lead and develop family ministries, creating environments that foster the growth of gospel-centered, multi-ethnic, and intergenerational relationships. The Family Pastor will ensure that all family ministries are aligned with the church’s vision to disciple people of all ages in the truth of the Gospel.
The Family Pastor's Responsibilities Include:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
As a vital leader within the Discipleship team, you will work closely with the Discipleship Pastor to fulfill the vision of Southwest Church. Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Set a clear and inspiring vision for the Kids, Students, and Young Adult Ministries at Southwest Church, ensuring alignment with the church’s mission and values.
Guide and mentor the Kids, Students, and Young Adult ministry teams in building and discipling a strong volunteer leadership core that fosters the growth of high-capacity, reproducible leaders.
Lead the teams in creating and delivering weekly and monthly activities for children, students, and young adults that are biblically sound, culturally relevant, and highly engaging.
Oversee the implementation of the Child Protection Plan for all Southwest Kids programs, ensuring all staff and volunteers meet the required training and safety protocols.
Perform additional tasks and duties as required in support of ministry goals.
Develop or curate age-appropriate curriculum for children’s and youth ministry that is gospel-centered and multi-ethnic.
Plan and execute events, retreats, and programs that engage families and promote intergenerational discipleship.
Serve as the Pastor of the Day (POD) on a rotating schedule. As the POD, you will be responsible for providing pastoral care and support to the church congregation.
Provide pastoral care, counseling, and support to families, children, and youth.
Offer guidance and spiritual direction to parents navigating faith and family dynamics.
Officiate memorials and weddings when needs arise.
Manage the family ministry budget, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
Regularly evaluate and report on the effectiveness of family ministries.
Maintain clear communication with parents, volunteers, and the wider congregation.
Collaborate with ministry staff to engage parents, offering opportunities and resources that support their active role in the spiritual development of their children and students.
Collaborate with ministry staff to engage young adults, offering opportunities and resources that support their spiritual development.
Work closely with the Discipleship Pastor to ensure alignment with the overall mission and vision of the church.
Participate in staff meetings, church-wide events, and initiatives as needed.
Step up in moments of crisis, such as emergency facility needs or unexpected events, assisting the church leadership team with any required tasks, from handling logistics to supporting congregational care efforts.
Provide occasional administrative assistance such as answering phones, responding to general inquiries, or helping with minor office tasks when needed, especially during busy seasons or staff absences.
Take initiative to pick up trash, sanitize toys, and check safety measures throughout the facility when needed.
Assist in setting up, tearing down, or reconfiguring rooms and spaces for various church-wide events, even if outside of Family ministry responsibilities.
Job Scope
Leadership & Oversight:
Establish Vision: Set and articulate a clear vision for the Kids, Student, and Young Adults
Ministries that align with the broader mission of Southwest Church. This includes continually evaluating whether the ministries are achieving their goals, even during informal gatherings or events outside normal programming.
Child Protection Plan: Ensure that the Child Protection Plan is always adhered to, which means not just training staff and volunteers but also stepping in when safety concerns arise, even if it’s outside of formal meetings (e.g., checking that all doors are properly secured during events).
Recruit and Develop Volunteers: Recruiting doesn't end after you've filled roles. Continuously observe and engage with church members, inviting them to serve in Kids Ministry, even during unrelated church events. This also includes stepping in to assist volunteers during crises or offering encouragement when needed.
Leadership Development: Regularly meet with volunteers to mentor and develop their leadership skills. This could mean impromptu conversations, addressing concerns, or even inviting volunteers to help make decisions, like selecting curriculum or event planning.
Adapt to Last-Minute Changes: Be ready to modify lesson plans, reassign volunteers, or troubleshoot logistical challenges as they arise. Whether it’s filling in for a missing leader, managing technology issues, or adjusting to unexpected attendance, flexibility is key to maintaining program excellence.
Remain Calm Under Pressure: Lead by example in moments of unpredictability, ensuring that the program continues to run smoothly and that all needs—spiritual, logistical, or relational—are addressed with grace and professionalism
Curriculum and Program Development:
Create Engaging and Biblically Accurate Content: Develop curriculum and activities that are both engaging and biblically sound for various age groups. Ensure that each program is culturally relevant, age-appropriate, and fosters spiritual growth.
Oversee Preparation and Execution: Take responsibility for gathering all necessary supplies, organizing materials, and preparing classroom environments to support effective teaching and learning.
Special Events: Plan and execute events that include outreach to the broader community. You may need to take on additional responsibilities like setting up, cleaning, or even leading impromptu activities if a volunteer doesn’t show up.
Pastoral Care:
Answering Calls: Be available to respond to pastoral care calls from individuals seeking guidance, prayer, or counseling throughout the day.
Meeting Visitors: Greet and meet with individuals who come to the church during your assigned POD hours, offering spiritual care, answering questions, or providing referrals to church resources.
Hospital Visits: Conduct hospital visits as needed, offering prayer and pastoral care to members who are ill or facing surgery or crisis. You may also provide support to families during difficult times.
Weekend On-Call: Be available on an assigned weekend for any urgent pastoral needs, including crisis situations, requests for spiritual counsel, or attending to emergencies within the congregation.
Documentation: Ensure that any pastoral care interactions are appropriately documented and shared with relevant church staff for follow-up or continued care.
Memorials: Officiate and/or administrate memorial services when needs arise.
Weddings: Officiate and/or administrate weddings when needs arise.
Engaging Parents: Partner with parents by providing resources that help them engage in their children’s spiritual development, even outside of regular ministry activities. This can include checking in with parents during Sunday services, offering prayer, or giving them materials when they request it on the spot.
Alignment with Discipleship Pastor: Meet regularly with the Discipleship Pastor to ensure your ministry vision is aligned with church-wide goals. This may include adjusting your programming to support broader church initiatives.
Staff Meetings and Events: Attend staff meetings and contribute to church-wide events beyond your ministry focus. This may involve lending a hand at non-Family Ministry functions, taking on tasks like cleaning up after events, or helping other ministries troubleshoot problems during shared programs.
What You Bring:
The following describes the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Family Pastor:
Qualifications:
Must be aligned with the Mission, Vision and Leadership model at Southwest Church.
5-7+ years of experience working in a Family ministry setting.
Experience leading staff teams.
College degree with biblical/theological education preferred.
Able to lead and influence people to collectively meet deadlines while managing multiple projects.
Strong influencing, communication, and presentation skills.
Able to work collaboratively with other ministry teams to support the ministry of Southwest Church.
Must be a proactive self-starter, creative problem solver and team player.
Understanding of confidentiality and proper care of personal information.
Knowledge of computer applications such as Word and/or Pages, Excel and/or Numbers, PowerPoint and/or Keynote, etc.
Physical requirements: Constant periods of sitting and repetitive motions. Occasionally able to lift or move up to 20lbs and standing or walking.
What it's Like to Live in Indian Wells, CA:
Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1967, it lies in between Palm Desert and the resort town of La Quinta. The city hosts the sixth-largest tennis tournament in the world, the Indian Wells Masters tennis tournament, presently known as the BNP Paribas Open. The valley also hosts the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, drawing a multitude of visitors on an annual basis.
The area is great for exploring the natural beauty of the oasis, whether at a national park, nature preserve, or even a zoo. Another uniquely Greater Palm Springs experience is a visit to a date farm—especially when paired with a date shake, a local favorite. The many museums of Greater Palm Springs offer a look at everything from historic airplanes to contemporary art. You can enjoy recreation options including ice skating, baseball, and swimming. Many Greater Palm Springs restaurants are founded on the concept of family, so you’ll find no shortage of kid-friendly eateries and dining spots in the oasis. Take Las Casuelas Terraza in downtown Palm Springs, for example; the restaurant has been serving family recipes, like Grandma Maria Fajardo's creamy guacamole, for four generations. And if you wander inside Brandini Toffee, a local family-owned sweet shop once featured on Oprah’s O List, you may even find one of the original founders working behind the counter or greeting customers.
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