Springwood Presbyterian Churches are seeking to employ a full-time pastor who will work alongside our church leadership teams in discipling our 11am and 5pm church families.

Job Title: Full-time Assistant Minister

Location: Springwood and Winmalee, Blue Mountains, NSW

Remuneration: Stipend + housing, transport and technology allowance

Start date: February 1st, 2025

Additional Information: We are willing to explore creative solutions including a combination of part-time roles

About our churches

Springwood Presbyterian Churches is a growing community of four church families who gather at our Springwood and Winmalee sites. We are committed to the kingdom of Jesus Christ and demonstrating through word and action how the Lordship of Jesus reaches into every sphere of life. We are passionate about seeing the gospel proclaimed in its full height, breadth and depth.

We believe that the scriptures speak into our world today and into the complexity of modern life. We believe that God speaks through His word and by His Spirit to form us and invite us into participating in His kingdom work. We believe that the world is broken and marred by sin. We believe that we need a saviour who will wash us clean and give us new hearts to live for God. We believe that saviour is Jesus.

Nestled in the heart of the Springwood Village, our church is in a great location to be a presence in the community. We have a passion for reaching out to our community and welcoming people in. Our ministries of Open Church, Playtime and Under the Cedar play a significant role in our connections with community.

We operate under the model of leadership teams, where each of our four churches is cared for by their own team of elders and deacons. We have a Session comprised of elders and deacon representatives who oversee matters impacting the whole group of churches. We believe it is imperative that the church be building up the body of Christ in their God-given gifts and looking to empower men and women to take opportunities to learn and grow and enact their gifts for the glory of God.

In our churches, staff are expected to be comfortable with women preaching and participating in leadership.

11am

Our 11am church is a traditional service in our stone building. The gathering consists of many mature adults who are wrestling with the challenges of aging bodies. There is a wealth of wisdom within the church family and a passion to see the gospel shared. At the same time, we have regular new visitors who have come to explore faith and learn more about Jesus. There is a lovely mix of mature and infant faith and many opportunities for evangelism that we would love to expand upon further!

5pm

Our 5pm church is named Alive@5 and is a more casual style of corporate worship. Many of the members of Alive@5 are nearing or entering retirement years and exploring what it looks like to serve God faithfully in this new season of life. This community values creative and engaging worship and asks deep questions about how the gospel shapes life. The Alive@5 community has a passion for seeing the gospel shape the way we respond to important societal issues. There is a real opportunity for Alive@5 to revisit core questions and ask, “What is God calling us to next?” in its new season.

Position

We are seeking to employ a faithful Assistant Minister who is passionate about discipling people to walk with Jesus in all of life. This role involves working alongside our 11am and 5pm leadership teams to lead and guide those two church families as they walk the way of Jesus. This is a role with significant pastoral and leadership responsibilities and requires a candidate who has both experience in leading teams and the humility to empower others.

Responsibilities

• To demonstrate and model a love for Jesus and his church in thought, word and action.
• To work alongside the 11am and 5pm church leadership teams to disciple those church families.
• To preach regularly across our churches, particularly at 11am and 5pm
• To participate in leading services and conducting communion at 11am and 5pm.
• To provide direction and a vibrant, theological underpinning to gathered worship at 11am and 5pm.
• To, in collaboration with the leadership teams, provide clarity for the 11am and 5pm churches about their identity and purpose.
• To, in partnership with the leadership teams, provide pastoral care for the members of 11am and 5pm churches.
• To engage in the ministry of Open Church and other church ministries as a means of connecting with the community in faith conversations.
• To equip and train people in their giftings, empowering them to use those gifts in the life of the church.

Essential Selection Criteria

Character and passion

• Demonstrates a love for Jesus and His church in thought, word and action
• Humbly participates as a member of a team, committed to growing the gifts of others.
• Passion for seeing people come to faith in Christ and then growing in their walk with Him.
• Has a deep concern for how the gospel impacts the real issues that people are wrestling with in society.
• Has a pastoral heart and is able to be present and relational with people from all backgrounds.

Ministry and leadership experience and skills

• Is able to subscribe to Reformed theology as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith read in the light of the Presbyterian Church of Australia Declaratory Statement .
• Is able to articulate the scriptures in real and applicable ways to the lived realities of those in the church.
• Has experience in conversing with people about faith and sharing the gospel with unbelievers.
• Has previous experience in leading church families.
• Has experience and gifts in leading teams and navigating conflict.
• Has a well-formed theology of corporate worship and a passion for seeing people engaged in worship.
• Demonstrates the capacity to work as a member of a team and honour other leaders in the church.
• Demonstrates the capacity to be organised and timely, communicating with people clearly.
• Is theologically trained.
• Is experienced and capable of pastoring people of mature age as they wrestle with the challenges of growing old.

Preferred Selection Criteria

• Is ordained or willing to pursue ordination in the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
• More than five years experience in a church pastoring role.
• Experience and/or expertise in a field outside of church ministry.

How to Apply

For expressions of interest, please send your resume to luke@springwoodpresbyterianchurches.org.au. Please also include a one-page document with brief responses to the following questions:

• Why are you applying for this role?
• What aspects of church ministry are you most passionate about and why?
• What are some ways you have seen God at work in your life over the last 12 months?

Position start date is 1st February, 2025

Applications close 31 July 2024.