Bible Community Church invites applications for the position of lead pastor. We are searching for someone with experience in leading in church revitalization and who possesses a strong commitment to building an effective, growing church. Applicant would need to be bi-vocational or have means to supplement their income initally. As our congregation would grow, we would hope to increase their salary.
CHURCH PROFILE
We are a multi-racial congregation, where race doesn't matter, God matters. We have a theology consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2007. Our congregation is harmonious, loving, welcoming, and multi-generational. The pastor is the only church staff at the present time.
We have several outreaches to those in our community:
*Reformers Unanimous ministers to those with a need to overcome addictions of any kind and to help in spiritual growth.
*Kidz Club offers a program for children from k-5th grade on Wednesday.
*We have a weekly jail ministry to those in our local facility.
*Men from Bible Community minister with a gospel message at the Rockford Resue Mission in nearby Rockford the first Saturday of each month.
*Bible Community Church serves as the regional collection location for Operation Christmas Child which sends shoebox gifts globally to witness to children and their families.
*We have a monthly scrapbooking and craft activity.
*Our monthly family activity includes things like Christian Skate Night,bowling, and pizza for families.
Goals:
*To grow spiritually and numerically to be a vibrant witness that will attract people to Christ.
*To grow as Christians so that each of us will recognize the abilities God has given us and how He wants each of us to actively use them in His kingdom work through the local church to perform ministry in His name.
Community of Freeport Profile
Freeport is a northern Illinois community of 25,000. It is well known for beautiful parks and recreation. It has tennis courts, a skateboarding park, and a park with several baseball diamonds that includes Little Cubs Field ( a miniature of the Chicago Cubs ballpark). There are city parks, golf courses, fishing in the river and streams, convenient grocery stores, Walmart, coffee shops, a movie theater, bowling alley, plus other conveniences. The county fair takes place at the local fairgrounds in July. Other events are held there.
Freeport School District has ten buildings housing an elementary International Baccalaureate school, five additional elementary schools (preschool - 4th grade), one grade 5-6 school, one grade 7-8 school, one high school( 9th-12th grade), and one alternative high school, as well as a smaller transitional educational facility. There are around 4,100 students in the district. In addition there are several local Christian Schools. Highland Community College has an enrollment of around 2,400. The college is about a mile from the church.
There are about 50 churches in Freeport, but there are many ministry opportunities available, as we have a large unchurched population. We are surrounded in all directions by small farming communities who use Freeport as their place to shop and could easily drive in for church activities. Within a mile of our church there are several facilities for senior citizens ranging from independent living to full nursing care.
Freepot is home to several manufacturers and a large healthcare network. Much of our population is employed by them as well as retail and food service employers.
Church History
Bible Community Church was founed by Pastor Kurt Strong as Freeeport Baptist Church in 1978. He has been our only pastor, and retires on June 30. Our building was constructed in the early 1980's. Shortly after, Freeeport Christian Academy was started with grades K-12, and operated until 2005. In 2007 we had a name change , and became Bible Community Church. Our attendance, at it's peak numbered 150. Recently attendance has been around thirty.
PASTOR PROFILE
Our ideal candidate:
-over 30 years of age
-married
-at least three years of pastoral experience and some seminary training.
-should be driven to lead the lost to salvation and spiritual growth.
-needs to be able to relate to all classes of people in our community.
-have compassion for the needs of those who are hurting.
-the agent of Christ in revitalizing a church that has been declining for several years.
-possess a strong commitment to building an effective, growing church.
-able to value a generationally, ethically and racially diverse membership who wants to increase our passion for Christ and helping others to move on in their journey toward Christ.
-able to lead us in becoming more effective in descipleship and outreach to the lost and translating Christ into our local culture.
-a leader who consistently shares the Gospel and equips the church for evangelism.
-able to demonstrate the ability to lead through change,and to be creative in all aspects of leadership.
-might need to have a supplemental source of income to help out until the church can grow to the point of a full-time salary. Our goal is to experience growth rapidly.
-able to communicate the Word of God in a way we can apply to our lives.
-able to inspire people to make prayer and Bible study a top priority in our lives.
-able to listen to and encourage people during problems and decisions.
We are praying that God will lead us to the person He has in mind for us. We are asking Him to show us how we can be an affirming, supporting family of believers for our new pastor.May God bless you as you prayerfully consider if you might be the person we need to lead us in church revitalization.