Minister (full time)

Position profile  

This is a full-time ministry, 40 hrs per week position with a special focus on families, children &  youth in our congregation and community. We invite your insight and collaboration but are  currently envisioning this position to lead worship two to three Sundays a month in the  sanctuary and guide children’s programming on the remaining Sundays.  

Position summary  

We are a newly gathered (November 2022) family of faith made up of three amalgamated  congregations and we're on a journey to discover who we are and what our purpose, mission  and goals are. In 2023, we were blessed to work with Credence & Co to shape a vision for our  future, outlining our collective faith and community aspirations. A key aspect of our vision is a  focus on serving families and offering a sense of community in a time of uncertainty and  loneliness. In this position, you’ll help us explore how we can best serve families and build  intergenerational relationships within our congregation and, just as importantly, the wider  community. A critical focus of this role is helping us understand and define how we can best  meet the goals set out in our visioning report.  

Who you’ll be working with  

In this role, you’ll join a dynamic team that includes an Office Administrator,  Treasurer/Bookeeper, Music Leader, Communications/Volunteer coordinator (presently  hiring for) and volunteer lay leaders. Lay leadership gifts are shared on the Worship Team,  Pastoral Care Team, Tech Team, Mission Committee, Stewardship Committee, Ministry and  Personnel Committee and Trustees. We are currently discerning and exploring further  staffing needs based on our visioning report.  

Maximum salary category  

F 

About Hope Springs United Church (HSUC)  

We are a new congregation located in beautiful Elora, Ontario. We’re both nervous and  excited about our future. We are stepping into the future with a commitment to our faith and  a willingness to explore what God is calling us to do. We want to build a culture that invites  our congregation, leadership and staff to reflect on our recent visioning report and help us  bring the report to life in a way that enables us to serve in a meaningful and sustainable way. 

We invite a strong and collaborative leader to walk alongside us and hold up a mirror as we  plan and prepare for our future.  

What You Will Do  

We want to bring out the best in you and we look forward to working with you to shape this  role based on your passion, skills and gifts. We're looking for an innovative, creative and  prayerful leader to focus on 1) serving and engaging families in our church community 2)  exploring opportunities and needs amongst families in the wider community.  

We envision this including weekly involvement with children’s ministry, planning and leading  worship, integrating community engagement such as seeking opportunities for youth in and  outside of church and engaging families and community organizations to identify gaps and  opportunities. You’ll also work closely and collaboratively with our worship team and other  lay members.  

Faith, family and community building  

  • Provide guidance and support as we bring our visioning report to life; take a lead role in  helping us prayerfully refine and act on our visioning report as it relates to serving families in  our community  

  • Explore innovative ways to serve families; share experiences and ideas (for example, what  works well in other churches)  

  • Explore innovative ways to support intergenerational worship and maintain connection with seniors and online worshippers. 

  • Engage families in the congregation to envision the future of family worship and spiritual  formation  

  • Engage families in the congregation and in the wider community to identify opportunities  for Hope Springs United Church to be of service  

  • Connect with community organizations to assess community needs and identify  opportunities to partner and share resources in support of families, children and youth  

  • Guide children and youth ministry & provide support in defining needs for children and  youth ministry in the future (based on community engagement) 

  • Provide support in defining needs for programming for children and youth going forward  

Leadership  

  • Collaboratively with our Mission Committee, we hope you will 

  • Provide guidance and coaching as we explore how to best serve families in our  congregation and community  

  • Provide support and encouragement as we define our family leadership needs for the  future  

  • Lead through a personable and collaborative approach focused on building positive and  empowering relationships  

Worship  

  • Coordinate and lead worship two to three Sunday mornings a month (in person at HSUC)  staying mindful of our focus on intergenerational families and community

  • Explore creative innovative ways to serve and involve families in worship

  • Consider ways to build intergenerational relationships during worship services

  • Work closely with the Music Leader to explore different styles of music during worship services  

  • Work collaboratively with our Worship Team to plan worship services  

Pastoral care  

  • Provide spiritual support to families, children and youth  

  • Work with our Pastoral Care team; provide coaching as needed to support our pastoral  care program  

  • Be aware of available social services for those in need and assist in making  connections  

Administration and communication  

We’re looking for a creative leader who can help us explore how we can best serve families and  build intergenerational relationships in our congregation and community. As such, we aim to  keep administrative tasks to a minimum for this role. These will likely include: 

  • Participate in the life of the regional council and/or General Council  

  • Contribute to weekly Sunday bulletins  

  • Contribute content to a weekly email to inform HSUC family about upcoming activities

  • Attend Official Board and Trustee meetings; work in consultation with the Board to  make decisions 

  • Provide monthly reports to the Mission Committee and attend as needed, monthly  Mission & Stewardship Committee meetings  

Self-care  

We welcome you to share your needs and ideas around your ongoing self-care,  including physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Knowing that your wellness is a  reflection of our own, we are very committed to respecting your time and supporting  your wellness. 

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities  

  • Reliant on the power of prayer, both individually and in the community

  • Ability to engage with families and community partners to identify opportunities to serve

  • Ability to listen actively and make actionable recommendations (with vision in mind)

  • Ability to coach, support, empower and equip others using a personable approach

  • Ability to communicate clearly and work collaboratively with others 

  • Ability to think creatively and innovatively (an entrepreneurial spirit) 

  • Strong ability to plan and lead family-oriented worship services  

  • Willingness to explore and lead change through prayerful discernment

  • Ability and willingness to support diverse people for example those from various  cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, mental health challenges and with sensitivity to their needs;  

  • Familiarity with tools needed to support online worship (i.e. Zoom, YouTube,  PowerPoint)  

  • Reliable transportation (we’re located in a small village with little public transportation)