Job Title: Associate Pastor of Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Reports to: Lead Pastor, Leadership Team, Pacific Northwest Conference Leadership, and Evangelical Covenant Church Leadership

Purpose: The purpose of the pastoral role is to lead, inspire, and equip the congregation of Portland Covenant Church (PCC) in the spiritual formation of adults, youth, and children in keeping with the values and mission of PCC. While maintaining personal Christ-like character in accordance with the core beliefs of the Evangelical Covenant church (ECC).

Primary Duties and responsibilities

1. Leadership - Develop and implement a vision for the discipleship of the church to help shape its future, while inspiring others to become engaged in the process. Oversee all areas of congregational ministry as it relates to discipleship and spiritual formation in consultation with the lead pastor, leadership team, appropriate lay leaders, deacons, as well as ECC and Pacific NW Conference leadership (PacNW). 

2. Adult Formation – Plan and manage spiritual formation processes and opportunities for adults. Oversee and direct seasonal classes, small groups, retreats, and service opportunities that fulfill the overall discipleship vision of the church. Help others recognize their gifts and empower them to use these gifts in the service of church and the community.

3. Youth Formation - Oversee and share in the discipleship of youth. Provide oversight for Sunday Morning classes, youth events, service opportunities, and retreats. Recruit and oversee a team of leaders to help facilitate and lead youth ministry.

4. Children Formation - Support and supervise volunteers to create a spiritual formation vision for children. Oversee Sunday morning classes, empower leaders, and provide curriculum.

5. Pastoral Responsibilities - Meet at least weekly with the Lead Pastor to collaborate pastoral and program activities. Provide pulpit supply 25% of given Sundays. Provide hospital and emergency visitation of members. Recruitment and management of volunteers. Perform other duties as assigned by the Lead Pastor. 

Preferred Experience: In addition to Theological training and Pastoral experience candidates will need to demonstrate proficiency in these specific areas:

1. Creating a strategy and vision for spiritual formation and discipleship – We want to see our congregants of all ages thrive in their walk with God. Applicant should have experience creating a cohesive groundwork for the spiritual growth of the church community members.

2. Attracting Leaders and Overseeing Teams  – We are a small but growing congregation. In order to continue to grow we need an Associate Pastor who can oversee leaders at any stage of leadership development, gauging correctly how to facilitate growth and participation in each individual leader.

3. Effectively Communicate and Lead various demographics – One of the established values of our church has been diversity, and our congregation is made up of various demographics in the areas of age, race, class, and gender.  As a result, we are looking for candidates who have experience in leading diverse congregants and have high cultural competency.

Time Obligation, Flexibility & Availability: A successful candidate understands they will need to maintain flexibility in hours available for work, including evenings and weekends. The Associate Pastor must be able to provide sufficient office hours to enable accessibility to members of the congregation, for regular communication with members of the church staff, and represent the church in the community.