God’s Provision: Hiring a Part-time Worship Pastor

What a faith journey this is. During this edition of Visions of Multi-site, I want to let you in on a recent surprising provision. We received a significant monetary gift directed toward the downtown site. The Sunnyside Board approved that some of the donation be designated toward the hire of a part-time worship pastor.

A job description has been put together, and a prayerful search has begun. Feel free to pass the following job description along to possible candidates for this position. Let us pause, even right now, to thank God for his movement and direction! Keep your eyes open – God is on the move.



SUNNYSIDE WESLEYAN CHURCH

JOB TITLE: WORSHIP PASTOR (20 HOURS/WEEK)

Job Date:
Feb. 1, 2010 – August 1, 2011

Job Location:
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church (SWC), NEW Downtown Ottawa location

Reports to:
Brent Russett (Senior Pastor, SWC)
Kerry Kronberg (Campus Pastor, SWC - Downtown Location)
Local Board of Administration, Sunnyside Wesleyan Church

Submit Resume to:
Multi-site Search Team
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church
58 Grosvenor Ave.
Ottawa, ON
K1S 4S4
sunnyside@swc.on.ca


Background Information

Sunnyside Wesleyan Church (SWC) is becoming a multi-site church: one church, many locations. At the SWC Old Ottawa South location there are two congregations with a total of approximately 350 people attending 9am and 11am Sunday morning services. By Easter 2010, 60-80 people will be released from the Old Ottawa South location to establish a third Sunnyside congregation in Downtown Ottawa. Pastor Brent Russett is Senior Pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. Pastor Kerry Kronberg is the Campus Pastor of the downtown congregation. Pastor Darren Dicks is the Campus Pastor of the Old Ottawa South congregations.

Job Summary

We are looking to hire a part-time worship pastor for the new Sunnyside Wesleyan Church location in Downtown Ottawa. He/she will be required to be mentored for at least 6 months by pastoral staff in order to gain understanding about philosophy of worship and receive skills training and character training as a worship pastor at Sunnyside. It would be understood that although worship style is important, it is not the main thing at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. Worship style and skill come second to a heart of worship.
Funds will be designated toward the worship pastor’s education in Wesleyan doctrine and distinctives through Equipping for Ministry courses at Houghton College, FLAME courses or correspondence courses through the Wesleyan Church. He/she must be willing to become a member of the Wesleyan Church. He/she would also be encouraged to attend at least one worship-related seminar/conference each year.
His/her salary will be in line with current salaries at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church and the Local Board of Administration (LBA) will determine details of the salary. Salary and contract will be subject to review by LBA annually.

The following is a description of the part-time worship pastor’s responsibilities:

• Lead worship at least 3 out of 4 Sundays at the downtown site, coordinating with Pastor Darren Dicks (Worship Pastor at SWC Old Ottawa South location) to develop an order of worship.
• Coordinate and direct the worship team at the downtown location.
• Train and release additional worship leaders, allowing them to develop through co-leading worship or through leading worship alone 1 Sunday each month.
• Attend and oversee worship practice times in collaboration with Pastor Darren Dicks.
• Attend weekly staff meetings for staff of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church.
• Submit monthly Board reports to the LBA describing the outworking of ministry responsibilities.
• Identify the unique “heart music” of downtown people and explore how different genres of worship music may be effectively used in the worship service while also keeping in line with Sunnyside philosophy of worship.
• Gain ongoing training in worship leadership and Wesleyan theology.
• Explore and plan for creative outreach events, through music, that invite secular people to worship.
• Teach the Sunnyside downtown congregation how to worship as a lifestyle.
• Engage in other related pastoral duties.

Do you see what I see?

I have pretty bad eyesight. If I am without glasses or contact lenses you have to stand no further than a foot away in order for me to see you clearly.

There are parts of this multi-site adventure that feel a little bit like we’re moving forward without corrective lenses. Some things are blurry or can’t be seen at all…yet.

There are aspects of becoming a multi-site church that remain blurry to my physical eyes at this time, causing me to ask questions like the following: Where exactly will our Sunnyside downtown congregation meet with God and with each other and in what exact downtown neighbourhood? And, who are the remaining 30 (or more) people who are willing to participate in the launch team, preparing to become an active Sunnyside downtown congregation by Easter 2010? (You are welcome to tell me who you are anytime!)

There are some aspects of becoming a multi-site church that my physical eyes see more clearly, even since one month ago: I see real people (about 30 of you) beginning to take active, prayerful interest in becoming a downtown congregation. I see a ‘location team’ starting to make phone calls and taking initiative to seek and find our physical space downtown. I see unexpected financial provision. I see creative people discerning how to capture and communicate our identity and vision, through words and pictures. I see a hospitality team already planning the menu for our next launch team meeting together (next week, October 25, 12:45, RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca!).

It is important to open our eyes and physically see how the multi-site initiative is moving forward. Also, and more importantly, I have a fierce desire for us to wear the corrective lenses of faith as we move forward with this endeavor.

Here is what I see through the corrective lenses of faith: I see Jesus Christ, Lord of all, seated at the right hand of God, praying for us. Jesus prays that we will be one just like he and the Father are one. Jesus prays that we will be holy, people who are permanently changed by his love. Jesus prays that we will be witnesses, the very fragrance of Christ everywhere we go so that many people come to a point where they see and embrace him as their own.

With each passing month it is likely that we will see the physical realities of the Sunnyside downtown congregation more clearly. That will be good. But what will be even better and what is most important is that we keep our eyes absolutely fixed on Jesus, amazed by who he is and willing to ‘be’ his presence in whatever specific neighbourhood we find ourselves.