General Information

Job Title:

Senior Pastor

Job Description:

Full-time Senior Pastor

Position Qualifications:

CRESCO COMMUNITY CHAPEL  –  PASTORAL PROFILE

 

POSITION:  Senior Pastor – full time

AFFILIATION:  non-denominational Bible church

CONTACT:  crescopastorsearchteam@gmail.com

www.crescocommunitychapel.org

218-760-3663 (Dr. Glenn Johnson, chairman pastor search)

24024 Highway 9 East, Cresco, IA 52136-8500

 

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The one called by the church shall provide spiritual guidance as an Equipper-Pastor-Teacher, who mobilizes the congregation in ministry (Eph 4:11-12); who keeps the church Purpose/Vision/

Mission before the congregation, who guards the flock from false teaching and errant conduct. He shall lead as one called to proclaim God’s truth and as an example of one following God in faithful obedience.

 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:  The suitable candidate will be assessed by the following criteria:

 

PERSONAL:

  1. Family:  married; family embraces his call to ministry
  2. Significant cultural connection with the Midwest
  3. A life-long learner
  4. A self-starter; relationally approachable; self-aware

 

SPIRITUAL:

  1. Meets the character criteria for elders in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
  2. Endorse without mental reservation the church’s statement of faith
  3. Understands and embraces free grace theology
  4. Demonstratable gifting in the areas of preaching/teaching and leadership
  5. A warm, growing walk with Christ

 

PROFESSIONAL/EDUCATIONAL:

  1. Prefer at least a Master of Divinity or equivalent
  2. Ordained by a like-minded body
  3. Prefer at least five years’ experience as lead pastor or equivalent
  4. Be able to embrace the church’s Purpose/Vision/Mission statements (below)
  5. Commit to working within the Pastor-Elder leadership team
  6. Commit to working with the church Ministry Team structure (below)
  7. Demonstrate capacity to assess and nurture congregational health

 

 

 

 

 

CRESCO COMMUNITY CHAPEL PROFILE

 

AFFILIATION:   Non-denominational Bible church

CONTACT:        crescocommunitychapel.org

563-547-4343

24024 Highway 9 East, Cresco, IA 52136

 

 

Cresco Community Chapel, 2 Oct 2022

 

 

Philosophy and Theology of Ministry

 

PURPOSE: We will glorify God by preparing people for eternity through a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

VISION: We will thrive through purposeful service, relational harmony, and increasing maturity, leading to stability, confidence, and cohesiveness.

 

MISSION: we will achieve our purpose and vision:

through the worshiping community

through the growth group communities

through ministry teams.

 

OUR INVITATION:  To all who mourn and need comfort, to all who are weary and need rest, to all who are friendless and need friendship, to all who sin and need a Savior and to whosoever will, this Chapel opens wide its doors in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to say… WELCOME!

 

 

 

History

 

The first meeting of the Cresco Community Chapel took place in January 1964.   Five families formed the nucleus of the church at its start.   They were determined to obey God, to rely on His provision, and to adhere to the truths of Scripture as He led them to establish this new church.

 

The founding families were convinced that being part of a denomination was a hindrance to efforts to reach out to the community, spreading the Gospel and reaching the lost.   They agreed that they wanted an independent church.   They adapted the New Testament church example of leadership by elders.   The church is legally incorporated but has no constitution, as the Chapel elders saw no need for one since the Bible serves that purpose.  No constitution has ever been adapted.  The elders maintained their commitment to remain independent and to model the New Testament churches.  The Chapel founders saw no need for a membership roll, which is also the current model.   They believed that the ministry of the church was to be carried on by all members, not just the pastor or a small group of people.  Because everyone needed to be actively involved there was a focus on each member determining what his or her spiritual gifts were and how they could use them for the Lord.   Still today, we have ministry teams involving nearly everyone utilizing their spiritual gifts.

 

There have been seven pastors.   The last pastor retired in May 2020 after serving the Chapel 27 years.  His son, who was 6 months old when he arrived, is now the youth pastor.

 

In March 2019 the Chapel invited Interim Pastor Ministries to provide an intentional interim pastor. He has worked with church leadership to identify and address conflicts and obstacles; assess church history and health; led strategic planning including updating the Purpose, Vision, and Mission of the church including a congregationally based ministry structure.

 

Current Status

 

We are an independent Bible church without any affiliations.  We are an elder led church.  We have no constitution or formal membership.  Our Doctrinal statement is below.

 

The average Sunday morning Worship service is 80-90 adults with a 10% increase over the last year.   The Covid pandemic hit all churches in the area hard.   The attendees reflect the demographics of a rural community with farm, professional, skilled, unskilled and retired families.    The average age is 55-60.    We have a very active AWANA program and a junior-senior high ministry called “Alethia.”

 

We have Ministry Teams that are gift-based that work together to advance the mission of the church.   The teams are:  Evangelism, Worship, Education, Fellowship, Facilities and Compassion.  Further description is below.

 

We have one traditional service at 10 am on Sunday.   We have adult and youth Sunday School at 9 am on Sunday.   We have several small groups that meet in homes to discuss the previous Sunday’s sermon and for a time of prayer.

 

Our church is financially very healthy and debt-free, even after completing a major building expansion in 2021.    Our operating budget this year is about $150,000 with a very healthy surplus.   From its inception, the church has never had any debt.

 

We support eleven missionaries, many of which grew up in the church and/or are related to previous or present church attendees.   Our mission’s budget is about $30,000.  Most of the missionaries we support have some association relationship.

 

Our interim pastor from Interim Pastor Ministries and is salaried.   The youth pastor is salaried.

 

The church owns 2 acres.  The property adjoins the main highway in the area and is on the east side of the city.  The sanctuary was built in 2004 with a seating capacity of 180-200.    A large fellowship hall, kitchen, classroom and office building were finished in 2021.   There is adequate parking with room to grow.

 

Cresco Community Chapel Circle

 

 

All church addresses are within this 22 mile yellow circle.   The lighter pencil circle extends another 5 miles out to 27 mile diameter from Cresco.

Cresco Community Chapel Faith Statement

  1. We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant and authoritative, and the only all-sufficient rule of faith and Christian living. Ps. 119:33-40; II Tim. 3:16,17; Heb. 4:12
  2. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are in one nature, equal in power and glory, and each has a distinctive part in the work of salvation. Matt. 28:18-20; II Cor. 13:14
  3. We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is the eternal Son of God equal with the Father. We believe that as to His body, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He lived a sinless life; that upon the cross He died for the sins of the world; that He was raised from the dead; that He ascended into Heaven where He now intercedes for His own, and from where He will someday return. Is. 9:6; Mic. 5:2; John 1:1-5,14; 8:58; 10:30; 17:21; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34; Phil. 2:6-10; Col. 1:16; 2:9; Titus 2:12,13; Heb. 1:3,8
  4. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and not merely an impersonal influence. He inspired the Scriptures; He is the agent of conviction and regeneration; He baptizes, seals, indwells, and teaches every believer; and He fills all believers who yield to Him. Ex. 31:3; John 14:16,17; 16:7-11; Acts 1:8; 5:3,4; Eph. 1:13-14; Titus 3:5; II Pet. 1:19-21
  5. We believe that man was created by God, that he fell through sin and is now totally depraved. We believe because of sin, man is separated from God and therefore must be born again. Gen 3:1-19; Is. 53:6; 64:6,7; John 3:3-5 Rom. 3:10-23; 8:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3
  6. We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall. We also believe that Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. Gen. 3:1-19; Rom. 3:10-23; Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Rev. 20:10
  7. We believe that redemption is wholly by the precious blood of Christ, who offered Himself without sin to God the Father when He died upon the cross as a substitute for all mankind, guaranteeing eternal life to those who believe in Him. I John5:11-13; Lk. 19:10; I Cor. 6:11; I Tim. 2:5,6; II Cor. 5:21
  8. We believe that salvation is wholly in God’s grace, received through personal faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ and that it is eternally apart from human works. We believe that it is the blessed privilege of every believer to know that he is saved and that he is eternally secure in Christ Jesus. John 1:12,13; 3:16-18; 6:39,40,47; 10:28,29; Rom. 8:38,39; Gal. 2:16; II Tim. 1:12
  9. We believe that Salvation should produce good works. Eph. 2:8-10; James 2
  10. We believe that it is the duty of every Christian to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ and that such witnessing be in harmony with the New Testament. Mark 16:15; I Cor. 9:16; II Cor. 5:18-20
  11. We believe that it is the mission of the Church to regularly preach the Gospel, attempt to make disciples of all nations and present every man complete in Christ. Matt. 28:19,20; Col. 1:28
  12. We believe that the hope of the Church is the personal and premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ; and that peace and blessing will come to this world only through His reign as earth’s righteous King. John 14: 1-4; I Thes. 4:15-18; Heb. 11: 8-10,16; Rev. 20:6; Rev. 21
  13. We believe in the resurrection of the body, in the conscious and eternal blessing of the saved, and in the conscious and eternal punishment of the lost. Matt. 25:46; II Thes. 1:6-9; Heb. 9:27
  14. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ established two ordinances to be observed by His church, baptism and the Lord’s supper. We believe that Scriptural baptism is the total immersion of the believer’s body in water, thereby symbolizing his identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. We believe that the Lord’s supper is a memorial service of the death of Jesus Christ and should be observed until He returns. We believe that only those who have personally put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should be baptised and partake of the Lord’s table. Matt. 28:19; Lk. 22:14-20; Acts 8: 36-39; I Cor. 11:23-29; I Pet. 3:21b
  15. We believe that the biblical definition of marriage has only one meaning as sanctioned by God whereby it joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as set forth in Scripture. Gen. 1:27; 2:18; 21-25; I Cor. 7:1-4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINISTRY TEAMS

 

 

OVERVIEW & DEFINITIONS

 

Effective, fruitful, growing churches have several things in common. One essential element is “Effective Structures.” Structure is central to life, health, and growth.

 

Ministry Teams are Gift-based ministry structures, empowered by leaders. These teams work together to advance the churches Mission. Properly functioning Ministry Teams operate by four guiding principles:

 

  1. They pursue things which enable the church to attain its Vision and Mission. i.e. They ask, “How can we move the church toward realizing our vision?”
  2. They engage the rest of the congregation in those activities. i.e. They enlist the congregation to help with implementation of the strategies adopted.
  3. They provide input to the Elder Board regarding budgetary needs prior to the annual meeting
  4. They resolve hinderances to ministry implementation (relational, logistical, financial, spiritual).

 

Ministry Team coordinators should view themselves and their role with the team in terms of discipleship. “Rather than handling the bulk of church responsibilities on their own, they invest the majority of their time in discipleship, delegation, and multiplication.”1

 

Keep in focus, these are teams. Team members are brought onto the teams to be participants in the development and implementation of the church vision. Collectively they ask, “How can we move toward the church vision in the area of (Evangelism, Fellowship, etc.)? This is the process of strategizing. They then enlist others of the congregation in the implementation of those chosen strategies.

 

 

Definitions:

 

Ministry Team: a group of believers who know their spiritual gifts, united around a Ministry Priority, who strategize and adopt steps to advance the church’s mission. They also enlist others of the congregation to participate in implementation of those strategies.

 

Team Coordinator: an elder (or leader appointed by the elders) who can serve as an

empowering leader of a Ministry Team.

 

 

 

 

1 Christian Schwartz, Natural Church Development: Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches1 (St. Charles, IL, 1996), 23.

 

 

Team Designations:

 

Evangelism: Related to communicating the Good News of the Gospel. This can be at many levels of relationships (family, co-workers, neighbors, strangers) and social strata (church services, in a coffee shop, at public events) and multiple geographic settings (“Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, uttermost parts”). This team focuses both on the “doing of evangelism” and the equipping of believers in that skill.

 

Worship: This team gives attention to all aspects of corporate worship. From “first­ impressions” to room environment, music, technology, and theology, so that worshipers are free from distractions and effectively led to bring praise, glory, and honor to God.

 

Education: Every believer needs to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. New believer follow-up, age graded classes, small groups and affinity groups are provided training and opportunities to grow in their knowledge of the Bible and knowing God.

 

Fellowship: The NT word koinonia translated fellowship means sharing. It relates to things shared in common. The most important among thing we have in common is the Gospel, but it also refers to our common suffering in Christ, a meal, and material resources. When we share (have fellowship) we grasp that every good gift is from God. The Fellowship team ministers in the areas of food and meals (Sunday coffee, after church potlucks, etc) which enhance fellowship, hospitality (lit. “love of strangers”), weddings, and funerals in which we share the joys and sorrows of life.

 

Facilities: The property (internal and external) are resources that enable the Body to gather, minister to one another and the community. Its use can be creatively managed for the glory of God, and it requires maintenance.

 

Compassion: We all experience seasons of trials and grief. This team helps the Body “weep with those who weep” so that when God seems distant, the Body is the expression of God’s loving care. Hospital visitation, Funerals, benevolence needs, care

for those in nursing homes, and unexpected trials are the focus of this ministry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRESCO COMMUNITY PROFILE

Cresco is derived from the Latin term meaning “I Grow”.

Located in scenic northeast Iowa, the city of Cresco, Iowa, founded in 1868, is currently home to over 3,892 people.  Cresco is known for being “Iowa’s Year Round Play Ground”, with the Upper Iowa and Turkey Rivers to canoe or kayak, recreational trails for biking or walking as well as groomed trails for snowmobiling and cross country skiing in the winter. Cresco is the birthplace of Norman Borlaug, who received the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. Cresco is also the birthplace of the five admirals: Vice Admiral Frank J. Lowry, Rear Admiral George Peckham, Rear Admiral Wallis F. Peterson, Rear Admiral Arthur T. Moen, and Rear Admiral Michael J. Malanaphy.  Cresco is home to Ellen Church, who was the first airline stewardess.  Cresco is home of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Cresco’s median age is 40.6 years old with the following demographics: 96% white, 2.6% 2 or more races, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian and 0.4% Latino/Hispanic.  The city has experienced a 0.1% growth rate since 2020.  There are over 1617 households with 49.5% of those households being married.  Of the 3,892 people calling Cresco home, 2,966 are adults, 926 are children, 778 of the adults are seniors and there are currently 273 veterans.  The area is also home to many Amish families.

Cresco’s religious affiliation is 42% Protestant and 41.1% Catholic with the following churches: Cresco Community Chapel, Cresco United Methodist Church, Zion United Methodist Church, First Congregational Church, First Lutheran Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Orleans Lutheran Church and Notre Dame Catholic Church.

Cresco is home to the Howard-Winneshiek Community School District, which is the 3rd largest school district geographically in the state, spreading over 426 square miles serving over 1,100 students: 530 elementary students and 590 junior high and high school students.  50+ students earn dual-credit through a partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College partnership saving parents over $950,000 in tuition. Generous community support of education through the Dollars for Scholars Program, awarding over $3,000,000 in scholarships to high school students.  The Crestwood High School is currently under construction with an active capital campaign to raise money for a building project—addition and remodeling of the current facility to improve the learning environment for students.

The economy and industry are thriving with 32% of residents being in occupations in education, healthcare and social assistance, 25.2% in manufacturing, and 11.7% in retail.  Farming and agricultural services dominate all this area of the Midwest.

Cresco is in the heart of northeast Iowa with surrounding communities including: Decorah, Ridgeway, Riceville, Elma, Lime Springs, as well as Harmony, MN.

Cresco is a great place to work, live and call home.

 

 

References:

https://www.cityofcresco.com/

https://riceville.govoffice2.com/

https://www.decorahia.org/

https://www.exploreharmony.com/

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/cresco-ia-population

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cresco,_Iowa

https://www.howard-county.com/

https://www.howard-winn.k12.ia.us/

 

 

 

Application Deadline

Job Type:

Full Time

Salary Range:

TBD

General Information

Church/Organization Name

Cresco Community Chapel

Contact Name & Contact Info

(218) 760-3663
vjohnson@paulbunyan.net

Industry

Church

Denomination

Non-Denominational

City, State

Cresco, IA

Description of Organization

Non-denominational Bible Church

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