The Lead Pastor / Teaching Elder provides spiritual, pastoral, and administrative leadership to the membership of Shoestring Valley Community Church. The Teaching Elder will serve as the "chief under-shepherd" of the congregation so that is might fulfill its mission and purpose as the body and bride of Christ. The Teaching Elder will preach, teach, and provide visionary leadership in the areas of Worship, Soul Care, Outreach and Administration.
The Teaching Elder serves under the supervision and mutual submission of the elder board. He will be a member of the elder board with equal influence in their consensus form of oversight and decision making.
Subject to review and adjustment by the elder board, the following constitute the major responsibilities of the Teaching Elder:
I. Worship
1.Carefully study the Word of God (Acts 6:4; I Tim. 5:17), under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13), to be freshly equipped to preach and teach it to the saints within the congregation (Eph 4:12) as well as for his individual spiritual growth.
2. Be devoted to prayer (Col. 4:2).
3.Plan and lead the Sunday worship service in cooperation with the other elders, and/or appropriate deacons including administration of communion and baptismal services.
4. Officiate at special services such as weddings, funerals, nursing home services, etc.
5.Work with the leadership of the music teams to select and maintain worship music that facilitates genuine and diverse worship of God (John 4:23)
II. Soul Care
1.Lead in the ministry of counseling for members and friends of SVCC, equipping and encouraging other elders and leaders to do likewis.2. Oversee and participate in visitation of the sick, infirm, and others in need.
3. Make appropriate referrals when necessary and quickly respond to crisis situations which arise in the congregation.
4. Encourage and equip every husband, father, or head of household to disciple their household (Eph. 5‐6).
5. Support and encourage the development of small groups.
6. Care for his own soul by: taking one full day off per week for rest and refreshment –and‐ attending at least one seminar, retreat, or conference annually for personal spiritual and professional growth.
III. Outreach
1.Encourage and equip the saints to live and speak the truth of the gospel in their circles of influence, and to fulfill their individual role in the Great Commission.
2. Facilitate the assimilation of new members into the life of the congregation.
3. Winsomely represent SVCC to other churches and to the community.
4.Encourage all individuals and teams within the church to carry out their work with an emphasis on welcoming others to participate in the mission work of Christ.
IV. Administration
1.Build a sense of teamwork among church staff and lay leaders, holding regular meetings to coordinate the ministries of the church and facilitate communication.
2. Support and assist the leaders who have primary responsibility in other ministry areas.
3. Participate in the hiring and supervision of other staff as determined by the elder board.
4. Chair elder board meetings and act as ex‐officio member or all other SVCC teams.
***SVCC is located in a lovely rural area of southwestern Washington; in the near proximity of the state capital, Olympia Washington. It is very close to many beautiful lakes and parks to explore. SVCC has approximately 115-150 in attendance and financially supports several missionary families around the world and in the US.