Lead Pastor Candidate Profile

BridgeWay Community ChurchPO Box 1197

Lexington Park, MD 20653https://bridgeway-church.org

Contents:

Pastoral Candidate Profile Overview page 2 Pastoral Candidate Instructions page 3 Pastoral Profile Checklist page 5 Pastoral Skills Ranking page 7 Pastoral Candidate Questionnaire page 8

Pastoral Candidate Profile Overview

BridgeWay Community Church (BCC) is an eleven year-old, Christ-centered, evangelical church of 80 adult members and 60 children located in St. Mary’s county. BCC envisions an outwardly-focused ministry centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ which is a resource to growing families throughout our region.

The next lead pastor of BCC needs to be a visionary leader and team player who can work to develop ministry among growing families in a culturally stable environment. Some lead pastoral experience is preferable but not necessary. What is necessary is that the next pastor be a patient, proven leader with a pastor’s heart. He must have a history of being a team player and a team leader who is willing to empower, equip, and energize the congregants to do the work of the ministry. The Lead Pastor should have a strong commitment to the Word of God and to seeing non-believers come to know and grow in Christ. A seminary education, or the near completion of a seminary education, is preferred. It would also be helpful to have some understanding of the culture and climate of the Southern Maryland tri-county region.

The next pastor will be responsible for leading the staff and congregation in implementing the vision of being a resource to growing families in our region. He is also expected to have a willingness to sustain a policy governance model that was implemented, practiced and adopted during the interim transition period. All boards, organizations, ministries and teams will be accountable (directly or indirectly) to the pastor, who is accountable to the Leadership Team, of which he will be a voting member. Our next pastor will demonstrate a Christo-centric approach to preaching and a gospel-centered ministry.

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Instructions For Lead Pastor Applicants:

There are three sections of our application:

1) Pastoral Profile Checklist2) Pastoral Skills Checklist3) Pastoral Candidate Questionnaire

Please read the instructions for each section and respond accordingly.

Insert your cover letter, resume, personal doctrinal statement, personal core values and/or mission statement (if you have one) and a current photo, in the following sections. In the filename include your last name, and then email the completed application as ONE attachment to search@bridgeway-church.org

While we prefer a digital copy, you may send a hard-copy to:

BridgeWay Community Church Attn. Search TeamPO Box 1197Lexington Park, MD 20653

If you have questions about the contents of this packet, please email search@bridgeway-church.org. No phone calls please.

Thank you for your interest!

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Privacy Policy 

Any information, documents, or photos provided via electronic submission or physical mail may be entered into and stored in our church’s databases. This information may be transmitted to members of the Pastoral Search Team (PST) via church-owned e-mail accounts and will be treated with appropriate care and handled with discretion.  

How long we retain your Information We plan on retaining any information provided for the duration of the process culminating in the hiring and placement of a pastor.

Who we will share your Information with The only individuals able to view your personally provided information at any time will be members of the PST, key church staff, and specifically chartered ministry leaders who have sworn a covenant before the congregation including a covenant of confidentiality and covenant of accountability.

What rights you have over your Information You may withdraw your application and request us to delete your personal information at any time from our church’s database, and we will comply with your request.

Where we send your Details Your information is hosted on our servers hosted by Planning Center Online, Microsoft Office 365 and our private website.  Go to https://planning.center/privacy/ to learn more about how they secure our information. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trust-center/privacy to learn about how they secure our information. Also see https://bridgeway-church.org/privacy-policy/ for our own website

How we protect your Information All your information is stored and protected by passwords and SSL (HTTPS) sites.

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Pastoral Profile Checklist (1 Tim 3:1-10; Titus 1:6-9): Please assign a value ranging from 5 to 1 (5 strong, 1 weak) to the boxes that you believe are consistently accurate in describing your life and ministry.1. Pick a Value --Gospel-centered while living in a healthy tension of biblical

fundamentalism and evangelicalism demonstrated in a clearly constructed statement of faith and able to work with both Arminian and Calvinistic theologies regardless of preference.

2. Pick a Value --Acknowledge that justification and sanctification are by grace alone through faith alone in Christ's righteousness alone, thus avoiding religious moralism while fully embracing the grace of God (1 Pet 5:12; 2 Tim 2:1; 1 Cor 15:10; Titus 2:11-12).

3. Pick a Value --A proven record of being a team player and team builder in past ministries as demonstrated by observable teams that have been started and led.

4. Pick a Value --Love people as an under-shepherd and demonstrates awareness that the church is Christ’s bride. Cares for people in a nurturing and developmental way, not lording it over them but using authority and position for the benefit of people’s health and growth – both in the gospel and in life skills (2 Cor 1:24; 1 Peter 5:2-4).

5. Pick a Value --Commitment to being an equipping pastor rather than engaging in solo ministry demonstrated by a list of names of people who have gone into or been effective in leadership functions in churches where the applicant has ministered (Eph. 4:12).

6. Pick a Value --A demonstrated commitment to emotional health that includes personal humility, an honest understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as acceptance of limits, and the ability to express oneself in an emotionally healthy way.

7. Pick a Value --A demonstrated commitment to personal and professional accountability within the local congregation demonstrated by a list of names (when asked) of people who have journeyed with you in mutual accountable relationships.

8. Pick a Value --Committed to intentional personal and congregational spiritual formation as demonstrated by the practice of discipleship.

9. Pick a Value --Committed to life-long learning demonstrated by ongoing learning patterns including a wide range of reading interests, maintaining active and

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intentional mentoring, and a completed seminary education or graduate degree.

10. Pick a Value --Experience in family ministry with the desire to reach nesting-stage families.

11. Pick a Value --Willing to encourage people who are on a journey towards a relationship with God. Willing to allow people to participate in church before they believe.

12. Pick a Value --A demonstrated willingness to serve the larger community beyond the church. Intentionally making time to connect relationally while actively considering the spiritual needs of the larger community. Not hostile towards those who oppose Christ (1 Peter 2:15).

13. Pick a Value --Well-spoken and positive in personal and public venues with a good crowd presence, not socially awkward or excessively introverted.

14. Pick a Value --Able to preach gospel-centered messages (redemptive historical hermeneutic) in an interesting and relevant fashion while demonstrating thoughtful exegesis with a demonstrated understanding of historic Christian doctrine.

15. Pick a Value --Able to tolerate the moderate use of alcoholic beverages by church attendees even if personal convictions prohibit their use.

16. Pick a Value --Committed to building biblical community as demonstrated in past participation in leading and training leaders for small group ministry and in the ability to listen well to others.

17. Pick a Value --Experienced at conflict resolution as demonstrated by dealing with conflict in the past on church and family fronts. Should be currently dealing with any unresolved conflict.

18. Pick a Value --Sensitively bringing the church further into the 21st century musically through a demonstrated willingness to integrate theological depth with cultural distinctiveness.

19. Pick a Value --Age 30-50 with significant pastoral experience.

20. Pick a Value --Either grew-up in the mid-Atlantic states or currently lives here.

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Pastoral Skills Ranking:

Please rank yourself in order with the following skills from 8-1 (with 8 being your strongest and 1 being your weakest, use each number only once)

Pick an Number --Preaching/Teaching

Pick an Number --Administration

Pick an Number --Evangelism

Pick an Number --Team Building

Pick an Number --Vision Casting

Pick an Number --Pastoral Care/Counseling

Pick an Number --Leadership

Pick an Number --Prayer

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Pastoral Candidate Questionnaire:

1. Candidate’s Name: Click here to enter text.

2. Spouse’s Name: Click here to enter text.

3. Address: Click here to enter text.

4. Marital status (include wedding date): Click here to enter text.

5. If married, how did you meet your spouse? Click here to enter text.

6. If married, what role, if any, do you expect your spouse to have at the church? What is the gifting of your spouse? How does she currently support you? How do you currently support your family? Click here to enter text.

7. Children: (names and birthdates): Click here to enter text.

8. Have you been divorced? If yes, when was it and what were/are the circumstances? Choose Yes or No. If Yes, Click here to enter text.

9. Current ministry assignment: Click here to enter text.

10. Do you rent or own a home? Click here to enter text.

11. Do we have your permission to perform a background and credit check on you? Choose Yes or No.

(Information will be requested at the appropriate time.)

12. Past ministry assignments (List name, place, and tenure of formal and informal ministry assignments. Give a short summary of how you served). Click here to enter text.

13. Education and Training (include significant seminars you have participated in): Click here to enter text.

14. How did you come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Click here to enter text.

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15. Briefly describe your personal call to ministry: Click here to enter text.

16. What are your spiritual gifts? Click here to enter text.

17. What kinds of acquired skills do you have? Click here to enter text.

18. What are your current personal growth areas or weaknesses? Click here to enter text.

19. What are your desires and dreams for ministry? Click here to enter text.

20. What do you currently do to nurture your relationship with God? Click here to enter text.

21. What books have you read over the past six months? Click here to enter text.

22. What person in church history (not any biblical figure please) has influenced you more than any other and why? (e.g. Augustine, Calvin, Luther, etc.): Click here to enter text.

23. Describe the last significant conflict in your ministry. How was it resolved? Click here to enter text.

24. How are you currently equipping people for ministry? Click here to enter text.

25. What process(es) do you currently have in place for leadership development? Click here to enter text.

26. Describe your view of the role of music and preaching in the worship service for a local church: Click here to enter text.

27. Describe the relationship you have with non-Christians and how you move them towards a relationship with Christ? Click here to enter text.

28. Describe your current male relationships that contribute to your personal growth and accountability. Click here to enter text.

29. Describe your hobbies and interests: Click here to enter text.

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30. What life experiences have had a profound influence on you and why? Click here to enter text.

31. What doctrinal issues are important to you and why? Click here to enter text.

32. How would you characterize the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life? Click here to enter text.

33. How would you characterize the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your leadership (including preaching)? Click here to enter text.

34. Please state your position regarding a literal heaven and hell, and view on eternal security. Click here to enter text.

35. Please state your position regarding how grace works in a person’s life for both justification and sanctification. Click here to enter text.

36. How many hours do you spend in sermon preparation and describe how you work on preparation for a message? Click here to enter text.

37. Describe your process for determining sermon series.’ Please include your preference for how far in advance you prefer to plan. Click here to enter text.

38. How is your current ministry reaching into the community to serve? Click here to enter text.

39. Tell us about a small group you are currently leading. If you are not leading a small group now, tell us the last time you led one and what you did. Click here to enter text.

40. Considering what you know about this church and the geographical region it is located in, why would you want to come and pastor here? Click here to enter text.

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[Insert Cover Letter Here]

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[Insert Resume Here]

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[Insert Personal Doctrinal Statement Here]

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[Insert Personal Core Values Here]

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[Insert Mission Statement Here (OPTIONAL)]

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[Insert Current Photo Here]

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