Job Summary:
The Groups and Care Pastor leads Groups and Care at one campus. They own how both ministries run locally — their plans inside the campus operating plan, their budget, their Team, and the Serve Team who deliver them — while holding to the church-wide standards for Groups and for Care. Because care happens first in groups, this seat carries what runs past what a healthy groups team can hold: crisis, grief, benevolence, hospital need, and sustained support.
Principal Job Responsibilities:
- Leads Groups and Care at one campus, owning both ministries' plans within the campus operating plan
- Delivers the church-wide standards for Groups and for Care locally, adapting the expression without changing the standard
- Recruits, hires, leads, trains, develops, and provides accountability for the Groups and Care Team
- Builds and stewards the Serve Team for both ministries: recruiting, training, retention, and appreciation
- Owns the combined ministry budget for Groups and Care and spends within the approved threshold
- Pastors the people the ministries reach, through care, prayer, and presence
- Participates in the cross-campus meetings for Groups and for Care, each led by its Area Leader Pastor, and raises local realities into them
- Reviews the measures for both ministries and acts on what they show
- Owns the campus's groups strategy: launches, terms, and the mix of group offerings
- Recruits, trains, and launches new group leaders, and grows the campus's group count
- Develops and sustains a co-leader and coach structure for cultivating new group leaders
- Leads leadership orientation and ongoing development for group leaders
- Develops a culture of belonging at the campus
- Partners with the Campus Pastor on local outreach opportunities expressed through groups
- Owns the campus's care ministry, including crisis response, hospital visitation, grief support, and benevolence
- Ensures ordinary care happens in groups, stepping in personally for needs that run past what a healthy groups team can hold
- Performs one-on-one pastoral care and counseling, referring to licensed professionals when a need falls outside the scope of pastoral care
- Builds and leads Care Serve Teams, including prayer, visitation, and support group teams
- Oversees the campus's support group and recovery offerings
- Coordinates funerals and memorial services at the campus
- Maintains confidential care records and follows Gateway's care, confidentiality, and reporting policies
- Holds a ministerial license to minister, preach the gospel, and fulfill the work of serving God's kingdom, valid for the duration of pastoral ministry at Gateway Church, and carries spiritual authority within the church
- Serves the congregation by officiating weddings, funerals, baby dedications, communion, and other ministry services
- Is present and serving at weekend services and churchwide events as the ministry calendar requires, and is available to the congregation for pastoral care as needs arise
- Teaches through precept, biblical principles, and by lifestyle example
- Performs other duties as assigned.
As a member of the Gateway Church team, this position is expected to support, recruit, and develop Serve Team members, and to serve alongside the broader team as ministry and organizational needs arise.
General Skills & Qualifications:
- A clear passion for Jesus and a strong biblical foundation
- Clear and effective communicator with both large and small groups
- Demonstrated ability to gather, develop, and deploy Team members and Serve Team members
- Strong critical thinking, and the ability to manage ambiguity and lead others through change
- Able to recruit and develop volunteer leaders at volume, not just one at a time
- Strong pastoral care instincts, with sound judgment about when to refer to a licensed professional
- Understands how care is carried inside community, and when a need must be escalated
- Able to hold confidentiality and to follow reporting obligations without exception
- Steady and non-anxious in crisis, grief, and high-emotion situations
- Comfortable holding others accountable with clarity and care
- Demonstrated emotional and relational intelligence
- Willingness and ability to engage in courageous conversations
- Strong time-management skills and the ability to hold several priorities at once
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and able to learn and function within new software and systems
Education/Certification(s):
- Four or more years of ministry experience, including groups and/or pastoral care or counseling experience — required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience — required
- Licensed as a minister, or eligible to be licensed upon employment — required
- Prior experience in a multisite church environment — preferred
- Formal training in biblical counseling, crisis response, or a related field — preferred
General Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to:
- Sit or stand for extended periods of time
- Occasionally kneel or crouch
- Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 lbs.
- Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs.
*This description is not all inclusive, and other duties may be assigned as necessary.
Gateway Church does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law as it applies to churches. However, Gateway Church does discriminate on the basis of religion.
Employment Requirement: Must be a member or become a member of Gateway Church upon employment.
