Description
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Ministry Area: Adult Ministries
Location: Chanhassen
Reports to: Executive Pastor of Ministries
Supervises: Engagement Ministry staff and volunteers, as assigned
Westwood’s Way of Life:
Be and love like Jesus
Westwood’s Purpose and Mission:
To know God and share Jesus through loving others here, near, and far
Role:
The Groups and Engagement Pastor provides pastoral and strategic leadership to help adults move from attendance to belonging, from belonging to discipleship, and from discipleship to mission. This role exists to connect people into small groups, discipleship environments, serving opportunities, and relational pathways where they can be known, cared for, challenged, and formed in the way of Jesus.
This is a key pastoral role at Westwood. The Groups and Engagement Pastor champions small groups as a primary environment for adult discipleship, care, and community. This person helps ensure that no one falls through the cracks, that leaders are equipped and supported, and that Westwood continues to become a church where people are known, connected, and invited to be and love like Jesus.
Responsibilities:
· Serve as a Pastor at-large of Westwood Community Church, participating in staff meetings, retreats, all-church functions, pastoral care and counsel, teaching, officiating church ordinances, weddings, and funerals as assigned, and serving on a pastor-on-call rotation.
· Lead, develop, and manage Westwood’s Engagement Ministry, with primary emphasis on small groups as a central environment for adult discipleship, care, and belonging.
· Build and strengthen a small group culture where people are invited into biblical community, spiritual formation, mutual care, and missional living.
· Recruit, equip, coach, and care for small group leaders, coaches, and other key lay leaders.
· Develop systems for launching new groups, strengthening existing groups, identifying new leaders, and multiplying healthy discipleship environments.
· Provide pastoral oversight and strategic alignment for men’s and women’s ministry, with an emphasis on connecting these ministries to ongoing small group engagement and discipleship.
· Provide strategic development, implementation, and oversight for Westwood’s adult discipleship pathway.
· Design and lead large-funnel engagement experiences that help people move from worship attendance or initial connection into deeper community, discipleship, serving, and mission.
· Partner with campus pastors and ministry leaders to create clear next steps for new attenders, regular attenders, members, and those seeking greater connection.
· Develop systems that help identify, follow up with, and care for people who are new, disconnected, spiritually seeking, or in need of pastoral connection.
· Use data, stories, pastoral insight, and ministry feedback to evaluate engagement trends, group health, leader needs, and gaps in connection.
· Ensure ministry areas are using lay leaders who are trained in Volunteer Development and aligned with Westwood’s Leadership Pathway.
· Assist in the development of the annual ministry plan through objectives, budgets, and measurable ministry goals.
· Collaborate with campus pastors as the central voice for groups and engagement ministry.
· Participate with ministry peers in implementing Westwood’s mission, vision, and strategy.
· Serve on leadership teams, work groups, and carry out other responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor or Lead Pastor.
· Align to and live out the Westwood Staff Values:
o Head High
o Heart Soft
o Arms Linked
o Feet Forward
Relationships:
· Reports to the Executive Pastor of Ministries.
· Supervises and collaborates with ministry area staff, as assigned.
· Oversees ministry area volunteers and lay leaders.
· Works closely with campus pastors, adult ministry leaders, care ministry leaders, connections teams, and other pastor/director staff.
· Interacts regularly with Westwood staff, congregation members, small group leaders, volunteers, new attenders, and ministry participants.
Requirements
· Someone who lives a life that honors God in heart, actions, and relationships, with the goal of becoming more like Jesus
· Bachelor’s degree required. Seminary degree preferred, in process, or equivalent theological training and ministry experience.
· Minimum three years of direct ministry leadership experience required; multisite church experience preferred.
· Demonstrated ability to pastor, shepherd, counsel, and care for people with wisdom, maturity, and grace.
· Ability to teach and preach the Word of God effectively.
· Demonstrated passion for discipleship, biblical community, leadership development, and helping people take next steps in following Jesus.
· Demonstrated results in building, leading, and multiplying small groups or adult discipleship environments.
· Demonstrated ability to design and implement ministry systems, pathways, and scalable engagement strategies.
· Strong relational instincts and excellent interpersonal communication skills with a wide variety of audiences.
· Ability to recruit, develop, supervise, coach, and care for employees, volunteers, and ministry leaders.
· Demonstrated ability to work within a highly interdependent church ministry model.
· Proficient with Microsoft Office tools.
· Ability to handle confidential information in a professional and pastoral manner.
· Endorse and support Westwood’s Statement of Faith and traditional orthodox evangelical theology.
· Remain a member in good standing of Westwood Community Church