Position Description

OPPORTUNITY

Cornerstone Christian Community Church is searching for a Discipleship Pastor to serve in our Markham, Ontario, Canada location.  We seek a dedicated, passionate and experienced pastor for this senior leadership position which includes the supervision of key ministry staff as they lead their respective teams in alignment with Cornerstone’s Vision, Mission and Discipleship Pathway.  The ideal candidate is a committed follower of Jesus Christ who possesses deep knowledge and significant ministry experience in the area of Christian discipleship/spiritual formation, as well as robust and healthy leadership capacities, including strong relational and organizational skills along with excellent communication abilities.

ABOUT CORNERSTONE

Cornerstone is an intercultural Jesus-centred church with a 25+ year history in the Markham-Stouffville area (northeast of Toronto). After 15 years as a mobile church, God blessed us with a unique facility, Cornerstone Centre. The facility functions as home base for our congregation as well a community centre space to enrich the lives of our local neighbours in Jesus’ name. 

With a core mission to make disciples of Jesus, we have a big heart for the greater community, expressed in a range of local outreach efforts and partnerships, rooted in a calling to be an incarnational presence for Jesus in the area where God has planted us.

OUR PURPOSE

• Jesus is our foundation, and the heart of our Vision and Mission.
• VISION: Embracing the Jesus who embraces the world.
• MISSION: Making space for Jesus to shape people together in God’s love.
• Please visit our website to learn more about our values and what we believe.

ROLE OVERVIEW

As an Executive Team (ET) position, this role includes responsibilities that you will share in common with the other members of the ET. At the same time, it includes individual responsibilities specific to the Discipleship Pastor. (See below for a breakdown of these responsibilities.)

Executive Team - Shared Roles and Responsibilities

• As an ET member, you will work collectively with the Lead Pastor and Executive Director of Operations to provide overall spiritual, visionary and strategic leadership to the church, making decisions with respect to the church’s direction and its day-to-day ministries and operations.
• Guide and guard the spiritual development and well-being of the congregation by life example and biblical teaching.
• Work collaboratively with the Executive Church Board (ECB) to shape the direction of Cornerstone’s ministry DNA in alignment with the Ends Policies.
• Establish and execute macro-level strategy and oversee staff and assets to accomplish the direction of Cornerstone’s ministry.
• Encourage and equip staff members to lead from a holistically healthy self in Jesus.
• Model, mentor, resource, and provide pastoral care/counsel for staff as required.
• Serve as a strategic thinking partner and sounding board for the ECB.
• Pray regularly for staff and their ministries.

This will be accomplished through joint leadership in 3 key areas:

Ministry Strategy and Planning

• Annually review and update the strategic plan (short and long term).
• Integrate the strategic plan into the year-to-year Ministry Theme and Objectives via the annual Staff Planning process.

Leadership Development 

• Identify and coach potential leaders for mission advance.
• Build a healthy leadership development culture among director-level staff and equip them to develop others.
• Study and learn about leadership and leadership development. 

Organizational Leadership

• Monitor and develop organizational structure and staffing structure responding to church growth and changing needs.
• Facilitate staff meetings.

Discipleship Pastor - Individual Responsibilities

As Discipleship Pastor, you will lead key members of Cornerstone’s Ministry Staff in developing disciples of Jesus Christ in and through their respective ministry areas in alignment with Cornerstone’s Vision, Mission and Discipleship Pathway. Specifically, you will provide supervisory oversight for six staff members who are responsible for directing the following ministries and their respective teams: Group Life, Youth, Children (including Camps), Outreach, Young Adults, and Welcome.

• Provide spiritual leadership and direction to ministry staff/teams in fulfilling the Vision and Mission of the church.
• Provide executional leadership to ministry staff/teams in installing the necessary systems, processes, and infrastructure to facilitate scaling of ministries.
• Oversee and drive executional excellence in delivering ministries and activities, and ensure annual Ministry Objectives are met.
• Oversee Cornerstone’s Discipleship Pathway and champion its application across all ministries.
• Ensure strategic and effective use of Cornerstone’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment Tool.
• Ensure available opportunities and resources to help take people take their next steps of discipleship on their own, in one-to-one settings, and with a group, class or team.
• Communicate regularly with staff and ministry leaders on important issues and objectives.
• Plan, develop, and preach biblically based sermons and teachings in accordance with the annual teaching plan.
• Attend and facilitate applicable staff meetings and nurture a positive and healthy culture.
• Mentor, supervise, and support church staff and volunteers, fostering a positive, collaborative work environment with healthy leadership development.
• Provide direct reports with their job description and conduct their performance appraisal in accordance with human resource policy.
• Develop and multiply leaders for God’s kingdom to do God’s work in and beyond the church by fostering a leadership pipeline and establishing other leadership initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

At a minimum we are looking for someone with:

• A thriving personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as a deep commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, and Christian theological reflection.
• A Master of Divinity degree from an accredited institution.
• A minimum of 10 years of pastoral experience, with a proven track record of healthy and effective leadership and ministry development, including significant experience in discipleship and Christian spiritual formation.
• A proven track record of scaling and growing organizations.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to connect with a diverse and multicultural congregation.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a healthy spirituality and lead positively under pressure.
• Strong and effective preaching and teaching ability.
• Ability to work and connect with the ministry team members, other staff, and volunteers.
• Experience with leading the planting and scaling of multi-site churches or organizations is considered an asset but not mandatory.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit the following to board@cornerstonechurch.ca

• A cover letter expressing your interest in the position and outlining your qualifications.
• Your current resume or CV, detailing your education, and experience.
• A statement of faith, describing your personal faith journey and theological beliefs.
• Links to or recording of 3 recent sermons or teachings.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.  This posting will close on May 3, 2024.