Snapshot

Denomination: Wesleyan Covenant Association

Weekly Attendance: 2,100

Location: Durham, North Carolina

The Role: Student Pastor

Meet NewHope Church:

NewHope Church is a significant regional church in the heart of the Carolinas. The church was founded in 2002 and has seen remarkable growth over the years. NewHope is well known for its relevant biblical teaching, upbeat and contemporary worship, missional outreach, life group gatherings in homes, excellent children’s programs, and high-impact student ministries.

We have a dream, a vision, a calling to spread the gospel of Christ through our contemporary church services. Our prayer is that our community of faith be a beacon of love and HOPE for anyone who is seeking, looking for answers in this crazy world. We dream of a church with dedicated followers who are compelled to actively lead others on their journey to salvation. We want people to come expecting to encounter Christ, to build a relationship with Him, and to be engaged with others to build redemptive relationships. Our pastors and church staff are here to help disciple our NewHope family so that everyone can engage in serving with their God-given strengths and talents.

More than anything, NewHope church is what you would call, “A GOD THING!” In twenty years, NewHope has grown to a community of faith impacting across the Carolinas and beyond. No doubt, that really is the best way to describe what has happened! In the church’s short time of existence, NewHope has grown to a community of faith of thousands of people who regularly attend one of our Worship Celebrations, Sunday in Durham, and online.  

NewHope welcomed the second Senior Pastor in the church’s history, Adam Bishop, in June of 2023. In just a short amount of time the church has already grown, with 400 to 500 more people attending each Sunday from the previous year. NewHope Worship has also written and published four new worship songs that are being released to the church at large in 2024. God is doing a new work at NewHope and the best days are certainly ahead!

About the Student Pastor:

NewHope Church  is searching for a welcoming and energetic Student Pastor to create a fun and engaging environment for middle and high school students. This role involves leading weekly gatherings, discipling students in their faith journey, and partnering with parents to help teenagers grow in their relationship with Christ.

The Student Pastor's Responsibilities Include: 

• Lead the Wednesday night Student Ministry experience at NewHope Church.

• Launch a new Middle School Ministry for Sunday mornings at NewHope Church.

• Do what’s best for the mission of NewHope Church at all times.

• Be an incredible teammate to the rest of the NewHope staff.

• Fully commit to the 12 core values of being a member of NewHope’s staff team.

• Be the primary communicator for the student ministry while developing a teaching team as well. 

• Report directly to the Executive Pastor and collaborate with him for all leadership decisions within the student ministry.

• Along with the Executive Pastor: envision, execute, and implement structure and ministry programming within our Student Ministry that is in line with our mission.

• Partner with the NewHope kids’ minister to ensure a great transition from Elementary Ministry to Student Ministry at NewHope Church.

• Mobilize students to begin using their gifts to serve both in the church and in the community.

• Lead students into service opportunities through partnering with our local missional partners.

• Provide global missional opportunities for students. 

• Serve on the Sunday teaching team for the main worship services.

• Consistently improve the overall student ministry from one semester to the next.   

What You Bring: 

Education & Experience

• A Bachelor’s Degree is required for this position.

• MA or MDIV from seminary is preferred. 

• 2 years experience in a large student ministry.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven track record of passionately communicating the truth of God’s Word in large environments in a way where it is practical and relevant to the lives of those attending. 

• Proven track record of communicating and teaching the Bible at a high level, engaging students’ hearts and minds in a way that connects with them and their life stage.

• Proven track record of growing a healthy student ministry.

• Proven track record of leading large weekly student worship services.

• Proven track record recruiting, encouraging and retaining Volunteer Leaders.

• Proven track record of clearly communicating to Volunteer Leaders through weekly emails, audio trainings, videos, etc.

• Proven track record of leading a team of over 50 volunteers in a way where they are raving fans of the student ministry.

• Proven track record of incredible communication with parents so that they are raving fans of the student ministry.

• Ability to work locally with schools and community organizations so that NewHope Church can serve families in our community.  

• A team player with solid organizational skills.

• Proven track record of partnering with parents to disciple their middle school and high school kids. 

• A passion and drive for evangelism and reaching the unchurched.

What it's Like to Live in Durham, North Carolina: 

Durham is a dense suburban city in North Carolina consisting of a population of about 270,000. The Durham community is one of the most culturally diverse areas in North Carolina, offering many various dining and entertainment experiences for all to enjoy. The city is perfect for families as well as young professionals, many people are moving to the area to take advantage of access to higher education, affordable real estate, and many family amenities.  Durham is situated between the beach and the mountains, with each being just a couple of hours away. For those who enjoy the urban feel, downtown nightlife and restaurants will not disappoint. There are many urban trails for jogging and biking. For those who enjoy the countryside relaxation, within the outskirts are many parks and landscapes. Durham is also home to nationally ranked college and professional sports such as Duke, UNC, and Durham Bulls Baseball. Because of the great cultural diversity of this community, anyone and everyone is welcome and is guaranteed to find their fun.

Think you're a great fit for this role? Become a candidate below.