PRESENTS

Creative Director

Northpointe Community Church

Lansing, Michigan

northpointecc.org

ABOUT

Northpointe Community Church is all about helping people move toward a life fully devoted to Jesus.  Their approach and mission is simple and straight-forward; it guides all that they do: help all people move to a life fully devoted to Jesus.

"They take seriously the call to reach the lost, make disciples, help people grow, and to equip them to reproduce that relationship in Jesus. Their vision is that every person who calls Northpointe home would regularly be sharing what Jesus is doing in their lives in their sphere of influence. That concept of "Own - See - Share" was rolled out in September 2020 with the vision that Northpointe would be known as the church where everybody talks about how Jesus is changing their life."

“We try not to take ourselves too seriously, though.  It’s fun to work here,” says Lead Pastor, Rick Ruble. 

“Fun” might be a differentiator that sets this staff team apart from many.  This group enjoys working together, and having each other’s back. “We don’t have to be best friends, but whoever joins our team needs to know that there is a love for one another here that is tempered and refined,” says Chris Carter.

WHO

The church is over one hundred years old, and yet there is a new and fresh vitality about the mission and vision that is playing out at Northpointe. Rick came to lead the team in 2014, and since then the church has helped feed 120,000 people in Haiti, 10,000 in the greater Lansing area, and sponsored 120 children and helped plant a new church in Ecuador. This a church that is impacting its community and the world with the Gospel.

The church transitioned to a contemporary worship format nearly twenty years ago.  A typical five-piece band leads the congregation with a backup singer to complement harmony lines for the worship leader.  Gone are the days of large ‘vocal teams’ across the front of the stage.

Those in the region who are used to a more denominational church are surprised by the contemporary nature of what is going on most Sundays. There is a desire for those in attendance to have a worship experience. This is unique for the churched-community in Lansing with a strong sense of tradition and denominationalism.


WORSHIP & PRODUCTION

“I would say that most in our congregation, and even our guests, would say that our worship ministry is strong,” says Rick, “but those of us on staff and in leadership know that we have reached a ceiling with our volunteer leadership.”  This is understandable, knowing that they’ve been without a leader for several years.  “It is time to freshen up the sound, build pipelines of volunteers, and raise a new generation of worship leaders and musicians.”

“We are doing well with what we have but have much room to grow,” says Rick. “Our music is strong but the team is small. We have made vast improvements over the last two years in the visual aspects of worship (lighting, presentation software, transitions, video production, sound).” There is a consistent and committed team that is looking to take steps forward in expertise. With this hire the team is hoping to develop the online presence to a fuller extent.

There is a part-time worship leader who functions in this role on weekends. There is also a part-time tech director whose role will finish once this position is hired.

The team is optimistic, and is dreaming about the future; however, there is a sense on the team that it doesn’t all ride just on the next hire.  The volunteer leaders have done a great job of leading the ministry together, but it is time to take the next step.  “We have a desire to be more creative and grow in all areas,” says Rick.


Lansing

A diverse metro area of approximately 500,000

Home to Michigan State (go Sparty!)

Read more about the city of Lansing here.


ABOUT THE ROLE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

About the Role

The Creative Director will oversee all aspects of worship and creative ministry at Northpointe, but the online digital presence is a key factor of focus in this next step.  “We need a team-mate who speaks digital natively,” says Rick. “We know there is much to be done as we continue to take steps there.

Is this You?
Are you a creative who can think strategically about the next steps, build teams to execute a vision, and who loves the local church?

To see the full Job Description CLICK HERE



Q & A with
Senior Pastor Rick Ruble


How would you best describe the condition of your current worship/technical/production ministry? Healthy – strong small team musically, committed small team in the tech area. Lighting system is fifteen years behind – it’s functional but limited. Musically, we’re strong.

What specific ministry areas will this position oversee?  All of worship/creative arts AND online ministry including social media. We currently have a part-time Director of Worship that leads and oversees the musical aspects of worship. We have a short-term part-time technical director that covers sound, projection, lights, video production, and uploading of services.

What is the general consensus of your staff about these ministries in your church? We are doing well with what we have but have much room to grow. Music is strong but the team is small. We have made vast improvements over the last two years in the visual aspects of worship (lighting, presentation software, transitions, video production, sound). We have consistent and committed members of the tech team that are willing but can grow in their technical expertise. Our online presence is a fraction of what it can and should become.

Are you hoping to see changes in these ministries with this new hire? Yes.

What is your church’s philosophy regarding reaching people who are de-churched, unchurched, or anti-church?

Grace rather than condemnation.

Humor tears down a lot of walls.

Build bridges and remove as many cultural barriers as possible so that the compelling nature of the gospel shines through clearly.

Create a safe place to ask questions for those who are searching.

Does your church’s website state the mission, vision, values and key distinctives of your church? If so can you provide the link here? Yes - https://northpointecc.org/welcome/who-we-are/

How does worship or the arts play a part in reaching people? Authentic, compelling worship draws people to God even if they don’t “get it.” That means quality, relevance, and engagement at the highest level we’re capable of. That means fresh expressions and a sense of expectation are critical each week. There is encouragement for the artists to be involved in the community and to play outside of the walls of Northpointe.

What is your annual church budget? About $1,000,000

How many full-time pastors do you currently have? 3 full-time – Lead Pastor, Connections Pastor, Family Life Pastor

How many people currently serve in the technical/production ministry? 9 (nine)


Are there any other paid roles within the technical/production ministry? Part-time position providing leadership is temporary and will cease when a FT person is hired.

Who will this person report to? Lead Pastor


Are there other ministries (besides all church gatherings) that are dependent on the tech/production ministry? Please briefly describe. Tech ministry provides video support for other ministries on an as-needed basis - i.e., promotion & celebration videos for special events. Tech ministry would provide leadership and oversee equipment usage for Student Ministry events and Celebrate Recovery

Are there particular assessment tools that you prefer when exploring potential staff people? DISC, StrengthFinders, Enneagram

How long has senior leadership been serving in your church? Lead Pastor since 2014, Connections Pastor since 2011, Family Life Pastor since 2016, Community Impact 2016

How would you describe your church’s governance? Staff led, elder protected. Functionally the staff has responsibility for all day-to-day ministry with the elders responsible for the overall spiritual health and shepherding of the church.

Are you affiliated with a particular denomination or association of churches? If so, what websites could one investigate to gain further understanding? No – independent, non-denominational

What are the key doctrinal and theological issues where alignment is essential?

Authority of Scripture

Jesus was both fully God and fully man

Salvation can only come through Jesus

God’s design is that believers live in unity. That doesn’t mean everyone agrees on everything, but it does mean that when there are differing views there is harmony. Differing opinions drive us to better understand Scripture (rather than a denominational position or a human authority) rather than as an argument that is to be won or lost

Life transformation happens best in the context of relationships

What is your average adult weekend attendance? Pre-COVID, 375-400 adults

In general, what is your church demographic? White racially, trade and service industries vocationally, middle class economically, intergenerational – balance in kids, young families, mid-age families, older adults

Is there more than one site or venue? If so, please describe No, although we are viewing our online experience as a new venue/campus.

What percentage (approximately) of people in your church have been a Christian for 5 years or less? 15%

How many current staff members have been there 3 years or more? 7 – Lead (2014), Connections (2011), Family Life (2016), Community Impact (2016),  Worship (2018 part-time & two years previous part-time), PreSchool (2017), Front Office Administrative (2003)

What is your church known for in the community? Community impact, relationships (life groups), not taking ourselves too seriously

Does your church lean toward being an intrinsic (internal focused) or extrinsic (outreach focused) church? 60% extrinsic

What are the standing weekly meetings this role is expected to attend? Monday morning WISP (wins, issues, schedules, prayer needs), one-on-one with Lead Pastor, Thursday pm rehearsal with band, being a part of a Life Group

What adjectives would you use to describe the staff culture? Independent, flexible, collaborative, gracious, inquisitive, motivated, risk-tolerant

What’s this other position “Online Pastor” about? We need someone who speaks social media as their native language, who can use social media and virtual connections to engage people who are more comfortable in a virtual setting than live setting (whether because of COVID or some other reason), and who is passionate about helping people take next steps spiritually in the online/virtual context.


CONTACT

Ready to take the next step?

To find out additional information about Northpointe, please visit their website and social media pages to discover their core beliefs, vision and values and to learn about many other ministries of the church.

If, after prayerfully reviewing this information, you sense this role and church culture could be a good fit for you, please contact Dave Miller below


Dave Miller