PRESENTS

HIGH SCHOOL PASTOR

AT HEARTLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

OLATHE, KS

HeartlandChurch.org



It's like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade. Mark 4:30-32

THE HISTORY

The Heartland journey began in June 1986 when 28 people gathered to plant a church dedicated to reaching people who didn't attend church, think about church, or believe that God mattered. They committed to connecting with those who had never felt the love of God and who looked at church as a place to avoid, not a place of hope. 

They began humbly, with teaching from an ironing board in a family's basement on Sunday mornings. Craig ('Mac') McElvain provided leadership of this organic gathering for nearly 20 years. Through prayer, planning, invitations–and the undeniable movement of God–the church grew steadily and branched out to larger venues to welcome curious people. 

Within two years of its start, Heartland founder's planted their first church. After years in Overland Park and planting six other churches and two nonprofits, Mission Adelante & The Hope Center, Heartland moved to its home in Olathe. After praying, planning, construction, and remodeling of a Sam's Club, Heartland opened its doors in 2009. This new venue was designed with a 25-year plan to ensure the church could continue to grow. 

Dan Deeble followed Mac's succession in January of 2005 and continued to carry on strength through his teaching until officially stepping down in January of 2020. The seeds planted by Heartland's founders have resulted in thousands of baptisms over the years.

THE NUMBERS

At HCC's largest in 2011, the average annual weekly adult attendance was 3,000 people. But COVID had an impact, as attendance declined and giving dropped approximately 20%. Staffing has shifted, some by choice, others by necessity. But its current staff is the heartbeat of Heartland Community Church. They have renewed energy, vision, excitement, and they are 'all in,' committed to the future that God has called for them, and are ready to welcome their next High School Pastor!

VIEW HCC DEMOGRAPHICS HERE

VISION, MISSION, VALUES

Simply put, we are a Jesus-first people, driven by a passion for building relationships, who are constantly pointing our lives out like arrows, and making a generational impact one life, one relationship, and one community at a time. That’s who we are, and who God made us to be!

VISION

Becoming the church among the unchurched.

MISSION

We make space for building relationships to make Jesus first.

CORE VALUES 

Heartland’s core values answer the big WHY question...why we do what we do in the ways that we do it. Our hope is that they are representative of the essence of what it means to be a part of our community.

  • Cultivate Honesty - with yourself, one another, and God
  • Practice Hospitality - wherever you are
  • Develop Holistically - by giving ourselves away
  • Have Fun - take Jesus seriously, including his joy


Heartland is an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a national non-profit accreditation agency with the highest standards of financial integrity and accountability. Heartland is one of just three churches in the Kansas City area to achieve and maintain this level of accreditation.


LEADERSHIP

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing.  Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:18-19

Heartland has most recently been led by Lead Pastor Dan Deeble who grew in popularity and credibility for 15 years. Dan resigned in January of 2020, which transitioned senior leaders (who were also on the HCC teaching team) to share the 'Main Stage' in teaching. After prayerful consideration, a Leadership Task Force was created to shepherd and evaluate the leadership structure process, which ultimately led to a decision to move forward with strength in a 'Lead Team.'

LEAD TEAM

This team is comprised of an equal member of a three pastor 'Lead Team.' Those three areas are

  • Leadership & Teaching
  • Communities & Discipleship
  • Organization & Development

Responsibilities of this team include developing ministries and establishing churchwide priorities that contribute to the big picture vision and establishing systems and policies that allow the church to function most effectively to accomplish its mission. Learn more about Heartland's leadership structure here.

PASTOR OF FAMILY MOVEMENTS

Shibu Mathew has served at Heartland Community Church as the Middle School Pastor and most recently the Pastor of Family Movements since 2004. Shibu oversees move Pastor (MS Ministry) and future MVMT Pastor (HS Ministry). Shibu is a terrific leader, communicator, and team builder.

BECOMING THE CHURCH

WORSHIP

Heartland's Worship provides opportunities for people to experience the grace of Jesus in refreshing ways. This is done predominantly through highlighting creative arts, technical arts, and worshiping through song. Our worship would be described as fully modern or contemporary, regularly leading songs written by Hillsong, Elevation, Bethel, etc. and affords people access to see Jesus in a new way, whether in person or online. Though a smaller team than it once was, we are fortunate to have incredible talent on our worship team.

MISSIONS

Heartland is called to care for the physically and spiritually impoverished in our city and our world by advocating for the at-risk and vulnerable and addressing needs together in community. We are committed to provide training opportunities and on-ramps for people at Heartland to join in God’s mission. Currently we partner with local ministries, communities, schools and churches. These organizations have a similar heart for our city and our world. By partnering together we accomplish more than we could on our own, both within our community and internationally. You can test drive a serving experience that interests you to determine your passion and readiness. We call this an exposure opportunity. Join an existing community (group) that is already serving arrows out. We call this an engagement opportunity.

VIEW HEARTLAND MISSION PARTNERS

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

Gifts from Heart is Heartland's Christmas outreach that has been a part of Heartland for over 20 years. They serve the Olathe schools, ‘Gracious Promise’ and ‘Anchor Her’ prison ministries, their foster care families, and their own community, by sharing God's love through a simple gift.

COMMUNITIES

Across their city, Heartland meets as Communities, groups of 15-30 people who are working out what it means to make space for building relationships to make Jesus first. Communities eat, pray, share their lives, befriend, care, listen, and much more. God is changing lives in exciting ways through this ministry and Heartland is seeing transformation in the homes of Heartlanders and around Kansas City.

VIEW HEARTLAND COMMUNITIES


STUDENTS


Heartland Community Church's family ministries serve infants through high school students, leading the next generation into a personal relationship with Jesus. They remind them of their identity in Jesus through their middle school years and develop a faith of their own in high school as they prepare to launch into the world.

MIDDLE SCHOOL (MOVE)

move is the ministry for 5th– 8th-grade students and meets every Sunday at both the 9 and 11 am services. Besides serving middle school students, move provides leadership and discipleship opportunities to high school students who have a vision for and a desire to disciple move students through their middle school years. With the help of adult leaders, 9th-graders begin leading a group of 5th-grade move students. The goal is that high school coaches and middle school move students stay together for four years and develop in their relationships and discipleship. move is led by Sagan Hundley, Pastor of Middle School Movements, and an amazing team of committed adult leaders.

HIGH SCHOOL (MVMT)

MVMT is the high school ministry of Heartland. It's a highly relational ministry led by a fun, committed, and loving group of adult volunteers. MVMT currently gathers on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 where students are regularly meet Jesus. In spite of a global pandemic, the high school ministry has thrived! They quickly created a COVID response with a website, live stream, and Zoom small groups, and God has blessed the ministry with evangelistic fruit, baptisms, and 22% increased attendance during COVID.

MVMT is gathering in person again and has been since the fall of 2020. When MVMT meets, it’s a collection of students from several different school districts. They gather for teaching, worship, and highly relational small groups. The MVMT leader team is focused on loving high school students with the unconditional love of Jesus.

MVMT has averaged 70 high school students and 17 leaders during the 2020-21 school year. And many MVMT students serve in the middle school and kids ministry. Last summer, MVMT offered an 8-week internship for 24 student interns. This summer, there are 11 interns in the Leadership Training Project summer internship.

So often throughout high school, students are simply trying to hold onto their faith. Heartland Community Church believes God has more for them than to huddle up and hold onto their faith. At MVMT, God invites them to join his movement to redeem, restore, and transform the world.

BELIEFS


STATEMENT OF FAITH

All scripture is self-attesting and being truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible word of God, the sixty-six books of the old and new testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the living word, Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these additional essentials of our faith:

1

We believe in one God, the sovereign creator and sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To him be all honor, glory and praise forever!

2

Jesus Christ, the living word, become flesh through his miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and his virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the scriptures. On the third day he arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the majesty on high, he now is our high priest and mediator.

3

The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the savior. Indwelling our hearts, he gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

4

Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits his righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in his sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

5

The true church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.

6

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly, and bodily–to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)

7

Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the great commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Note: These essential beliefs are drawn from–and set forth in greater detail in–the Westminster Confession of Faith


KANSAS CITY


OLATHE (o lay' tha) is the Shawnee Indian word for "beautiful"

Located twenty miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, along the historic Oregon-California and Santa Fe Trails. Olathe is a suburb of Kansas City with a population of roughly 142,000. Olathe is in Johnson County and is one of the more desirable places to live in Kansas. Living in Olathe offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. Many families and young professionals live in Olathe and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Olathe are highly rated. Parks and trails are numerous, with local lakes and camping nearby. Housing is relatively affordable, with the average price of a home at $290,000.

Being centered in the Bible belt, there is a large protestant Christian influence. The politics are as diverse as the people. While there is a strong influence from the church, there is also growing inclusivity of the LGBTQ community, other religious practices, and races.

The city is composed of several neighborhoods, including the River Market District in the north, the 18th and Vine District in the east, and the Country Club Plaza in the south. Brookside, Waldo, North Kansas City, and other Kansas City-metro area pockets have their own culture, food, and unique nuances that create a vast variety of experiences and people. Celebrated cultural traditions include Kansas City jazz, the most recent Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs and Royals sports franchises, as well as famous cuisine based on Kansas City-style barbecue, steak and craft breweries.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

PASTOR OF HIGH SCHOOL MOVEMENTS

We make space for building relationships to make Jesus first.

Jesus built relationships with everyday, ordinary people from every part of society. Heartland has been doing the same thing since the church started in 1986.

What began as the dream of a handful of people meeting in a basement has grown over 35 years through two campuses, multiple church plants, dozens of local and global initiatives, and thousands of lives changed. We’ve seen God do more than all we can ask or imagine, but we believe God has even more in store. When we look around us at the 2.14M people living in the greater Kansas City area, we hear Jesus’ words to us: “the harvest is plentiful.” So we’re deepening our relationships with one another and opening our lives and living rooms to those furthest from Jesus. That’s not just a commitment; it’s an invitation. Come journey with us and experience what a Jesus-first movement can be.

ROLES

DEVELOPER: a developer of students and adults, causing them to own their own personal clarity and calling in the world. 

PARTNER: a trusted partner with the Pastor of Family Movements (Shibu Mathew) and the Pastor of Middle School Movements (Sagan Hundley)

MOVEMENT LEADER: Jesus led a movement that has cascaded generationally to this day. This role will catalyze initiatives that cascade from one person to another, provide encouragement and support to students,  families, neighborhoods, and local schools.

TEAM BUILDER: invest relationally in students and adults while calling them to do the same with others.

ACTIVATOR: embrace the “both/and” expressions of student ministry: gathered at the physical church building and scattered in relationships across the city.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

LEADERS Lead a disciple-making movement of adults and high school students. Recruit, equip, and unleash leaders in all roles.

PARENTS Help parents to see themselves and function as the primary faith shapers of their kids. Recruit parents to support events and ministry initiatives.

STUDENTS

  • Missionally engage high school students in our city with the love of Jesus! 
  • Implement the Heartland mission statement (“We make space for building relationships to make Jesus first.”) contextually for 9th-12th grade students. 
  • Co-lead the Leadership Training Project with the Pastor of Middle School Movements. 2021 represents the 30thyear of LTP, the summer internship.

DEFINING SUCCESS

This person will exhibit an honest and thriving relationship with Jesus.  The right candidate will

SEEK LIFE-CHANGE IN THEMSELVES AND IN OTHERS

  • Abiding in Jesus as the lead disciple-maker, grounded in the Bible as the main text shaping their life              
  • Through prayer, and commitment to accountable relationships
  • Living an authentic, contagious, and Jesus-first life that others will want

LEAD COLLABORATIVELY AND DECISIVELY

  • Listening for ideas from others and moving the right ones forward
  • Persuading others with grace and conviction
  • Developing relationships with high-level leaders who can make these ideas a reality

SET GOALS AND ACHIEVE RESULTS           

  • Developing “God-sized” and measurable goals
  • Helping others achieve their specific part in it

CONTACT

To find out more about Heartland Community Church, review their website at https://www.heartlandchurch.org/ to learn more about their beliefs, vision, values, and the many ministries of the church.

If, after a thorough investigation, you sense that this would be a good fit for you, contact Gregg Farah at 646-335-3342 or gfarah@slingshotgroup.org.