PRESENTS
HIGH SCHOOL & YOUNG ADULT PASTOR
AT SPRING HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH - SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA
www.springhills.org
SNAPSHOT
Spring Hills is a thriving non-denominational church with Baptist roots located on a breathtaking 30-acre vineyard in Santa Rosa, California. Their passion for making a difference in their community is evident by their incredible community events and partnerships with local churches and para church organizations. Prior to Covid, approximately 1500 people attended their weekend services.
Spring Hills is poised for growth and they are beyond excited for a fun and highly relational High School and Young Adult Pastor to join their team. They’re looking for someone who is passionate about high school students and young adults. The high school & young adult pastor position is an exciting opportunity because momentum is growing and there is a solid foundation on which to build.
HISTORY & CURRENT
Bret and Eve Avlakeotes started Spring Hills Community Church in a rented facility on Easter Sunday in 1992 and never looked back. For 30 years, the church has served as a beacon of hope for a population that is largely post-Christian. They are a bedrock in the community of Santa Rosa. With a rich history and firm foundation, Spring Hills continued to grow in the rented facility but in 2000, they began looking for a permanent home.
And in 2005, the leaders at Spring Hills took a leap of tremendous faith by purchasing their current property and planning and construction began. Their first service was on Easter Sunday in 2010. In the preceding years, they experienced tremendous growth, both numerically and spiritually.
Spring Hills is somewhat unique in their community as it leans conservative both theologically and politically in a more liberal, post Christian culture. They offer a contemporary expression of church, with a modern worship approach and a high level of reverence and love for the word of God and strong biblical teaching.
Spring Hills experienced many changes during the pandemic and while it was not ideal for a weekend attendance, they did see incredible spiritual growth in the lives of their people. The church family has a renewed passion to share the Gospel and disciple new believers more than ever before! Discipleship through small groups from children to adults, is at the core of their DNA. Plans to expand and utilize their breathtaking outdoor spaces as well as retrofitting their cold storage building for their future 1,500 seat auditorium are underway and they are excited to see what God will do in this next chapter of ministry!
SHCC is poised to make a dramatic impact for the Kingdom in the years to come. Currently, on average, 850 people gather each week to worship together and experience God in a deeper way. There is a strong sense of hope for the future and where God is leading and taking this core group of believers in their desire to reach and serve the Santa Rosa Area.
The High School & Young Adult Pastor position is a perfect fit for someone who values collaboration and wants to be a part of a fun team that feels like family and has an all hands on deck approach to ministry. The team is healthy and highly relational. They are on mission together and there is no doubt about it!
Check out Spring Hills 30th Anniversary Celebration Message to learn more about the history and future vision of the church.
MISSION VALUES BELIEFS
MISSION
Our missIon and prayer for each person in Sonoma County is to come to Jesus, grow in faith, discover their purpose and make a difference.
Come to Jesus We consider reaching people who do not know Jesus as their Savior to be one of our greatest responsibilities. Our weekend services are for people at all stages in their spiritual journey but are primarily designed for those who do not yet have a genuine relationship with God through Jesus.
Grow in Faith We believe life change happens in the context of relationships. Small Groups have one simple purpose: to bring people together. God created us to live in community with others, and it is only then that we can experience the full life He intends for us.
Discover Your Purpose The Spring Hills Growth Track exists to help you discover and develop your purpose and live the full life God created for you. The Growth Track is made up of four steps, which guide you through next steps in your journey to know God, connect to Spring Hills, discover your purpose, and make a difference.
Make a Difference All of us were created by God to make a difference in the world around us. God has a place for you where your unique abilities and passions can impact the lives of others. We believe your life will never make sense until you find, develop, and fulfill your purpose.
STAFF VALUES
Love God
We develop our closeness with God, character, and calling
Love People
We’re a servant, team player, and real
Pursue Excellence
We do things well, before we’re asked, and more than expected
Choose Joy
We’re enjoyable, positive, and loyal
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The core beliefs of Spring Hills can be found HERE.
MINISTRY APPROACH
PROGRAMMING
High School Students currently gather weekly and young adults gather monthly for their main programming times. In addition, the groups engage in service projects, camps/retreats, mission trips and will do special events from time to time as well.
HIGH SCHOOL
Spring Hills Youth has a solid foundation in place due to the dynamic leadership of Jonathan Knapp, the current student pastor who is stepping into their new Associate Pastor role which includes the oversight of NextGen. SH's heart for students comes out of Psalm 92:12-15. They want to see students thriving in an authentic relationship with God, and connected to the local church. Their goal is aligned with the overall church; to help students Come to Jesus, Grow in Faith, Discover their Purpose, and Make a Difference.
There is a strong, core group of leaders who highly support the ministry, culture and mission. They believe that small groups are the key to spiritual development and partnering with parents is crucial to the success of their ministry. The overall vibe is welcoming, deeply meaningful and fun. The ministry environments are perfectly set up to target 9th - 12th graders.
On Sundays, High School students attend the adult services and are encouraged to serve so that they can learn what it means to be planted in the local church. During the week, high school students are invited to attend MOTION, an outdoor event with fun games, food trucks, powerful worship and a message designed just for them. MOTION night is a great opportunity for high school students to grow in their faith and connect with their team of leaders as well as other students their age. MOTION Night serves as a strategic funnel into weekly small group opportunities. There are currently 60-70 high school students who attend MOTION.
SMALL GROUPS
Spring Hills Youth takes a relational approach to how they organize ministry. They believe that growth and discipleship happens best in relationship. Therefore, they are a ministry of small groups not centered around one student pastor, but many small group leaders who are strongly connected to their students.
Last summer, Spring Hills Youth took 50 junior high and high school students to camp! Check out this recap of all of their adventures. Many students made first time decisions for Christ or rededicated their lives! Check out the awesome recap video HERE.
YOUNG ADULTS {AGES 18-24}
Spring Hills Young Adult Ministry is just getting off the ground with a core group of 24-30 gathering monthly for great food, engaging worship, small groups and a relevant "Ted Talk" format teaching. The ministry seeks to help teens and young adults grow deeper in their faith while strengthening relationships with one another and those outside of the church by creating engaging environments for young adults . With a local university and junior college nearby, the potential to grow this ministry is endless.
SOCIAL
LEADERSHIP
Spring Hills church government is made up of two groups:
1. Guided by the STAFF
The Ministry Staff team is led by Pastor Bret. This team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church. The Spring Hills Staff serve the congregation and are responsible for the development of the spiritual life of the church.
2. Protected by the BOARD
Their Board is made up of members of the congregation that oversee the finances and direct the provision of the facilities needed by the church. They provide counsel to the Senior Pastor regarding the major financial commitments of the church.
Lead Pastor, Bret Avlakeotes
Bret and his wife Eve, started SHCC in 1992. Beyond great stability, Bret brings a pragmatic approach as the Lead Pastor. Clarity, focus and purpose are easily found as the church culture reflects the vision and communication that starts at the top.
His leadership style is that of an orchestrator. He likes to pass the baton and see the team come together. His passion isn’t about the detail but rather about the impact. He likes to express expectations and then let go. Bret has a passion for the next generation and cares about the quality and direction of the Youth Ministry. He looks for a collaborative process with the staff team to produce a holistic approach to the ministry.
Associate Pastor, Jonathan Knapp
Jon is a diplomatic leader who prefers to make decisions with team involvement. He prioritizes the team feeling included, engaged, and motivated to contribute and when necessary will make the overall decision for the team. Jon welcomes creativity and working together to come up with ideas for the success of the ministry. He is not a micro-manager and prefers to delegate responsibilities to team members who display competence and gifting in those areas. Jon is more inclined to look at the big picture and and relies on team members to help iron out details.
CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY
SOLID FOUNDATION
Spring Hills Youth Ministry has a solid foundation to build upon. The new high school and young adult pastor will be charged with the opportunity to build upon this foundation and continue to relationally invest in leaders, families and students to maximize a culture that is both invitational and biblically relevant. This position provides a phenomenal opportunity to for the leader to leverage their influence to speak into and strengthen the transition from high school into "adulting."
VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP
Spring hills youth takes a relational approach to how they organize youth ministry. They believe that growth and discipleship happens best in relationship. Therefore, they are a ministry of small groups not centered around one student pastor, but many small group leaders who are strongly connected to their students. As SH Youth continues to grow, it is imperative that the new pastor builds upon this ministry structure that is scalable to grow with the church. This primarily happens through the recruitment, training and empowerment of the small group leaders for both students and young adults.
TEACHER-COMMUNICATOR
SH's new High School& Young Adult Pastor must have strong skills to communicate in a relevant and engaging way, as well as a deep and personal understanding of scripture. While SH's will say that small groups are the main focus of the church, their close second is a commitment to sound biblical teaching. The new pastor needs to be more concerned with spiritual growth and less about numbers. They believe that ministry should be FUN and challenging.
CULTURE & CHEMISTRY
The greatest challenge awaiting the new pastor will likely be related to culture and chemistry. Because of the unique culture of Spring Hills, one will need to identify with high school students as well as their parents, at a meaningful level. They believe parents play a huge part in influencing their student’s faith and so resourcing, and partnering with parents needs to continue to be a priority. As would be expected, the new pastor will need to earn the trust and admiration of families. He will obviously influence change, and in doing so will need to connect with the current leaders and work together toward future plans and ways of doing ministry.
RELATIONAL BUILDER
The Young Adult Ministry is just getting off the ground and needs a highly motivated, relational leader to essentially build this ministry from the ground up by finding creative ways to reach and engage young adults in the nearby community; including the local junior college and university.
Perhaps the greatest need in Young Adult Ministry is a highly relational person who puts people in front of the process, but still maintains an eye-on-the-prize of the organizational objectives. Though it is impossible to have relationships with each person in the ministry, the desire is to have a leader who has a natural relational draw and the ability to make people feel known.
The new leader should not only be a person who desires to reach high school students and young adults, but has the ability to equip and empower other leaders to do the same.
LOCATION & DEMOGRAPHICS
What’s it like to live in Santa Rosa, California? Just 55 miles north of San Francisco, Santa Rosa is at the heart of all that Sonoma County has to offer. Its thriving downtown boasts three distinct shopping districts, five historic residential neighborhoods, arts and culture, events, great restaurants, famous chefs, wine tasting rooms, brew pubs, and a comfortable inviting atmosphere.
Santa Rosa is home to a museum that celebrates famed cartoonist Charles M. Schulz’s life and work, and colorful street sculptures of Peanuts characters can be throughout the city and on the museum’s campus is Snoopy’s Home Ice. Nearby you'll find the interactive Children's Museum of Sonoma County.
Sonoma County boasts more than 50 state and regional Parks. Enjoy Armstrong Redwoods, hike around Spring Lake, bike in Trione-Annadel State Park, marvel at the Pacific Coast, find Salt Point, or discover Jack London State Historic Park. Sonoma County offers many beautiful nature parks, with so many opportunities for outdoor activities. Plus, an astonishing variety of gardens flourish in Sonoma County, and many are open to visitors.
Sonoma County is an incredible place to do ministry as there are so many people that need to hear about and know the love of Christ.
You can visit https://www.srcity.org/ and http://www.city-data.com/city/Santa-Rosa-California.html to learn more.
GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION
High School / Young Adults Pastor (9th -12th grades & Young Adults)
Summary:
To continually create vision and provide leadership for a ministry to high school students and young adults so that unbelievers come to Christ and Christians are built up in their faith.
Essential Responsibilities:
• Oversee the vision, health, and growth of Spring Hills Youth (9th-12th grade) and Spring Hills Young Adults.
• Teach and apply God’s word to Youth and Young Adults at weekly gatherings.
• Recruit, Interview, Train and Encourage the Volunteers for both ministries.
• Oversee all Small Groups related to High School and Young Adults- including tracking numerical and spiritual growth.
• Responsible for planning fun, community building events regularly.
• Develop initiatives to reach and disciple young adults in the surrounding community
• Lead and plan winter and summer camp opportunities for High School and Young Adults.
• Plan and execute, with Associate Pastor and student team, the annual YTHX Conference
• Responsible to resource parents with biblical content in the face of current culture.
• Responsible to formulate the annual ministry budgets and spend appropriately.
• Plan alongside Missions team- mission opportunities and trips for Spring Hills Youth & Young Adults.
• Share general pastoral duties at the church and any other task assigned.
Non-Essential Responsibilities:
- 1.Use teaching gift to edify the church body through preaching and teaching at weekend services.
- 2.Serve on the Adventure Week Team to plan and execute Adventure Week.
- 3.Perform other duties assigned by Associate Pastor.
Spiritual Qualifications:
1. Must have a personal relationship and be a committed follower of Jesus Christ.
2. Must regard the Bible as authoritative for life and the faith.
3. Must practice spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship, and giving.
4. Must hold to the mission, vision, and values of Spring Hills Church
Skills:
· Proficiency in computer skills including Word and Excel.
· Basic skills with production technology.
· Excellent verbal and written communication.
· Commitment to good interpersonal relationships, teamwork and support of church ministries, and a pleasant personality.
· Commitment to confidentiality regarding all records, both of the church and staff, and the members.
· Self Starter.
· Flexible.
Education/Experience
· Minimum of bachelor’s degree.
· Prior experience with students and young adults is preferred.
CONTACT
To find out more, please visit www.springhills.org to review core beliefs, vision and values and the 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 email your information current resume HERE.
Christine Kreisher // [email protected]