Worship Pastor
REDEEMER CHURCH
Rockford, IL
OUR STORY
Launched in March of 2003, Harvest Bible Chapel Rockford was born out of a season of prayer and preparation. In October 2007 the church purchased a building and property in Loves Park, a suburb of Rockford and is making a tremendous impact for The Kingdom. In 2020 the church name was officially changed to Redeemer Church.
Redeemer is a church on the move. Their commitment to building a welcoming community of people who are passionate about following Jesus permeates everything they do as a church. Their ministries are aligned around the central goal of discipleship and their staff functions as a unified team in a culture of openness and health. The church has a thriving Student and Kids ministry and fantastic facilities as well.
Redeemer has been under the leadership of Senior Pastor, John Dirkse, since 2005. His heart is to proclaim the Word of God without apology, and to lift high the name of Jesus in worship. These are his central focus as he leads Redeemer.
Pastor John and his staff team are dreaming big dreams for the future. They are excited to see lives transformed by the power of the Gospel.
Meet Pastor John and Betsey Dirkse
MISSION
The mission of Redeemer Church is to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
OUR 4 PILLARS
Proclaiming the authority of God’s Word without apology
"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2
Lifting high the name of Jesus through worship
"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24
Believing firmly in the power of prayer
"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18
Sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness
"And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." Ephesians 6:19-20
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our Doctrine
Our Distinctives
LEADERSHIP
The leadership of Redeemer is strong, dynamic and healthy. Senior Pastor John Dirkse sets the tone for the culture of health along with his pastoral staff and a terrific team of elders. Pastor John is a gifted communicator who has a deep conviction for preaching and teaching the Word of God. As a former worship leader he brings a deep value of the power of the local church gathering together for corporate worship and the relationship of worship to discipleship.
John has been married to his wife, Betsey, since 1993. These former west coasters have five adult children, four of whom are married: Luke (Megan), Lauren (Andrew), Emma (Gabe) and Olivia. They also have two grandchildren. In 1981 the Lord radically changed John’s life and ever since he has had an unwavering desire to share the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone he meets. John experienced his call to ministry in 1988 at The Master’s University under the ministry of Dr. John MacArthur. In 1993 John graduated from The Master’s Seminary. Having served in both youth and worship, John and Betsey moved their family to Rockford, IL in 2005 and he has been the Senior Pastor of Redeemer Church ever since.
Redeemer believes the Bible teaches in a plurality of elders leadership in the local church. The Senior Pastor is the only paid staff elder. They currently have 8 non staff elders, 1 elder in training, and 5 staff pastors. Although they view all our staff pastors as elders by definition and role, the senior pastor is the only paid staff that votes on our elder board. The elder board operates and makes decisions for the church with unanimity.
Redeemer has a deacon ministry who serve and lead areas of the church such as hospitality, security and missions but deacons do not have any governing authority.
Redeemer is seeking a gifted and skilled leader to serve as their next Worship Pastor. This person will be a Shepherd to those serving in the Worship Ministry. They will work to develop a church wide worship culture that can help to elevate other leaders and eventual campus worship leaders. Their next leader is highly relational and is a good builder. They value songs that are rooted in deep and solid theology and know how to steward a moment when the church is together for worship. The right leader will be skilled musically and know how to develop those around them bringing out the best in them.
Redeemer celebrates a culture built over time. This culture embraces staff unity and collaboration, honesty and trust. In light of this, the Redeemer team understands the value of longevity and the commitment from staff to go the distance. Credibilty and relational equity with people is developed over time. This church is seeking out a leader who understands this and will commit to partner with them for a number of years.
Pastor John - Preaching Examples
MEET THE REDEEMER STAFF
CULTURE
Talking with any member of the staff team at Redeemer, one word will rise to the surface: Discipleship. Every ministry in the church flows through their Path of Discipleship. You will find people who are thirsty for God, who seek to know Him through careful study of His Word. You will see people who are filled with worship in their hearts and hungry to express it to God in song. You will find a balance between freedom in worship and Gospel-center teaching.
Redeemer Church has established four pillars as the biblical priorities for ministry:
1. Proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology. (2 Timothy 4:2)
2. Lifting high the name of Jesus through worship. (John 4:24)
3. Believing firmly in the power of prayer. (Ephesians 6:18)
4. Sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
In worship, Redeemer embraces substance over flash. They embrace a tasteful use of AVL technology, but those elements serve to compliment the purpose of their service and help to enhance the worship experience for the congregation. There is an openness to added creativity in worship that will help to serve the greater purpose of connecting the congregation to God. There is a desire to develop a writing team that creates church-focused original songs for the church as well.
Currently, Redeemer holds three Sunday morning worship gatherings: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00am. All services are broadcast live to their website as well as Facebook and YouTube pages. Their services are band driven and flow from contemporary music to cherished hymns, leaning more towards contemporary. Their current band setup is: keys, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and drums with a strong rotation of vocalists. They utilize Multitrack stems and in-ear monitoring. When a new leader is in place they are looking for consistent leadership with a future goal of involving other leaders on the platform during services. Their Technical Director oversees a team of volunteers who serve behind the scenes as a valued part of the worship team.
There is high value placed on engagement in the worship gathering at Redeemer. They desire to lift up the name of Jesus Christ during worship and to prepare the people for a strong proclamation of the Word of God. They seek to do everything with excellence to honor God with their best efforts.
Redeemer places a very high value on engaging the lives of the current and next generation of kids and students. Redeemer Kids exists to unite church and home in glorifying God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission. To that end, they read, pray and sing together as God's people. What they do on Sundays, they encourage parents to support at home. From family worship to weekly questions for parents to engage their kids with to focused prayer with their kids, Redeemer's aim is to support parents in the spiritual leadership of their kids and partner with them to build strong families.
On the fourth and fifth Sundays of the month, Redeemer has Family Worship Sundays. They believe that a crucial part of a child's discipleship is seeing the older attenders worshipping, praying, and learning together; so on these ending Sundays of the month they provide childcare for infants-pre-k, but the kindergarten through 5th grade children will attend worship with their family in the main auditorium.
As students enter 4th and 5th grade, they want to be working to prepare them for their teenage years, building healthy community and relationships. Redeemer has monthly events designed to promote these relationships, and to strengthen bonds, as the students graduate into Redeemer Students.
Redeemer Students is a group that loves Jesus Christ and exists to praise Him! They desire to push students towards loving Christ, and to support parents as they do the same. From winter and summer camps, mission trips, serving opportunities, student-led prayer, discipleship groups and weekly meetings, they aim to create an environment where students thrive in Christ. Student Ministries meet on Wedensday evenings giving them the opportunity to worship with their familes and other adults on the weekend. You will see students serving all around the church on Sunday mornings as an outgrowth of Redeemer’s Path of Discipleship.
Life Groups and Outreach Ministry are both key expressions of this Gospel-driven church. Redeemer is committed to making disciples who make disciples. This is where Life Groups come in. They are an ideal, smaller context for pursuing spiritual growth with other believers who share a commitment to radical life change through an application-oriented study of God’s word, accountability, and prayer. Redeemer also maintains an active presence both locally and globally in their mission to fulfill the Great Commission by sending people out into the world to be salt and light, hands and feet. In addition to this, Redeemer has established a strong focus on adoption ministry and supporting families who choose to trust God in this area of need within our culture.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Redeemer is blessed to have not only a terrific pastor, staff and empowering elder team, but also a committed group of servant leaders within the Worship Arts (worship/tech) ministry who continue to selflessly give of themselves. The culture of the worship ministry at Redeemer Church is healthy. In sixteen years under Pastor John the church has known two Worship Pastors. They are looking for their next leader to build on this strong foundation of longevity. They are looking for a committed, invested, spiritual and musical leader to build and shepherd a strong team of disciples who lead worship. This next leader understands the importance of developing the next generation of worship leaders and will spend time pouring into them through discipleship and musical development.
This person will bring overall leadership to the worship ministry of Redeemer. They will serve as the primary worship leader who will also develop those around them into leaders. Their presence on stage and ability to engage the congregation in dynamic, joy-filled, Christ-exalting, Spirit-led worship with excellence will be a key component. This person will work closely with the Lead Pastor and Technical Director in the growth and expansion of creativity to build and create intentional weekend services.
The right leader will lead with a great sense of spiritual awareness and a shepherd's heart to lead the team and congregation into genuine and participative worship. They will lead through a creative lens that recognizes the culture they are living and serving in with an awareness of how to engage the heart of those who attend across cultural and generational lines. Their ability to incorporate various styles of worship music and creativity into what Redeemer is already doing is of high value. This leader must possess the ability to "read the room" and pastor moments through exhorting/encouragement, speaking into moments as appropriate and leading the Church in more than just songs but a meaningful, Jesus-centered, worship encounters. They will value excellence and the stewardship of gifts and lead their team with an evangelistic heart for the lost. These characteristics cannot be overstated. Pastor John wants a leader who will serve as a partner to shoulder the spiritual leadership of worship gatherings with him. The right person will have an awareness of the spiritual atmosphere in worship and be able to respond under the leadership of Pastor John and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The staff culture places high value on collaboration. The next Worship Pastor will embrace the chance to speak into other ministries of the church while also receiving ideas and feedback in the area of music and worship. Their ability to partner with their staff teammates around ideas that will impact the whole of Redeemer and not just their area of ministry is key.
There is a strong desire for Redeemer to develop other campuses or plant and resources local churches in the future. The next Worship Pastor will be highly involved in developing leaders and worship culture at these churches. This is an incredible place to grow and expand in both influence and leadership while making a tremendous Kingdom impact for years to come under the leadership of a dynamic, godly leader and partnered with a terrific staff!
LOCATION
Redeemer Church is located in the Loves Park suburb of Rockford, IL. This is the northern part of Rockford, an area experiencing growth and development. This region has equally quick access to Chicago, Milwaukee, WI and Madison, WI with all of the unique sporting events, activities and cultural opportunities those inviting cities have to offer. Rockford is a city of nearly 175,000 in population with a high concentration of automobile and aerospace engineering.
It is a city of hard-working, family-oriented people. You will find a slower pace in Rockford from some of the larger surrounding cities. Sixty percent of the city is home-schooled. It is a city that has a respect for God and the Church.
JOB TITLE: Worship Pastor
REPORTS TO: Senior Pastor
STATUS: Exempt
JOB SUMMARY
Develop worship ideas, creating a plan for services, select and arrange music, create song charts, record and prepare background music and click tracks. Schedule, rehearse, coach, and develop musicians. Disciple, shepherd, and pastor worship team members, and provide encouragement and prayer. Act as a consultant for the Associate Pastor and Youth Pastor in the building of their teams and worship ideas. Identify future worship leaders. Ensure maintenance of musical instruments. Develop and maintain worship budget. Perform pastoral responsibilities, such as weddings and funerals as assigned.
Responsible to comply with the guidelines and requirements of the Redeemer Church of Rockford Employee Manual.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Develop worship ideas, creating a plan for Sunday and special services/events. Select, write and/or arrange music for services.
2. Create song charts and written arrangements for the musicians to follow. Record and prepare background music, click tracks, and loops/multi-tracks for services.
3. Schedule worship teams utilizing Planning Center Online and rehearse the musicians and vocalist providing vision, leadership and direction.
4. Audition and select musicians and vocalist and coach and develop the worship team members.
5. Disciple, shepherd, and pastor worship team members. Provide encouragement and prayer individually and through worship team gatherings or events.
6. Officiate special services, such as weddings, baptisms and funerals, as requested.
7. Act as a consultant for the Associate Pastor and Youth Pastor, providing advice regarding the worship portion of their services and/or events.
8. Develop and maintain excellence in all worship areas, such as Sunday and special events.
9. Ensure the maintenance of all musical instruments by identifying the appropriate people to routinely maintain and repair and/or tune the instruments as necessary.
10. Identify and develop worship leaders for adult and student ministries, future church plants, and other campuses.
11. Attend and contribute to pastor meetings to ensure cohesiveness leadership across all ministries.
12. Integrate and implement the Path of Discipleship strategy throughout the worship ministry
HIRING REQUIREMENTS
- A growing relationship with Christ and agreement with the mission and vision of Redeemer Church of Rockford.
- Understanding of musical arrangement and composition helpful.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and rehearse band members for worship experiences.
- Knowledge of computer applications, such as Ableton, ProPresenter, Logic or ProTools, Apple/Mac products.
- Proficient verbal and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks and manage time effectively under the pressure of time constraints.
- Demonstrated problem-solving and organizational skills.
- Willingness to complete the criminal background check process.
CONTACT
Ready to take the next step?
To find out additional information about Redeemer Church or to watch a weekend service, please visit https://redeemerrockford.church.
If, after prayerfully reviewing this information, you sense this role and church culture could be a good fit for you, please contact Brian Tabor or Andy Frank via email by clicking a link below.