What is the congregation’s or organization’s vision for ministry? Additionally describe how this vision is lived out.
Our vision is to share God’s love and shine God’s light. Our heartbeat is Sunday worship where we choose radical welcome and wrap ourselves in God’s love. We cherish this time to learn, breathe, hope, connect and laugh. We also embrace creative and multigenerational forms of Christian education. Like most congregations, our ability to gather and connect has been impacted by the pandemic and compounded by the loss of our pastor. We are doing our best to keep people engaged while we search for the new pastor God has chosen for us. We see a bright future with people returning to the pews, new members joining and a restoration to the vibrant and growing congregation we were two short years ago.
We shine God’s light by sharing our abundance and showing compassion as Jesus taught. We have a dedicated Member Care Team that is a trusted source of support for our members. In our community we support the Back to School Fair, donate to the local food pantry and run a free clothes closet in our building. We have hosted monthly free community meals, helped a neighbor make costly home repairs and donated $10,000 to a foundation to fund emotional/mental wellness screenings in our school district. We support the work of Winnebago Presbytery, serve on committees and participate in the four major mission offerings of the PC (USA). We have purchased a garden well and latrines through the Presbyterian Giving Catalogue and donated mission funds to help re-settle Afghan refugees.
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How do you feel called to reach out to address the emerging needs of your community or constituency?
While the Village of Winneconne is a small community with a small town feel, it is a growing community. This is in large part due to our award winning school district which draws young families to the area. These families are pulled in many directions with activities & weekend sports & their connection to the local churches is not as strong as it could be. Some families that are more involved in churches travel to nearby communities to find larger congregations with more active youth programs.
We want to positively impact the lives of all in our community by demonstrating Christ’s inclusive love, forgiveness & salvation. This is needed now more than ever as our world has become more troubled & deeply divided. In this time we want to be a place of welcome and refuge that attracts people of all ages and backgrounds. We want to shine God’s light in the dark places.
We recognize that in order to accomplish our mission, we need to attract & retain membership that reflects the age demographics of our community. We also realize this is critical to our continued vitality. We will always honor the wisdom & experience of seasoned members who have deep roots in this church and in our community. Yet we feel called to gather more people of all ages into the salvation of Christ, diversify our collective thought & secure our future by growing the congregation.
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How will this position help you to reach your vision and mission goals?
We seek a pastor who will provide education & inspiration from the pulpit. In this era of virtual church & live streaming of worship, we know that the pulpit extends well beyond the sanctuary. The pandemic gave us new opportunities to reach people “where they are”, which isn’t necessarily inside the church building on Sunday morning. We want to remain anchored in our heritage and customs, while being challenged to look at ourselves and our service in ways we have not in the past. We hope for a pastor that will lead us through this time of transition and develop innovative ways to share God’s love with others.
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Provide a description of the characteristics needed by the person who is open to being called to this congregation and or organization.
First Presbyterian Church seeks a worship leader who demonstrates empathy and compassion for “the flock.” We are looking for someone whose spiritual maturity is clearly demonstrated in interactions with church members and in the community. The pastor must be comfortable using various types of technology as tools for ministry. S/he shall be future oriented with the ability to inspire others with a vision of what is possible for this congregation. The gift of collaboration will be helpful in bringing people together and working toward common goals. Good interpersonal engagement will help build relationships inside and outside of the congregation. During the pandemic, we have all learned to be flexible with ever-changing conditions and unexpected obstacles. This ability will benefit our new pastor also. It is important that our pastor exhibit self-differentiation with respect to appropriate boundaries, maintaining a less-anxious presence in the midst of turmoil, and work to build a strong personal support system.
We are looking for a pastor who is approachable and accessible. While not required, we believe it will be helpful for this person to live in our community. This will provide more natural opportunities to lead us in Sharing God’s Love and Shining God’s light.
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What specific tasks, assignments, and program areas will this person have responsibility?
In this 3/4 time position the pastor will provide worship leadership, administer the sacraments, and officiate at weddings and funerals. S/he will serve as head of staff and provide administrative leadership, working with the session and communicate with ministry team chair-persons. With home-bound members, it will be important for the pastor to reach out to those persons and offer Holy Communion on a quarterly basis (a Member Care Team member will usually accompany the pastor on these calls.) Lastly, the pastor will participate with his/her colleagues in meetings and activities of Winnebago Presbytery.
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Optional Links
winnchurch.org
winneconne.k12.wi.us
winneconne.wi.gov
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