Ministry Information Form Query

Our mission is to glorify God and share Christ together through Word and Deed. Our vision is to be a place where people love to come to worship, to give their time in mission and service, to share their financial resources, to study and proclaim the Word of God, to spend time together as the body of Christ, to love each other and to welcome all in Christ’s name.

Our church is affected by shifts in culture and society, as reflected by differing styles of worship, a majority of members not attending regularly and a growing part of our community that is not involved in any church. We seek to follow where God leads in meeting these challenges as we embrace change, connecting with all of our members and attracting spiritually hungry people from our community, while honoring the traditions of our past.

We look forward eagerly to new pastoral leadership, one that will not just embrace this vision, but will help open our eyes to new opportunities.

God has blessed Shelby Presbyterian Church with a history of strong pastoral and congregational leadership, and we have responded by creating community-oriented programs that include Rainbow Connection (our preschool), a Food Ministry and purposeful local and global missions.

We seek to continue these programs and look for further opportunities to reach people in our community and the world at large as we practice our vision statement: “GPS (Growing, Praising, Serving):  Growing as disciples and serving the world’s needs for the Glory of God.”

Ideally located between Charlotte and Asheville, Shelby is known as the City of Pleasant Living. Our community is blessed with natural beauty of the South Mountains, nearby Moss Lake, a thriving uptown and scenic countryside. We have transitioned from a textile-based economy to a more diversified economic base.

Shelby Presbyterian is a vibrant place of faith and worship that respects the traditions of our past but recognizes that we are facing dynamic change during the new decade. We are prepared to follow where God leads as we face these challenges.

Our church has long been a leader in developing programs that address local needs, including:

· Founded Food Ministry in 1985

· Supported creation of an adult day care organization in 1980

· Established the first Winter Night Shelter in 1985

· Sponsored the first Boy Scout Troop in Cleveland County in 1923

· Hosted one of the first local AA chapters in 1942.

We remain active in local missions today with a Backpack Ministry and financial support to numerous local agencies. Our building hosts Blood Drives, AA meetings and the Rainbow Connection child care, while we continue to support world missions in Guatemala, Kenya, Taiwan, Malawi and the Caribbean with money and prayers.

As our community grows and prospers, we have many neighbors still in need. We hope to continue our tradition of outreach ministry and welcome the fresh perspective of a new pastor to help us identify mission opportunities and meet them.

Shelby Presbyterian is at a crossroads:
· Our last senior pastor retired after 20 years at SPC
· We face similar retirements with other longstanding staff members in coming years
· Some local churches are shrinking while others are growing
· Societal and cultural changes trend toward more contemporary worship formats.

Our next pastor comes at a time of great opportunity:
· To embrace dynamic change while respecting our traditions
· To balance competing desires for contemporary and traditional worship services
· To connect with all generations and
· To help us reach out to members (and potential members) not attending church now.

We seek an energetic person who can:
· Lead by offering inspiring sermons
· Communicate with younger members and unchurched neighbors
· Share our vision and help us sharpen that vision
· Motivate us to serve God’s will in our community and the world, and
· To do so with innovation, foresight and respect for our heritage.

Shelby Presbyterian Church seeks an energetic pastor whose sermons inspire and make us excited about coming to church, then resonate with us as we go into the world. We desire a spiritual leader who helps us grow in faith and in number.

We seek a people person having a strong ability to connect with every age group and to listen carefully and express opinions honestly with compassion for others. Our minister should be flexible enough to adapt when necessary, demonstrating interpersonal skills of diplomacy, self-awareness, confidence and a good sense of humor.

We want a minister with an open mind, willing to engage in diverse dialogue without judgment and who will be actively involved in the lives of individual members and the community at large. This person motivates and challenges others with new ideas, shepherding from the pulpit and through action.

This minister will serve as Head of Staff to further our church vision, collaborate with staff to maximize their talents, serve as an effective motivator, show courage to recognize new opportunities, make changes where needed and lead us in a sustainable future.

Our next minister feels God’s call to join our church family and is excited and moved by that call!

• Plan and lead meaningful worship
• Coordinate and participate in pastoral care and visitation
• Serve as Head of Staff
• Plan and lead new member recruitment and orientation
• Offer guidance and education during Sunday School and Bible studies
• Support programming for church-wide events, including:
  • Wednesday night suppers
  • Annual church retreat in Montreat
  • Heritage Sunday
  • Consecration Sunday/Annual Church Picnic
• Attend various committee meetings
• Serve as Moderator of Session
• Support and participate in Missions and Outreach
• Lead Confirmation program
• Participate in new officer training
• Conduct funerals and weddings
• Offer pastoral counseling
• Participate as a Member of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina

www.shelbypres.org

www.facebook.com/Shelby-Presbyterian-Church-364891641863/

www.instagram.com/shelby_pres/?hl=en

www.uptownshelby.com

www.cityofshelby.com

www.clevelandchamber.org

www.clevelandcounty.com  

www.clevelandcountyschools.org

www.gardner-webb.edu

www.broadrivergreenway.com