Small Groups Pastor/Director

Position Description - 

Small Groups Pastor/Director

Vision

At Trace, we believe our mission and vision should be fully embraced by everyone—especially those in leadership. Our staff are called to lead by example and help shape the culture of our church. We hold the conviction that we're not paid for performance, but for preparation. This means we work diligently throughout the week to ensure our hearts and minds are fully devoted to worship and relational ministry on Sundays and at special events. Trace staff are expected to be self-driven and committed to personal and spiritual growth, so that the ministry we lead never outpaces our ability to sustain it.

Job Overview: Small Groups Pastor

At Trace Church, the Small Groups Pastor/Director will champion a vibrant community by recruiting new leaders, launching new groups, and providing long-term support. As a rapidly growing church, we need a leader who can connect with and recruit new leaders quickly while maintaining a deeply warm pastoral and relational approach. The central mission of our small groups is to make a large church feel small through genuine Biblical community. The ideal candidate will possess a strong social aptitude, naturally identifying and inspiring potential leaders without making interactions feel transactional. They must deeply believe that small groups are crucial for assimilation, spiritual development, and pastoral care. At Trace we seek to cultivate an environment where every small group leader and member actively shepherds and cares for one another. We believe in the priesthood of all believers, not just paid staff ministering so we empower our whole congregation through groups to serve and pastor each other.   

Core Responsibilities

• Small Group Leader Recruitment and Launching New Small Groups
  • Recruit new small group leaders.
  • Onboard new leaders successfully and launch them with Trace DNA.
  • Help new groups launch successfully through logistical support and new group member recruitment.
  • Guide leaders and new groups through early stages of group life through hands-on care and initial training.
• Long Term Small Group Leader Training and Coaching
  • Walk alongside established leaders and groups with wisdom and discernment.
  • Provide small group leader training 3-4 times a year.
  • Maintain monthly online video chats with group leaders for Q&A, prayer, etc.
  • Identify potential small group leaders who could be leaders of leaders so you can train, empower and unleash them to support their peers.
  • Keep groups in alignment with Trace culture and help them avoid mission drift or “personal projects”.
• Small Group Leader Care
  • Provide pastoral care for leaders and groups through the highs and lows of group life.
  • Help leaders navigate difficult situations through encouragement and practical action orientated solutions.
  • Intervene when necessary in some small group situations that are outside of the leaders’ skill set or knowledge to resolve problems and conflicts.
  • Love on leaders through relational interactions that show them you care about their families and personal lives. Show them you care about them more than them just being small group leaders.
• Monitor Group Health
  • Know what groups are studying and learning to promote Christian orthodoxy and avoid heresy.
  • Guide groups to curriculum and materials that promote a Biblical worldview for healthy discipleship. 
  • Perform regular “health checks” to have a knowledge of the status of a group.
  • Spot emerging leaders within established groups to work with their current small group leader to formulate a development plan with the goal of multiplication.
• Collect and Maintain Small Group Metrics
  • Train and hold groups accountable to accurate rosters and weekly attendance for accurate databases.
  • Provide weekly metrics to leadership to show ministry growth.
  • Conduct regular surveys to attain qualitative data on group effectiveness and experience.
• Disciple Individuals
  • Disciple new believers one-on-one as needed.
  • Use one-on-one discipleship experiences to inform groups strategies moving from theoretical to practical strategies favoring new Christians over mature believers in groups.
• Provide General Pastoral Care
  • Take walk-ins and other pastoral counseling appointments as needed.
  • If qualified as a pastor, perform funerals and weddings as needed as part of rotation on the pastoral care team.
• Other Duties as Assigned

General Staff Expectations

• Attend all staff meetings, required retreats and off-sites, team meetings, and 1-2-1 meetings with supervisor (Faith Development Pastor).
• Live out and champion Trace's Cultural Leadership Distinctives.
• Participate in a Small Group and actively tithe to Trace Church.

Qualifications

• Strong, personal commitment to Jesus Christ and alignment with the church’s mission and values.
• Strong recruiting skills and relationship skills to bring in new small group leaders at a rapid pace in a fast growing church.
• Experience in church software (small group databases), Google Work (Gmail, Sheets, Docs, etc.) project management software, etc.
• Strong emotional intelligence and wisdom to provide solid Biblical guidance.
• Effective communication skills online (emails, texts, etc.) and in person.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Ability to work well with teams and support leaders.
• Strong skills at emotional regulation (self-control) with the ability to de-escalate conflicts and be a non-anxious leadership presence.
• Ability to handle private and confidential information with professionalism.

Employment Details

• Position Title: Small Groups Pastor
• Reports To: Faith Development Pastor
• Employment Type: Full-time, Salary
• Working Hours: 40+ hours/week
• Compensation: $57,800 - $62,500  (based on experience and qualifications)
• Work Schedule: Sunday – Thursday (Fridays and Saturdays off except for special events)
• Vacation: 15 days/year
• Sick Leave: Unlimited (tracked)
• Ministry Week: 1 week per year serving in an area outside your primary ministry
• Medical Benefit: Health Reimbursement Arrangement of $2000 per person in family under 26 years old per year