We have never done anything like this before, but then again, we’ve never heard a story like the one we heard just a few days ago.  Tricia & I go to Cross Timbers Community Church and one of the outreach ministries is called “Fix My Ride” – basically the church has tons of volunteers show up on a Saturday to fix cars of those who cannot afford to have their cars fixed (we fixed over 200 vehicles for the unemployed, single parents, handicapped, and elderly). One of the coordinators received an email from an older, handicapped, gentleman who desperately needed repairs on his car. He was unable to take his car to Fix My Ride that day, because it was at the same time as work he was doing for a prison ministry.  This is the email she received:
“Thank you for getting back to me. I have a 1997 oldsmobile 88 6 cylinder a person here at the (transitional living) house seid I need wheel cylinders both sides rear,, hoses upper and lower shocksand struts, both sides, brake fluid, hose clamps brak shoes, alternator and or battery… I beleave I told you I use my car taking people around 70% of the time that are at the houses.  Also I put coolent in for the air cond. And it came out, it must have a hole somewhere, last thing is my tires the back ones are nearly balled, all this fritens me because I am handicapped on cruches full time.  I figered up my rent, car insh. And phone and I have 67 dollars of cash to use for gas for the hole month.”

The coordinator sent us his email with her thoughts saying, “We have spoken with him and he wants his car fixed so he can continue to use it to serve others… he takes people from the (transitional living) house to their appointments, etc. and ministers to people in the prison system.”

The house is a place where men in transition from incarceration to drug and/or alcohol addiction to divorce or family separation to any number of circumstances can live in a safe, God-centered, environment where they are required to seek employment while they are actively in recovery and learning more and more about the Lord.

When Tricia and I heard this story, we immediately felt like the Lord was calling us to help this man. In order to be good stewards, I contacted one of our lead pastors, the campus pastor at the campus where this man attends, and the President of the Transitional Housing Organization.  All of these people said that this man is the real deal.  He doesn’t care about anything other than serving others at the house and through prison ministry.  We had the pleasure of talking to him on the phone and he has a servant’s heart like no other.  He is permanently disabled and is on crutches from severe osteoarthritis in his spine.  He also confided in us that his monthly income is only $674.  After asking him if we could help get him a vehicle, he said that he has been praying two prayers – 1) that the Lord would provide him a safe mode of transportation, so he can continue shuttling residents of the home and visit the 5 prisons where he ministers to inmates and 2) that he would have the gas money to do it. He said “I guess God just answered the first prayer, and I trust he’ll take care of the other too.” J

The written word can’t express the humility of this man – I can say, that Tricia and I are humbled and brought to tears every time we think of and talk with him.

We are going to help him and would like you to consider helping too – We contacted our friends at Lightning Motorsports (www.lightningmotorsports.net) and they have offered to not only help find a car for him, but to also help contribute to the cost.  The owner of the dealership informed us that there is a program through the state of Texas that helps underprivileged folks with old cars get into newer vehicles. The program – http://www.nctcog.org/trans/air/act/ will give him a $3000 voucher for his current vehicle to be used toward an ‘08 or newer car.  So, this is where we are asking for YOUR help.  Tricia and I were going to replace his current clunker with a little newer and more dependable clunker, but we thought if we reached out to others, we may actually be able to help him in a much greater way.  With the Lord’s guidance and your help, we would love to find a way to get him in an ‘08 minivan so he can participate in the voucher program (it’s free money!). We’d also love to provide him with a gas card and possibly help with his insurance.  We know this is a HUGE request, but if the Lord has led us to this, then we know He will provide the means to make this happen. 

Will you please commit to pray for this man and the efforts to serve him as he serves others and our God? If the Lord leads you, will you consider contributing to this effort (no amount is too small!)? I am meeting with him tomorrow to get the paperwork completed for the state program, and we are trying to make a decision on which direction to go this weekend.

If you are interested in giving, would you be so kind as to let us know by Sunday – we’d like to present his car to him in the next week or two? Please contact me at david.lyons@ministersearch.com or (214)621-8165, or Tricia at tricialyons123@gmail.com or (972)948-3500 to let us know how you’d like to help.

Blessings to you!
In Him,
David & Tricia Lyons

This church has a strong history in the community and is well respected by many. They are looking for a Sr. Pastor who can come in and cast a strong vision, lead the team, and preach the Word in a relevant style. The Elders and Trustees are wonderful and are ready to support the Sr. Pastor in whatever ways he needs. The right candidate will be a spirit-filled, energetic leader who is progressive in their approach to ministry and leadership. He will be a relational pastor who likes being ‘with the people.’

If you meet the qualifications and are interested in learning more, please forward a cover email, resume (in WORD format), and links to videos to us at resumes@ministersearch.com. If there is a possible match, one of our search consultants will contact you for an interview.

For a list of all the MinisterSearch open positions, click here.

POSITION TITLE: SENIOR PASTOR
LOCATION: NORTHERN ALABAMA
DENOMINATION: Non-denominational (spirit-filled)
COMPENSATION: Excellent compensation plan

JOB DESCRIPTION:
The primary responsibility of the Senior Pastor is to give himself to the ministry of the Word and prayer, seeking to walk uprightly before the Lord in his personal life while seeking the mind of God on behalf of the congregation

• He shall, in all ways, endeavor to lead and teach the congregation according to the precepts of Holy Scripture, holding true to the church’s Statement of Faith, Statement of Nature and Mission, Constitution, By-Laws and Governing Policies
• Honor the history of the church and prepare for its future. He will help to equip the saints for the work of the ministry
• Be faithful in the exposition of Scripture so that the congregation may grow in their understanding and application of the Word of God
• Help protect the flock from false teaching and to unite the leadership in the shepherding of the flock (Ephesians 4:11-14; Acts 20:28)
• Establish the vision and direction for the church, with the support of the Board of Elders
• Be the primary spiritual leader and primary communicator of the church’s vision to staff, congregation (member, attendees, seekers), and the community at large
• Systematically train disciples and equip the saints for the work of the ministry through personal modeling, mentoring, and programming
• Meet regularly with the staff as a team and individually
• Maintain regular office hours
• Create goal ownership and a sense of shared purpose among the lay leaders through leading by example, involving others in the decision-making process, and actively participating in meetings and events
• Conduct weddings and funeral services, perform baby dedications and baptisms as necessary
• Visit people in the midst of crises (i.e., death, serious sickness, trauma, or other significant events), where Senior Pastoral care is required. Share in regular pastoral care when unexpected events cause the need for assistance
• Counsel those in spiritual need and comforts bereaved, assisting persons facing problems of decisions
• Promote care and nurture within the congregation
• Provide education, training and counseling in all areas of Christian living
• Oversee and guide the church members to responsible Biblical financial principles and giving through wise stewardship development
• Encourage challenging opportunities for ministry
• Oversee religious and education programs. He is to ensure programs and curriculums are in keeping with the overall goals and philosophy of the church
• Lead the church in efforts to target and win the lost and un-churched in the Tennessee Valley
• Work with the Elders to approve church budgets for all ministries
• Responsible with the Elders to support home and foreign missions

· The Senior Pastor shall be considered the Senior Elder of the Church and shall oversee all its activities

• He shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and departments of the Church.
• Will give leadership to the Associate and/or Assistant Pastor, Staff Elders, the professional Church staff, the Elder and Deacon boards
• Work with an existing leadership team to achieve the stated goals of the church
• Be in full agreement with the church’s confession of faith and constitution
• With consultation of the Elders, oversee all staff and be responsible for the hiring and termination of any and all staff

REQUIREMENTS:

• At least 5 years of successful, growing ministry experience
• A dynamic teacher and preacher
• A passion for teaching the truth while being VERY compassionate to those he leads
• A humble servant – NOT hung up on titles or position
• Be baptized in the Holy Spirit
• A history and willingness to tithe to his local church
• A love for young people
• Ability to interact and respect all ages
• Committed to personal regular accountability with other men of the church staff, Elders, Deacons, church membership, and with other believers outside this church o Have a demonstrated pattern of maintaining such relationships
• Committed to maintaining a scheduled family time, including weekly-protected time and annual vacation periods

Check out this VIDEO a little information in the position. If you meet the qualifications and are interested in learning more, please forward a cover email, resume (in WORD format), and links to videos to us at resumes@ministersearch.com. If there is a possible match, one of our search consultants will contact you for an interview.

For a list of all the MinisterSearch open positions, click here.

We are passionate about helping pastors, ministers, and churches find the right match so the churn and turnover will decrease. We have several things in place to effect that. What do you think makes the most difference?

www.MinisterSearch.com

Church Staff – Pastor – Minister – Headhunter – Staffing Agency – Maybe?

1. Format – as concise, to the point, and easy to read as possible – don’t write a novel (insert smiley face here)
2. The EXPERIENCE section is by far the most important section of the resume – use action oriented and descriptive bullet points to show how you can do the job for which you are applying
3. The OBJECTIVE is no longer cool – your objective is the job – don’t waste the real estate
4. Dates should be on the RIGHT – years only, no months
5. In general, go back only 15 years unless there are SIGNIFICANT achievements before – even if your older, don’t let them know it (50 is the new 30)
6. Don’t list run-of-the-mill skills; i.e., PowerPoint, Excel, MS Word—makes you look like you’re behind the times
7. Send references on a separate sheet but not until you’re asked
8. CONTACT INFO – Don’t label phone numbers, fax numbers or your address; only cell and email should be listed
9. When you save your resume, name it so someone else understands what it is ex: david.lyons.resume.doc
10. The things that you think are necessary – what are the things you believe should or shouldn’t be in a resume? For a sample resume visit this link and click the SAMPLE RESUME tab.

Please let us know if you are interested by emailing us at Resumes@MinisterSearch.com We have a number of other open positions with churches all over the country – plan to get those videos up soon. www.MinisterSearch.com

www.MinsiterSearch.com

Pastor Jobs – Minister Jobs – How to find them?

MinisterSearch is the OLDEST and MOST SUCCESSFUL full-service church staffing, search firm focused solely on ministry positions for pastors and ministers. No other search firm can compare to the experience and success of MinisterSearch. Our church staff recruiters have years of ministry and church staffing experience. Our search firm has consutled with thousands of pastors, ministers, and churches through the whole search process.

More churches trust MinisterSearch to manage their hiring process than any other search firm – this is a responsibility we take very seriously!

www.MinisterSearch.com

I recommend an hour or so: 

• Introduce yourself
• Set an agenda
• Tell him a little about you and the church
• Ask him about his background, ministry experience, family
• Talk a bit about the position/vision/future
• Let him ask you some questions
• Thank him for his time and let him know you’ll be in touch soon to discuss next steps
• FOLLOW UP – let him know what you decide within a day or so

What do you do on a first interview?

I have great relationships with several of the executives at Fellowship Technologies and MANY of our clients use Fellowship One. Fellowship One is the premiere church management software, and I strongly encourage churches to consider the application.

They have offered a discount for us to share with you for the Dynamic Church Conference – Please use the PROMOTIONAL CODE – IMPACT when registering and let me know what you think about the conference and product.

The Dynamic Church Conference (DC10) will be held May 12-14, 2010, at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. DC10 is a three-day educational event focused on teaching users and developers how to effectively leverage Fellowship One. DC10 will educate and inspire churches to impact their ministries through complete utilization Fellowship One.

The goal for DC10 is to educate and inspire churches so they can impact their ministries through Fellowship One. Here are a few reasons you should attend DC10…
• Lower Cost… Register for just $249 — that’s less than half the cost of previous years! (Use the promo code IMPACT prior to March 31st to get $50 off the registration fee!)
• Education focused… DC10 will feature 60 education sessions across six tracks, 40 breakout sessions and a Consulting Lab staffed with computers and Fellowship One experts
• Dynamic Speakers… Check out featured presenters
• Developer Track… Geared specifically to application and web gurus wanting to extend the power of Fellowship One, register now for just $99
• Networking… DC10 Meet & Greet, Networking Lunch and panel discussions offer great opportunities to hear how other churches are utilizing Fellowship One to grow their ministries

• They put too much weight on candidates who they know or who come referred from someone they know – these (candidates with who there is already some relationship) require even more diligence and objectivity
• They don’t “really” do reference checks – meaning, they do referencing as part of the checklist to get the candidate hired instead of using it as a tool to determine if the candidate will fit or not and/or they don’t do references with people who can speak to a candidate’s professional/ministry experience and their capacity for growth – instead they talk with personal references of the candidate
• They don’t ask the tough questions – you MUST ask for examples of how the candidate has handled conflict, dig to find out what the candidate’s weaknesses are, and ask the reference, point-blank, would this candidate be your first choice if you were making this hire?
• They don’t do secondary reference checks – call references who are not on the candidate’s list 

How important is reference checking to you? What’s something that has happened, in your own experience, with reference checking?