Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Spiritual Formation - Raleigh NC

Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Spiritual Formation North Ridge Church of the C&MA is pursuing a passion for Jesus. We are a church not living for ourselves, joyfully loving our city, and bringing hope to the nations. NRC, a part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA), was planted in 1971 in Raleigh, North Carolina. For many years, NRC was a development and sending hub — training and commissioning lay people and missionaries to serve with the C&MA around the world. God has been working steadily over the past decade to restore and reimagine this church, leading to a growing, multi-generational, multi-ethnic fellowship. NRC has become an incubator for Kingdom initiatives — a regional young adult ministry, community gardens, an annual conference for creatives, with more emerging all the time. The church is growing, and to steward this moment well, we are prayerfully searching for an Associate Pastor who will be a key part of the discipleship and spiritual formation culture we are seeking to develop. This pastor will act as a shepherd, architect, and connector, developing relationships and pathways that will help shape people into the likeness of Jesus. Because we intend for this Associate Pastor to serve among the Elders of NRC, this is to be a man, called and qualified accordingly. This Associate Pastor at NRC may fulfill a variety of ministry responsibilities in cooperation with the Lead Pastor and other Elders, serving the whole fellowship as we partner with Jesus to advance the mission and vision of the church. The primary focus of this Associate Pastor role is Discipleship, Spiritual Formation, and Pastoral Care. By design, the role emphasizes caring for people directly, proactively, responsively, and prayerfully. We hope to identify a candidate whose primary tools of discipleship, formation, and pastoral care are expressed through their: Personal dependence on the Holy Spirit. Dedication to teach and demonstrate God's Word. Devotion to honor the Lord in marriage and family, if applicable. Attentiveness to people in need of encouragement, connection, and support. Cultivation of spiritual health and leadership potential in Christ-centered relationships. On the foundation of these personal and pastoral priorities, we expect that effective ministry methods, practices, and initiatives will be built to fulfill the responsibilities of the role. The Associate Pastor aims to engage and equip others in the work of the ministry, with a vision for multiplication in making disciples. This role is proposed to be a full-time, staff-pastor position for a person meeting such qualifications as required by the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Expectations of personal conduct and lifestyle shall be consistent with the principles of Scripture, such as those outlined for elders in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, & 1 Peter 5. Areas of Responsibility 1. Discipleship & Spiritual Formation This Associate Pastor will be responsible for shaping NRC's culture of discipleship and spiritual formation and the pathways through which people move from first contact into rooted, reproducing faith. From the foundation of a deep, personal spiritual life, the person will: Invest intentionally in individuals through discipleship, mentoring, and praying relationships, with the explicit goal of developing their capacity to disciple others. Evaluate existing discipleship offerings, including Men's & Women's Ministry leaders, and develop a coherent pathway from first visit to committed, multiplying disciple. Equip and empower others to shepherd the people around them, building a disciple-making culture that extends beyond staff capacity. Actively lead a small group and potentially develop other small group leaders. Collaborate with the Lead Pastor to develop clear on-ramps — entry points through which new people can connect, grow, and find their place in the body. Faithfully teach and preach the Scriptures to individuals, groups, and, from time to time, the congregation. 2. Follow-Up Follow-up is where the discipleship architecture meets the individual. The Associate Pastor will take a leading role in developing a proactive follow-up culture at NRC — designing a consistent approach to welcoming visitors, reaching out to those who have drifted, and ensuring that benchmark moments in people's faith — salvation, baptism, rededication, a sense of calling — become meaningful on-ramps into deeper community. Every significant spiritual decision should lead naturally to a clear next step. 3. Pastoral Care & Visitation The Associate Pastor is a shepherd first — present with people in their most vulnerable moments and proactive in ensuring no one in the NRC family walks through difficulty alone. In collaboration with the Lead Pastor, this includes hospital and home visits, regular check-ins with those unable to attend, and availability for prayer, counsel, and direction. Mobilizing volunteers and lay leaders to extend the church's care reach is equally essential, as is ensuring that NRC's care infrastructure — Deacons, Deaconesses, the Benevolent Fund, and prayer ministry teams — is well-coordinated and operating with pastoral intentionality. 4. Resourcing & Connecting A good shepherd knows what tools are available and puts them in people's hands. The Associate Pastor will maintain a working knowledge of trusted discipleship materials, small group resources, and crisis response tools, and keep a current referral network of Biblically-minded counselors, therapists, and recovery ministries. This also means helping people discover their spiritual gifts and connecting them with opportunities to serve. Finding where someone belongs is often the most important on-ramp of all. Additional administrative responsibilities may be required as part of developing these materials, resources, etc. 5. Personal & Relational Integrity The Associate Pastor's effectiveness flows directly from the health of their personal walk with the Lord. A life of genuine devotion, faithfulness in marriage and family (as applicable), and purity in all relationships is the foundation from which everything else is built. Wise, transparent, and accountable conduct in all circumstances is essential. The Associate Pastor embraces the covering and accountability of the Elders and pastoral staff not as a constraint but as a gift — a God-provided structure for protection, growth, and mutual flourishing. 6. Partner in Leadership The Associate Pastor is a full member of the pastoral staff and governing board and a partner in the mission and leadership of North Ridge Church. This position should also develop into leadership as an Elder. All of this means maintaining honest, loyal, and loving relationships with the Lead Pastor and other Elders, serving within the authority and covering they provide while contributing fully to the team's shared responsibility for prayer, vision, care, and the spiritual culture of the church. The Associate Pastor's perspective and insight are welcomed and expected. Proactive communication on strategies, updates, emergent situations, etc., serves the church and the team best. Professional Qualifications & Competencies Bachelor's degree, preferably in ministry and/or biblical studies 5 or more years' experience in full-time church ministry Licensed or willing to pursuing licensing/ordination with The Christian & Missionary Alliance Seeks to spend 5-years or more as Associate Pastor at NRC, or preparing for candidacy as an International Worker Demonstrated proficiency in pastoral care, visitation, prayer ministry, teaching, etc. Effective interpersonal relational and communication ability Proven experience leading and teaching small groups. Strong communication and public speaking skills. Demonstrated ability to lead a team and to collaborate with a team. Submits to a thorough background check. Affirms and supports the mission, vision, and Statement of Faith of North Ridge Church and the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Employment Details Full-time salary package commensurate with experience. Benefits include personal/family health insurance (or medical cost-sharing program), dental/vision coverage, supplemental incident/accident coverage, health reimbursement account, and life insurance. Matching retirement contribution program available based on total years of full-time service at NRC. The leadership team at NRC is committed to a healthy work environment and schedule for all staff members. This includes regular office hours during the work week with generous allowance for out-of- office flex-hours, and flexibility for sick and personal days. Full-time staff will arrange a regular, weekly day-off (in addition to Saturday and partial-Sunday), and a minimum vacation allotment of 2-weeks (not counting holidays, closed-office days, etc.), as approved by the Lead-Pastor. We expect this Associate Pastor to live in the Triangle Area. Application Instructions For consideration, please upload all of the following documentation with your application to View email address on click.appcast.io: Cover Letter Resume Personal Background & Brief Testimony of Faith Educational