Snapshot

Denomination: Non-Denominational

Weekly Attendance:  500

Location: Cottonwood, AZ

The Role: Next Steps Pastor

Meet Verde Valley Christian Church:

Verde Valley Christian Church began as a small group of people worshiping together in 1967 with the intention of becoming a church.  They purchased land in 1970 and officially incorporated that year.  They built their first building in 1973 and were finally able to hire their first full time pastor in 1977.

Jim Hammond, the current Lead Pastor, began his ministry at Verde Valley Christian Church in 1991 when the church had a membership of about 70 people.   The church went to two services, then three.  Then in 2003 VVCC moved services to a larger auditorium at a local elementary school.   About 10 years later, while weathering the recession, VVCC was blessed to buy the location they are currently in.

Today, Verde Valley Christian Church continues to be a major spiritual influence on the city of Cottonwood and the Verde Valley region. VVCC is well prepared and passionate about continuing to serve and reach people for Jesus Christ! 

About the Next Steps Pastor:

Verde Valley Christian Church is seeking a Next Steps Pastor who oversees the overarching serving structure (volunteers, team leaders, etc.) that will allow ministry to be given to the local body at all leadership levels. This includes helping people discover their spiritual gifts, developing the onboarding process for all volunteers and designing easy on-ramps to try serving. The Next Steps Pastor will lead the First Impressions ministry, overseeing the environments and the teams that welcome new guests and provide remarkable service, and lead guests to a genuine sense of belonging, involvement and spiritual growth at VVCC.  

The Next Steps Pastor's Responsibilities Include: 

Modeling Biblical Priorities 

Responsible for upholding Biblical priorities and core values of VVCC. The Next Steps Pastor  should represent a growing personal relationship with Christ. The Next Steps Pastor strives to fulfill his purpose in life and ministry while demonstrating integrity in words, relationships and actions. These objectives are accomplished by: 

• Committing to a daily quiet-time with God. 

• Participating in a VVCC small group on a regular basis. 

• Setting appropriate boundaries to protect character and integrity. 

• Developing personal evangelism opportunities within and outside the church. 

• Supporting the ministries of VVCC by faithfully giving at least 10% of gross income. 

• Adhering to and encompassing the qualities and characteristics required of VVCC employees, as defined by the Staff Handbook. 

Oversight and Execution of First Impressions 

• Responsible for creating an environment that welcomes new guests and provides next steps toward connection and spiritual growth: 

• Leading, equipping and empowering guest services volunteers (ushers/greeters/parking team, etc.) in providing high impact first impressions. 

• Ensuring that kiosks, booths, signage and key areas are clear, current, and focused on new people.

• Planning and overseeing guest reception events. 

• Creating and continuously improving follow-up methods to ensure that newcomers are plugged in to VVCC.

 Oversight and Execution of Serving Teams 

• The Next Steps Pastor leads people in discovering their God-given shape and helps them plug into a ministry by:

• Creating an environment and system that is conducive for plugging new people into ministry. 

• Recruiting, training and empowering volunteer team members. 

• Championing the leadership development strategy for volunteers. 

• Providing centralized efforts for training leaders (retreats, tools, etc.) 

• Communicating clear vision and wins for volunteer teams on a regular basis. 

• Producing videos, printed promotions, verbal announcements, web page information, etc. about serving at VVCC.

Goals and Expectations

The effective Next Steps Pastor will achieve the following goals during the first 12 months of work:

• With his family, settle into the Cottonwood, AZ community.

• Show evidence of growth spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.

• Facilitate increased interest in “helping people take steps from wherever they are …to where God wants them to be”.

• Be a team player by building trust and relational equity with the staff and the congregation.

What You Bring: 

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Next Steps Pastor 

Education & Experience

• College Degree or equivalent.

• 5 years ministry experience in leading “Next Steps” ministries or equivalent.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications 

• Enjoy working in a team environment.

• Has an overwhelming desire to see people connected to VVCC’s community.

• Is self-aware and has a sense of humor.

• Enjoys the ministry that God has called him to and the staff he is ministering with.

• Fully embraces the vision, mission, values, and strategies of the church.

What it's Like to Live in Verde Valley/Cottonwood, AZ: 

The City of Cottonwood is located in the breathtaking Verde Valley adjacent to the Verde River at about 3,500 feet elevation, looking up West to Mingus Mountain at elevation 7,671, looking up North at the Red Rocks of Sedona elevation 5,600 plus, and eastward along the Mogollon Rim elevation 5,000.  Cottonwood is the largest city in the Verde Valley with a population of about 24,000 people.  

The other towns and cities of the Verde Valley include Sedona, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Cornville, Jerome, Lake Montezuma, McGuireville, and Rimrock, scattered throughout vast open spaces of national forest lands in the 714 square miles of the Verde Valley, for a grand total of 65,000 people living in the Verde Valley.  

Cottonwood is ideally located above the heat of the desert and below the cool temperatures of Ariona’s high country.  Besides the friendly welcoming people, the Cottonwood area offers many recreational activities that are available in close proximity, such as camping, photography, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, kayaking, skiing, hunting, and fishing.

Think you're a great fit for this role? Become a candidate below.