Vision and purpose?

By Craig Webb

Just what is a pastor for vision and purpose?

At the Glade Church in Mount Juliet, TN, our vision is to be a people with a passion for God and place with a passion for people. Our core purpose is to glorify God through the spiritual transformation of individuals, families, our communities, and our world through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We believe we participate in God’s work of spiritual transformation through a clear process that provides opportunities and encourages persons to Come/Worship, Connect/Grow, and Serve/Go.

I joined the Glade Church staff in 2006 after being a church member for two years. Pastor Bruce Grubbs asked me to join the staff as a bi-vocational pastor for spiritual growth. The church was making the shift from program to purpose-driven. He asked me to develop, write and implement a core discipleship strategy for the church.

At the time, I was the Internet producer for pastors at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville. In 2008, Pastor Grubbs asked me to leave LifeWay to serve full-time alongside him in refining, clarifying and keeping the church focused on its vision and purpose.

While the church had navigated the transition from program to purpose-driven, we decided that the purpose needed to be simplified and clarified. Using the simple church process of discipleship as outlined in Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, we developed a core purpose statement and a simple process built around the terms Come/Worship, Connect/Grow, Serve/Go.

Bruce Grubbs and I created a new position called “pastor for vision and purpose” with my unique background, gifts, and abilities along with the need for a key staff role to assist the senior pastor, church staff, and lay leadership in leading the church to achieve its vision and purpose.

In this role, I provide pastoral leadership to the congregation alongside, and when necessary, in place of the senior pastor. The role also includes leading the staff, providing key personnel administration, and overseeing all publicity, marketing, and promotion.

As far as staff leadership, I am responsible for coordinating the ministry staff team in the pursuit of the church’s vision and purpose. I challenge the staff and church leaders to fulfill the church’s vision and purpose within the context of their individual assignment. Some of my key activities include:

  • Plan and lead a weekly meeting with the senior pastor, lead worshipper, and pastor for new generations
  • Plan and lead a weekly meeting of all ministry staff (15 persons)
  • Lead the staff to set annual ministry targets and call the staff to evaluate these targets throughout the year
  • Plan and implement an agenda for an annual staff retreat
  • Plan and preach messages and message series in partnership with the senior pastor.

In the area of personnel administration I lead, evaluate and mentor existing ministry staff in their respective areas of ministry and prioritize staff additions.

While this position was created with my unique gifts, abilities and passions, I believe a variation of this role could be strategic in any growing church.

Craig Webb is the pastor for vision and purpose at the Glade Church in Mount Juliet, TN. He is the editor of LifeWay Christian Resources’ weekly Pastors Today e-Newsletter, Proclaim Online Preaching Journal, and the articles and ministry helps that appear in the Pastors Area of LifeWay.com.

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