ASSOCIATE PASTOR

Position Responsibilities:

  • Minister to the needs of the St. Paul’s family (including parenting and family pastoral care).
  • Initiate programs for, and encourage involvement of, children, youth, and young adults.
  • Participate weekly in leading worship and preach 6-10 times per year.
  • Work closely with the Youth Council to build the Youth program.
  • Oversee the group activities of the congregation to ensure that each activity is planned, communicated, and moving forward.

We seek a candidate who:

  • Brings a confessed commitment to the Reformed tradition as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament Presbyterian Church (USA)
  • Is a proven spiritual mentor to families of all types
  • Has the demonstrated ability to create a cohesive and inter-connected family of faith

Church Description:
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is a vibrant congregation (500 members) in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia with a 100+ year tradition of making a difference by sharing Christ.  Our mission is to help everyone develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our ministries use the gifts of our congregation to nurture spiritual growth. 

 

MISSION STUDY

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

 

THE CONGREGATION

 

Introduction

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church has been without an associate pastor since July. Our beloved associate pastor retired after 11 years of faithful service. The St. Paul’s family remains a dedicated, hard working congregation. Several members of this 107 year-old congregation have grown up in this church and, in some cases, have three or four generations of family members involved in the church. We also seem to have a good mix of age groups and continue to develop new programs and attract new members. The comment that we hear again and again, from those who are new to our church, is that they felt welcome here because of the love shown to them by the members.

We are a Congregation that is dedicated to the worship of our God and strive to follow our motto: Christ-centered. Transformed. Making a Difference.

St. Paul’s takes its faith seriously.  The session has stated that “Jesus Christ alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”  Central to our faith is the role of the Bible.  “The Bible in its particulars as well as in its principles is the uniquely authoritative witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the life into which God calls us, trust worthy in its entirety.”  The church vision speaks of the transformative power of Christ in the lives of Christians who put their faith in Jesus.

Purposeful Direction

St. Paul’s has intentionally embarked on a discerning, prayerful process of discovering God’s direction for us. This time of discovery culminated in a church vision statement in 2008 to guide our ministry. Each phrase of the vision statement is important:

Together, we are becoming the family of God –

  Transformed by knowing Christ

  Growing by following Christ

  Making a difference by sharing Christ

Empowered to serve.

The sense of family is strong at St. Paul’s. That is why we begin the vision statement speaking of becoming increasingly a family, the family of God. Both members and visitors sense and comment on the welcoming atmosphere and caring actions they experience here. We are deliberate about building the community of faith. Our active shepherding system, weekly dinners, regular fellowship gatherings and groups contribute to the sense that we are becoming the family of God at St. Paul’s.

Transformation is the key word in the next section of our vision. We want Christ’s transformative Spirit to be at work in whatever we do. We are progressively focusing our ministries intentionally to connect people to Jesus Christ, to enable them to change from the inside out, and to become more like Jesus in their character and actions. This is not a one-time event; it is a process that continues, so that in every area of life, we are increasingly following Jesus Christ. In worship, in our ministries of education, in our groups and classes for all ages, in our retreats and works of service, we are growing towards Christ.

We also long to make a difference by sharing Christ with others. Our congregation has a history of outreach by inviting others to join in our worship, and through our publicized presence at various public events. However, our society has changed. Inviting others to come to our church results in fewer and fewer doing so. In order to make a difference by sharing Christ, we must choose to go to the people, rather than asking them to come to us. This means we must re-think how we approach evangelism. Earlier this year, an evangelism task force was formed to research and map out specific ways we can share Christ by word and deed that relate to those beyond church walls. The task force continues to meet and will present its ideas to the congregation in January.

Finally, St. Paul’s is a serving church. Our on-going ministries that meet human need, mission trips, and strong missions giving reflect our desire to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ. In this and all we do, we desire to serve through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Description of the Congregation

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is a medium size church, with 500 adult members. The average worship attendance at the two services is 250. The church was established in 1902. For most of its history, it has been served by solo pastorates. The congregation experienced strong growth in membership between 1982 – 1987, growing from 327 to 462. The church again grew strongly between 1997 and 2004, when membership expanded from 492 – 629. St. Paul’s continues to be a church with a sense of community, a welcome to strangers, and a Christ-centered, Reformed faith.

St. Paul’s shares many of the characteristics of its community and borough. The congregation tracks with the community in occupation, income levels, ethnicity, housing and traditional lifestyle. The good news is that there are few cultural barriers between the church and community. In other words, the congregation fits the population around it. In particular, the church is consistent with the community of Laurel Springs. The church is a long established institution in the borough. It is viewed positively by residents and is known for its all-ages ministries, the strong Vacation Bible School program (200 children in attendance), Christmas events, and on-going presence in the community. There are 120 people of all ages (41 families) in the congregation who live in the borough of Laurel Springs, about 22% of the congregation.

Where St. Paul’s differs from the community is in education and age distribution. In the community, the average college graduation rate is 19.4% and the country, 24.4%. This is in line with local high school statistics. The percent of those who graduate from local High Schools and attend a 4 year college after graduation is 38.7% for Sterling High School. For Eastern High School (north and west of the study area) the average is 66.9%. Camden High School is 10.9%. However, 43% of those over 25 who attend St. Paul’s graduated from college. (2005 mission study)

In terms of age, the congregation has greater numbers of members in the 70 years and above age cohorts compared to the national average, and below average in the 0 – 17 and 30 – 49 age cohorts compared to the community and national averages. Church membership is at similar age levels for the 18 – 29 and 50 – 70 years old categories when compared to the community and national averages.

 

THE COMMUNITY

Description

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is located in the borough of Laurel Springs in Camden County, New Jersey. The city of Philadelphia is less than 20 miles northwest from the church, and Atlantic City and the shore is 45 miles in the other direction. In this part of the county, towns merge into one another seamlessly. The major roads are lined with small, commercial stores. Larger retail stores are situated at strategic locations.

After the Second World War, the area began to expand rapidly, boosted by returning veterans with families looking for cheaper housing away from Philadelphia. South Jersey received a major boost in development with the opening of the Walt Whitman Bridge in 1957, and the construction of the PATCO commuter line into Philadelphia, in 1969. One of the stops, Lindenwold, is half a mile from the church. Kennedy Hospital, Stratford, is 7 blocks away. A major roadway, the White Horse Pike, Route 30, is also near by.

The region chosen for this Mission Study is a 21.9 square mile area shaped like a polygon. The demographic information has been obtained from the Percept Group Inc. The area includes all of Laurel Springs, the town in which the church is located. Laurel Springs can be segmented into 3 areas: Section 1 is the southwest part of Laurel Springs below Atlantic Avenue. Section 2 is the southeast portion below Atlantic Avenue. Section 3 partially borders Route 30 and is north of Stone road. The study also includes a wider area, bounded roughly on the eastern side by the White Horse Pike (route 30), the southern side by the Berlin-Cross Keys road, the western side by the Black Horse Pike (route 168) and Evesham road on the north. The boroughs of Stratford, Clementon, Somerdale, Hi-Nella, Pine Hill, and parts of Lindenwold, and Gloucester Township are included in this area.

The area described by the polygon has grown very moderately. From 1990 – 2009, the population has grown from 71,030 to 76,892, an increase of 8.3%. During this same time, the U.S. grew by 22.3%. The projected growth for the next five years is expected to be 1.6%. There does not seem to be much room left for expansion, an observation which the slow rate of growth supports. The average household income is slightly above the national average of $67,918.

Laurel Springs itself was incorporated as a borough in 1913. It began as a popular stop-off place for Philadelphia residents taking the train to Atlantic City. The waters of Laurel Springs provided a welcome relief from the summer heat. Since that time, the town has changed from a resort community to a close-knit residential community. The borough has one elementary school and a few businesses. There is a strong sense of community among the residents, even though other townships and boroughs surround Laurel Springs. There are just under 2,000 residents in the town and they are reflective of the wider community in most of the demographic categories.

Characteristics

The study area displays the following important characteristics: 

  • The lifestyle is very diverse. There are 26 individual lifestyle segments present in the community. (out of a total of 50)
  • The population is 73% Anglo. (the U.S. average is 65%)
  • The area is characterized as somewhat traditional, due to the above average number of married persons and 2- parent families.
  • The education level is lower than the national average. The community average is 19.4% college graduates, verses 24.4%.
  • The largest lifestyle segment is Reliable Young Starters, making up 23.4% of the population. (See below for definitions)
  • There is an above average percent of the population employed in the administrative support and sales sector of the white collar job segment. Those employed in blue collar jobs are slightly higher than the national average of 37%.
  • Housing includes apartments, which are double the national average, owner occupied dwellings, which are above the national average, and rental units, which are less than the average. A striking feature of owner occupied housing is that less than 3% of homes are valued above $200,000 (year 2000). In the United States, 21% of homes are in this value range. A large majority of homes are in the $75,000 – 150,000 assessment range. Furthermore, half of all housing has been built from 1960 – 1979.
  • The commute time for 35% of the people is 30 – 60 minutes.
  • Top concerns of the community include: parenting, finances, time, and healthcare. The faith receptivity is average.  Both the Presbyterian faith and the Roman Catholic faith have higher rates of membership than average; 6.6% (vs. 4.6%) and 35.4% (vs. 23.7%)

 

Age Cohorts Community Laurel Spgs Section #1 Laurel Spgs Section #2 Laurel SpgsSection # 3 St. Paul’s US Average
             
0-17 years 26.2% 19-21% 23-26% 11-19% 15% 24.5%
18 – 29 years 15.9% 17 – 18% 17-18% 17-18% 15% 16.8%
30 – 39 years          7.6%  
*30-49 years 30.6% 30-32% 25-27 % 27-30%   28%
40 – 49 years         12.4%  
50 – 59 years         14.5% 14.1%
60 – 69 years         11% 8.3%
70 – 79 years         13%  
*70-85 years           5.9%
80 – 89 years         10%  
Above 90         .5%  
*Above 85           1.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

* Age cohort used in the demographic study by Percept Group.

   Note: Community and Laurel Springs demographics were not available for 40 and above.

 

Lifestyle Segments

The Percept demographics included valuable information on the type of people who live in this area, segmented according to lifestyle segments. The top lifestyle segments for Laurel Springs are:

Working Urban Families (sub- area 1 and 2) See below for description.

Suburban Mid-Life Families (sub- area 3)      See below for description.

 

The top lifestyle segments for the community are:

 

Reliable Young Starters, 23.4% of the community population

This segment has high numbers of adults, ages 25 – 34. They have higher than average levels of education. There is an above average of 2 workers in the household. Less than half are buying their own homes.

Their primary concerns include: jobs, housing, life direction, and parenting skills.

 

Young Suburban Families, 22.3% of the community population

This segment is among the youngest of the 50 segments. These are households with children. They are similar to the national average of white and blue collar occupations. They contribute more to charities than average, and about the same as average to religious organizations.

Their primary concerns include: parenting skills, marriage, time for recreation/leisure.

  

Working Urban Families, 12.3% of the community population

This segment is spread across all age groups. Income tends to be around the national average. The education level is less than the U.S. average.

Their primary concerns include: parenting skills, employment, marriage, education, financial worries.

 

Suburban Midlife, 8.6% of the community population

Those in this segment are in the 35 – 69 age group. They are among the highest in median income and high in receiving retirement income. Most own their own homes. Those employed in white collar jobs are above the average. They also give above the national average.

Their primary concerns include: time for recreation/leisure, parenting, long-term financial security, participatory music.

 

Prosperous Diversity, 8.3% of the community population

This segment ranks high in the number of adults in their 30’s, high in the number of children and high in working female adults with children. Involvement in faith is significantly below the national average.

Their primary concerns include: parenting skills, marriage, and time for recreation/leisure.

 

 

ASSOCIATE PASTOR POSITION

Our mission study has found that the St. Paul’s congregation is consistent with the community in economics, (average household income, housing values) occupation, race, traditional values and community concerns. What are not consistent lies in the areas of education levels, percent of home ownership versus apartment renters, and age cohort representation.

The mission study indicates what many in the congregation readily understand; there is a cultural fit between the congregation and community. The lack of differences in occupation, income, race, values and felt needs indicate a similarity between our church and the community around it that presents a ready access for ministry and evangelism.

The heavy representation in the study area of such life-style segments as, Reliable Young Starters, Young Suburban Families, and Prosperous Diversity (a total of 54% of the community’s population!) calls our attention to the sheer number of younger adults at our door-step. Furthermore, the lower than average numbers of young adults in our congregation indicate we need to increase our work in this area. Both in the church and beyond the church, we believe that ministry to the young adult age group should be an important part of our church’s efforts. The age and life-style make-up of the population in the local community indicate that the next associate pastor should concentrate in reaching and providing effective ministry to and by younger adults and their children.

Furthermore, our vision statement moves us in the same direction: sharing Christ with those around us, incorporating them into the family of God, and encouraging their transformation, along with our own.

Therefore, this mission study proposes that St. Paul’s hires a Family Life Pastor. This associate pastor will take responsibility for educational ministry to young adults, (single and married) children, youth, and the nurturing of faith development in the homes of members with children and youth. This job description would include: curriculum development, teacher training, initiating new classes and groups, teaching, ministry implementation and evaluation, working with the youth council and Christian Education committees, and relationship building. The Family Life Pastor will not be a Youth Pastor, but will have responsibility for effective youth ministry. (St. Paul’s Youth Ministry Task Force Report, 2007)

In addition, the associate pastor will work with the senior pastor in the areas of evangelism, pastoral care, worship, administration, and fellowship groups in carrying out the vision of the church: 

 

Together, we are becoming God’s family,

     Transformed by knowing Christ

     Growing by following Christ

     Making a difference by sharing Christ, 

Empowered to serve…