Care Pastor

Heights Church•Prescott, AZ

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Care Pastor provides pastoral leadership and oversight for all areas of Care under the direction and leadership of the Executive Pastor. This role exists to help people experience the compassion, presence, and care of Christ during some of the most significant seasons of their lives. The Care Pastor will shepherd individuals, families, staff, and serve teams while providing leadership to the ministries and systems that support our church family. This includes weddings, memorials, grief care, counseling, prayer, baptisms, adult care classes, crisis care, and other ministries designed to help people experience healing, hope, and spiritual growth. This role requires a strong understanding of and commitment to Heights Church's Mission, Vision, Values, Beliefs, and culture, along with the ability to align staff, leaders, and serve teams around those commitments. The Care Pastor will lead with both pastoral presence and organizational excellence, ensuring that people are cared for well and that every area of Care has the leadership, systems, and resources needed to flourish. More than simply managing ministry programs, the Care Pastor is called to know people, walk alongside them, develop others, and create environments where people can encounter the love and care of Christ.

Requirements

Fully aligns with and supports the Mission, Vision, Values, and Statement of Faith of Heights Church.
Demonstrated spiritual maturity, integrity, humility, discretion, and sound judgment.
Possesses a servant's heart and a genuine desire to support and invest in pastors, ministry leaders, serve team members and the church family.
Builds trust through kindness, encouragement, professionalism, and dependability.
Genuine heart and calling to care and shepherd people and walk alongside them through significant seasons of life.
Comfortable walking with people through grief, crisis, loss, celebration, and spiritual growth.
Emotionally and relationally healthy, self-aware, and able to navigate difficult situations with maturity.
Has established appropriate pastoral boundaries while remaining warm, accessible, and relational.
Excellent communication skills in both individual and group settings.
A self-starter who takes initiative, works independently, and follows through with excellence.
Sound judgment, professional, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
Work collaboratively across ministry teams.
Demonstrated ability to recruit, equip, encourage, and shepherd serve team.
Communicates truth clearly with grace, clarity, and compassion.
Leads with compassion, humility, wisdom, and grace.
Strong understanding of pastoral care and the ability to recognize when professional resources are needed.
At least 5 years of pastoral or ministry experience.
Experience in pastoral care, grief ministry, or a related ministry setting.
Experience leading and developing staff and serve teams.

Nice To Haves

Theological or ministry-related education, preferably a theological degree.

Responsibilities

Model Biblical Priorities: Lead from a growing and authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, recognizing that healthy ministry begins with a healthy heart. This role models biblical priorities, integrity, humility, and a genuine love for people in every relationship and responsibility.
Lead & Shepherd the Care Ministry: Create a culture where people are known, valued, prayed for, and cared for well. Shepherd individuals and families through seasons of grief, crisis, celebration, transition, and spiritual growth. Develop healthy systems and ministry pathways that help people experience healing, meaningful care and connection.
Prayer Ministry: Shepherd and lead the Prayer Ministry, helping create a culture where prayer is foundational to the life of the church and where people know they can turn to the church family in times of need. Oversee prayer ministry during weekend services and church-wide events. Recruit, train, equip, and shepherd the prayer serve team.
Baptisms: Help create meaningful and celebratory baptism experiences that honor the significance of an individual's decision to follow Jesus. Collaborate, plan and execute Celebration Weekends and baptism experiences. Coordinate baptism workshops, preparation, scheduling, communication, and follow-ups.
Marriage & Weddings: Help couples prepare for marriage and provide pastoral support throughout the wedding process. Serve as the first point of contact for premarital and wedding requests. Identify and connect couples with appropriate pastors, marriage mentors, and counseling resources.
Memorials & Grief Care: Provide compassionate pastoral care to individuals and families experiencing the death of a loved one. Serve as a resource and support to other pastors officiating memorials. Provide ongoing grief care, Grief Share resource, pastoral care, professional counseling resources, and appropriate grief-related materials.
Adult Care Classes & Support Groups: Develop and oversee classes and support groups that provide practical, spiritual, and relational support to people walking through various seasons and challenges of life. Developing and maintaining adult care classes at either location. Identifying areas of need within the church community and developing ministry responses.
Stephen’s Ministry: Shepherd Stephen’s Ministry resources and counseling partnerships, helping individuals and families receive appropriate care while recognizing when needs extend beyond the scope of pastoral and lay ministry. Identify, recruit and train serve team members through Stephen’s Ministry certification. Maintain strong relationships with trusted professional counseling partners.
Crisis Care: Provide pastoral leadership during times of crisis, bringing a calm, compassionate, and prayerful presence to individuals and families in difficult circumstances. Available for significant moments of crisis, including hospice, death, suicide-related situations, and other urgent pastoral needs.
Serve Team Shepherding and Development: Intentionally develop, equip, and shepherd serve team members so they can serve from a place of spiritual and relational health. Recruit, train, equip, empower and shepherd people to serve within the Care ministry. Regular check-ins with serve team leaders and members.
Care Ministry Administration & Operations: Ensure the ministry operates smoothly while keeping people at the center of every process. Oversee the systems, schedules, resources, and administrative responsibilities necessary for a healthy Care Ministry. Manage the Care budget and follow established guidelines for purchases and expenses.