Care Response Pastor

Princeton Alliance Church•Plainsboro, NJ

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Care Response Pastor owns the church’s care response for individuals and families experiencing illness, hospitalization, loss, family crises, and other significant life events. The role reviews incoming needs and prayer requests, assesses the appropriate response, personally reaches out when needed, and ensures every significant need has a timely pastoral response and a named person following up. Care is mobilized through pastors, Stephen Ministers, and trained volunteers rather than being handled by this role alone. The pastor provides oversight and direction for Stephen Ministry, equips Stephen Leaders and care volunteers, coordinates hospital and other care visits, and provides emergency pastoral care, prayer, and follow-up. The role supports families experiencing a death, assists with funeral and memorial planning, and officiates when appropriate. It also oversees the weekly prayer-request process, maintains the pastoral on-call rotation and backup coverage, and keeps confidential care records current in Planning Center Online. The position contributes to the development and implementation of the church’s care-response processes, trains staff and selected ministry leaders to identify and communicate care needs, and keeps the Outreach & Care Team Leader informed about care trends, significant situations, and needs the team cannot cover. This is a hybrid role with required on-site availability for Sunday services and in-person care activities. Up to two days per week may be remote by arrangement, subject to responsiveness expectations. The schedule includes weekend services, church-wide events, meetings, an annual district conference, and evening or weekend availability as ministry needs arise, including after-hours on-call coverage.

Requirements

Licensed with the C&MA, or able to complete C&MA licensing within 90 days of hire.
Personal, growing Christian faith and full alignment with PAC’s mission, beliefs, and C&MA doctrinal commitments.
At least 3 years of experience in pastoral care, crisis response, chaplaincy, or comparable care ministry, whether vocational or substantial volunteer leadership.
Experience building, training, and coaching volunteer teams.
Composure and sound pastoral judgment in crisis situations, including situations with no precedent, and the ability to distinguish what to handle personally from what to refer.
Ability to maintain accurate, confidential care records and protect confidential information.
Successful completion of a background check and PAC child safety training prior to start.
Growing Christian faith and character, commitment to the church’s mission, and a call to ministry within a diverse congregation.
Lifestyle congruent with the biblical requirements for leaders cited in 1 Timothy 3:1–13, 2 Timothy 2, and Titus 1:5–9.
Become a PAC member within 6 months of the start date.
Commitment to give faithfully to the Local and Global Ministry Funds.
Participation in a Community Group and one-on-one discipleship.
Availability for all Sunday services, Good Friday, all Easter services, all Christmas Eve services, and the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s, as well as evenings and weekends when ministry needs arise.

Nice To Haves

A degree in ministry, theology, or pastoral care, or equivalent years of relevant experience.
Stephen Leader training, or willingness to complete Stephen Leader training within a year of hire.
Experience planning and officiating weddings, funerals, and memorial services, and making hospital visits.

Responsibilities

Review incoming care needs, including weekly prayer requests and calls to the care line, assess the response needed, and personally reach out to congregants facing major life events.
Coordinate hospital visits through pastors and coordinate care visits, pastoral check-ins, and practical assistance through pastors, Stephen Ministers, and trained volunteers.
Provide pastoral oversight and direction for Stephen Ministry; support and equip Stephen Leaders, lead biweekly Stephen Minister meetings and monthly meetings with lay leaders, and identify congregants who may benefit from a Stephen Minister.
Recruit and develop care volunteers who assist with practical needs.
Provide emergency pastoral care, prayer, and spiritual encouragement, and follow up after significant life events.
Serve congregants who are not connected to a specific ministry by receiving their care needs and seeing each need through.
Coordinate pastoral support for families experiencing a death; assist with funeral and memorial planning, officiate when appropriate, and coordinate with other pastors on funeral and wedding needs.
Oversee the prayer-request process by receiving, reviewing, and responding to requests, following up on urgent or significant needs, and distributing weekly requests to staff.
Maintain the pastoral care on-call rotation and provide backup when the on-call pastor is unavailable.
Maintain confidential, accurate care records and follow-up tracking in Planning Center Online.
Contribute to the development of PAC’s care-response framework and processes and put them into practice.
Train PAC staff to recognize and communicate pastoral care needs, and provide annual training for prayer-team members and Community Group leaders.
Keep the Outreach & Care Team Leader informed about care trends, significant situations, and needs the team cannot cover.
Attend required weekend services, church-wide events, department and staff meetings, and the annual Metro District Conference; communicate schedule changes promptly.