Church Snapshot

Bowling Green Christian Church (BGCC) is a healthy, vibrant congregation postured well to impact its community in powerful ways. After 17 years the current Senior Minister (who is well-loved) is stepping down to pursue a call with a missions organization. He is continuing to preach during this interim period and is excited to cheer on his successor. The staff is energized with a culture of friendship, mutual respect, personal responsibility, and team collaboration. The elders are unified and supportive of the staff team. As a leader and relational teacher, the Senior Minister role at BGCC provides an opportunity to build on a deep, established foundation of effective ministry for decades to come.

Founded in 1963, BGCC is an independent Christian church aligned with the Restoration Movement. These roots have led BGCC over the decades to grow into an inter-denominational church focused on uniting in Christ. BGCC is a congregation comfortable with diversity of opinion and know that they are called to unity not conformity.

BGCC is a generationally diverse congregation with a heavy representation of newlywed couples, young families, and youth joining together in worship. BGCC membership is about 400 with an average in-person worship of over 225 every Sunday (over 300 pre-Covid). In 2016 BGCC doubled their facility size when they built the WOC (Worship & Outreach Center) with very little debt. In addition to their contemporary worship service they have an active Kids' Place ministry on Sunday mornings. Sunday nights are alive with activity when AWANA (Pre-K - 3rd grade), Bridge (4th & 5th grades), and Student Ministry (6th - 12th grades) meet. Throughout the week BGCC has Community Groups meeting in people's homes or at the church campus.

BGCC is active in their community and partners with other area churches to show Christ's love to Bowling Green. Through MEALS INC, they make sure meals get delivered every Saturday to local residents in need. During winter months BGCC opens their doors to homeless residents in need of a place to sleep, eat, and shower. They also work with Bristow Elementary school to provide things like Christmas assistance and school supplies. Additionally, they partner with the Christian Student Fellowship at Western Kentucky University in ministering to over 15,000 college students. There are also several international missionary organizations that are currently supported by BGCC.

BGCC is healthy today and moving into the next chapter of ministry with strength through a season of intentional succession. They are praying for their next Senior Minister to join them as they craft a fresh vision, explore new strategies, and discover future opportunities for kingdom growth.

BGCC Distinctives

• We believe leaders are grounded by their own personal spirituality as described by Eugene Peterson in Under the Unpredictable Plant and/or Working the Angles.
• We resonate with the North Point model of ministry and require our leadership to read Andy Stanley’s book Deep & Wide.
• We believe in unity over conformity as illustrated by this sermon: https://www.youtube.com/live/-ZB4fEeFX50?feature=share&t=1598
• We want to set the boundaries of belief as far out as scripture will let us. We enjoy the fellowship of those with diverse theology as illustrated by this sermon on the inerrancy of scripture: https://www.youtube.com/live/ql6XLozzOUA?feature=share&t=2212

Position Description

BGCC is praying for their next Senior Minister. They are looking for someone with humble character to be a part of their leadership team. They want someone who will become a part of the BGCC family and love the congregation well. They want someone who takes their own spiritual needs seriously and cares for their soul through prayer and time in God’s Word. These characteristics will enable them to succeed as they...

Lead with vision

• Collaborate with the staff and elders to prayerfully form a vision plan for the church
• Call the church and its leadership to step forward in faithful pursuit of that vision
• Courageously try new ways of ministry - celebrating success and learning from failure
• Coordinate regular staff meetings and attend elders’ meetings

Shepherd the staff

• Micromanagers need not apply! The staff is a highly motivated team who needs someone to help them identify their best ideas and focus their energy on their best projects.
• Check in on their well-being and provide regular conversational feedback
• Set annual goals with staff members and conduct formal annual performance reviews

Preach with conviction and clarity

• Organize a preaching calendar in advance for collaboration with the staff and worship team
• Alternate between topical and exegetical series
• Preach at least 40 weeks a year with sermons prepared that have the de-churched in mind
• Identify and resource other voices to preach including female voices
• Speak authentically and concisely with a normal unpolished teaching voice. Preaching like a standard “preacher” will not fit at BGCC!

Secondary Responsibilities

The Senior Minister will be asked to take on one or more of these roles based on their giftedness. The other roles will be absorbed by existing staff members.

Provide pastoral care

• Along with other staff ministers the Senior Minister will lead in providing pastoral care
• Maintain a list of resources to share with congregants as they face crises

Direct adult discipleship ministries

• Organize community group launches twice a year and regularly encourage group leaders
• Develop in collaboration with the staff & elders a leadership development system

Manage the day-to-day business of the church

• In collaboration with the church administrator approve needed work and contracts
• In collaboration with the chairman of the elders respond to unexpected expenses and projects

Strong Candidates will...

• Have a good sense of humor and not take themselves too seriously
• Have at least 5 years ministry experience in a church of similar size
• Have a M. Div. degree from an ATS accredited institution
• Be familiar and aligned theologically with the Restoration Movement
• Be comfortable allowing others to lead and succeed

How to apply...
Email the BGCC Search Team ([email protected]) the items listed below.

• Cover Letter (as the email text or in a PDF)
• Resume (PDF format only)
• 1-2 page spiritual biography that includes your conversion and call to ministry (PDF format only)
• Link to video of you preaching in a congregational setting (can be included in the email text or as a separate document)

The search team will review these materials and then contact you if they believe you are a good fit for this position.

Website

bowlinggreenchristian.org