Solo Pastor - Bella Vista, AR
Listed 03-16-2021
Employer
Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista, 1880 Forest Hills Blvd., PO Box 3282, Bella Vista, AR 72715 | 479-855-2390 | www.pcbv.org
Location
Bella Vista, AR
Start Date
09-01-2021
Type
Full Time
Please refer to our MIF # 10870.AD0 for additional information and self-referral details on the Church Leadership Connection.
The Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista (PCBV), located in a metropolitan area in Northwest Arkansas, is an active, welcoming congregation seeking a pastor. The demographics of Bella Vista are changing. PCBV’s aging population, coupled with a younger, growing community, creates challenging yet exciting opportunities in a unique community in the beautiful Ozarks.
Established in 1985, the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista (PCBV) is a friendly and welcoming congregation of mostly active, involved senior citizens. Bella Vista, a community of over 30,000 people located in the scenic Ozarks, is part of a fast-growing metropolitan area commonly referred to as Northwest Arkansas (NWA). With a total population exceeding 500,000, NWA is home of three Fortune 500 companies and has a multitude of amenities to offer residents and visitors alike. Bella Vista, with its seven lakes, golf courses and biking and hiking trails, offers a wide variety of social and recreational activities.
As more young and diverse families are moving into the area, we recognize the need to reach that population and others in the community. Having Jesus Christ in our hearts allows us to extend love to others and lead them to Christ. We are a nurturing and loving congregation and continue to reach out to provide God’s love to our neighbors, near and far, but we must continue the bold steps the founders of PCBV took as we address the wants and needs of our current congregation as well as those of our changing community and society. We want to practice spiritual growth without judgment and without sectarian or political partisanship and continue to be a welcoming body of believers to others in our midst.
PCBV is well-known in our community and Presbytery. Outreach and missions are an integral part of our congregation’s life, and we are actively involved in both local and state mission projects. This is evident in support of local schools and nonprofits, roadside trash pickup, blood drives and many other local organizations. State and nationwide mission efforts include significant support of our Presbytery, women’s and children’s shelters, Presbyterian Disaster Relief, multiple colleges and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. International aid is given through support of missionaries and mission trips.
Our congregation’s support and involvement in missions have evolved over the years as needs have changed. We recognize the necessity to broaden our approach to missions as our community and the world continue to evolve and change. Service through missions has always played a vital role in who we are as disciples of Christ.
Our pastor plays a crucial part in the life of our church. We are seeking someone who will guide our congregation as we strive to fulfill our Mission Statement. In addition to strong preaching and teaching abilities, our pastor should have the vision to guide us as we continue to aspire to be a true body of Christ. Through preaching and teaching, the pastor will help us to continue to mature in our discipleship. Our pastor should demonstrate an appropriate balance between long-term and short-term vision. A forward-thinking mindset will enable our pastor to inspire and motivate us to increase our presence as a vital and welcoming body of believers that better reflects our community’s growing diversity.
Our church mission study recognizes the need to improve our communication and social media presence, and we are seeking someone with ideas and the knowledge to help facilitate this goal. In addition, having strong interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate us in the life of our church would be important. Our mission study also revealed a significant concern about our music ministry. Our pastor will need to collaborate with our music director to improve music selection and presentation to better suit the wishes of our congregation and attract those in our changing community.
Lastly, though not required, our congregation would prefer to have a young pastor with a family. This could encourage the growth of our church by hopefully adding other young families.
Our congregation seeks a pastor who, actively seeking God’s guidance, preaches theologically sound and insightful sermons that guide us in these challenging times and inspire us to turn outward to serve others in Jesus’ name. His or her sermons should be delivered in a manner that comes naturally without direct reading of the entire sermon.
Compassion, pastoral care, interpersonal skills, and a sense of humor are also important. The person we call will need to be approachable, patient, and supportive; someone who will encourage us in illness and adversity, particularly since we have many older members in our church.
Our congregation comes from different backgrounds and denominations. Therefore, our pastor needs to promote cooperation among all as common ground and as God’s will is sought. As a bridge-builder, our pastor would help to create a safe and comfortable environment for the expression of differing views. He or she would encourage our members to serve and would lead with confidence, in accordance with their God-given spiritual gifts.
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