Ministry Position:  Youth Pastor
Employment Type:  Full-time, Permanent
Reports To: Lead Pastor
Method of Appointment: Recommended by the Elders of BOBC, approved by a vote of membership of BOBC

Overview

Bridgewater Open Bible Church (BOBC) is pursuing a man eager to serve in a gospel ministry with children, youth, and young adults.

BOBC is a growing church family that currently has a Sunday morning attendance of approximately 300-325, increasing by about 100 over the past 12 months. We are an English-speaking church in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia that prioritizes the ministry of the Word, and particularly, expository preaching. We are a church with a wide diversity of ages, denominational backgrounds, and stages of life. We are an elder-led, congregationally governed church within the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada.

We hold a very high view of Scripture. It is our ultimate authority in life and ministry. Therefore, we desire every area and aspect of our church to be governed by God’s Word. We are a gospel-centered, Christ-exalting church and those focuses permeate our teaching.

We are pursuing a man who is a student of God’s Word, able to defend and teach the truth, and minister from the Scripture to all ages, but particularly to our young people.

We seek someone who loves the local church, is aligned with our church’s theological positions and philosophical approaches to ministry, and has a diligent work ethic enabling him to complete tasks and serve faithfully.

We desire a man who loves Jesus with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, who serves as an example to the flock, who remains teachable and humble, and who ministers as a servant.

Personal Qualifications

• Demonstrates a vibrant and mature relationship with Jesus Christ and embodies the character and lifestyle consistent with Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7, including a vibrant devotional life and a healthy family life.

• Regards the Bible as God’s final authority in all aspects of Christian life, striving for wholehearted obedience to its teachings.

• Demonstrates dedication to personal and spiritual disciplines.

• Ongoing desire to develop spiritual gifts and professional skills to serve the church.

• Exhibits a shepherd’s heart, demonstrating warmth, hospitality, humility, charitableness, and gentleness, mingled with boldness, a willingness to correct, and provide protection for the flock.

• Fully aligns with the BOBC Statement of Faith and Members Covenant and is willing to minister within the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada (must go through their credentialing process).

• Able to legally work in Canada

• Obtain and provide a valid vulnerability sector check from the police

Education and Experience

• Formal post-secondary education in Christian Ministry, Biblical Studies, or Theological Studies (preferred).

• Experience teaching the Scriptures to all ages, but particularly children, youth, and young adults (preferred).

• Experience in full or part-time pastoral role, internship, or lay-leadership considered an asset.

• Experience recruiting, training, communicating with, fostering teamwork and leading volunteers considered an asset.  

Skills and Abilities

• Competence in handling, teaching, and ministering with God’s Word, with the capacity to aid others in the understanding and application of it.

• Can lead a team of lay leaders by word and example, motivating, encouraging, equipping and guiding them effectively

• Exhibits self-awareness, having the ability to communicate well with all ages and demographics in a variety of settings, including large and small groups, through various means (eg. personal conversations, phone interactions, text and email, etc.)

• Capacity to oversee and manage ministry budgets (eg. youth budget) and church resources with good stewardship.

• Self-starter who manages time wisely and uses it efficiently; shows initiative, creativity, thoughtfulness, diligence to complete tasks, and can make independent decisions when necessary.

• Ability to remain flexible with evolving ministries, navigate unforeseen circumstances, and seize upon God-provided opportunities.

Primary Responsibilities - Overview

1. Youth Ministries

• Give direction, oversight, and assistance to the lay leaders of:

  • Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry (ages 3-grade 5)
    -Would include helping with the scheduling and teaching monthly (or as needed)

o   AWANA Ministry (Ages 3-grade 6
-Would include attending weekly and assisting the Awana Director

• Provide leadership and hands-on ministry to:

o   OneEighty Youth (Grade 7-12)
- Would include providing weekly leadership to the team including attending 180, leading activities and being the main teaching leader with the teens.
- Would include one on one interaction with teens (as time permits and is appropriate) on a weekly basis
- Would include leading monthly leadership meetings to discuss youth ministry and plan and pray together.

o   Young Adults Ministry (ages 18-29)
- Would include helping to plan and run monthly young adult meetings.

• Equip parents/guardians for their role as the main source of discipleship in their home
  - This can be done via email/social media or by spending time connecting with families from the church.

 2. Other Pastoral Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as an elder

• Preaching: approximately 4-6 x’s/year

• ·Teaching: weekly at One Eighty Youth, monthly (or more if necessary) in Sunday Morning Kid’s Ministries, occasionally at AWANA

• Identity, recruit, equip, and shepherd potential teachers and leaders

• Pastoral visitation and shepherding care of church members, primarily to children, youth, young adults, and their families.

Application

To apply, please email the following to:
Pastor Jeff Woodcock at pastorjeff@bobc.ca
or mail to:
Bridgewater Open Bible Church
c/o Pastor Jeff Woodcock
310 Jubilee Rd.
Bridgewater, N.S. B4V 2A8

• Cover letter detailing how you meet the personal qualifications and skills that suit you to fulfill the role of youth pastor

• Resume including education, work, and ministry experience

• A Statement of Faith, describing your personal faith journey and doctrinal beliefs

• Links to or recordings of 2-3 recent sermons or teachings

• Three references (please provide email and phone number for each):

1.  Pastoral reference (pastor of current church, or a current elder if no pastor or you are the only pastor)

2.  Professional reference (professor, manager or supervisor)

3.   Peer reference (friend who knows you well)

Church and Community Profile

History and Foundation
Bridgewater Open Bible Church (BOBC) was planted in 1981 by Pastor, Rev. Chesley MacKenzie and his wife Darlene who came to Bridgewater following missionary service in India and pastorates in New Brunswick. A church building was constructed on the corner of Exhibition Dr. and Jubilee Rd. and dedicated to the Lord in 1986.

Current Pastoral Staff
The current Lead Pastor, Jeff Woodcock, and his wife Jodi, came to Pastor BOBC in September of 2006.

Pastor Nathan Hawboldt and his wife Sarah joined the pastoral team at BOBC in 2008 as the Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship.

Property Development and Expansion
In 2015, the growing congregation voted to purchase the adjacent property for more parking. The land included a building, formerly used as a convenience store, which was renovated by the church membership and used for church ministries.

A 4900 square foot expansion to the main worship facility took place in 2016, The newly renovated facility can seat over 300 people.

Growing Congregation
With the congregational size outgrowing the facilities (both parking and seating), the leadership of BOBC initiated a 2-service model on Sunday mornings in December of 2023. The duplicate services are held at 9am and 11am and have provided us with room to grow even further as we seek to reach the South Shore of Nova Scotia with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Geographic Location
BOBC serves the town of  Bridgewater and the surrounding South Shore of Nova Scotia. We have members and adherents that trave from upwards of 45 minutes in almost every direction to gather in worship and service.

Bridgewater (about an hour drive from Halifax) is a town of 8000 and serves as a shopping hub for the South Shore. This area offers many outdoor activities, from hiking, biking, and ATV trails, to horseback riding, and of course world-class ocean beaches. There are many tourist towns like Lunenburg and Mahone Bay to enjoy, which offer street-front shopping and many restaurant choices.