Job Details

Snapshot: Mercer Creek Church

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Weekly Attendance: 750

Location: Ellensburg, WA

The Role: Worship Pastor

Meet Mercer Creek Church:

Mercer Creek Church was started in 1939 out of the vision of a small group of lay leaders who desired to see the teachings and missionary passion of The Christian and Missionary Alliance find a home in Ellensburg, Washington.

Mercer Creek is affiliated with The Christian and Missionary Alliance, a Christ-centered global movement. The Alliance was founded by A.B. Simpson in the late 1800s as he preached Jesus: Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Because of who He is and what He's done, we are compelled to “go!” Matthew 28:16-20. The Alliance has a rich tradition of equipping, sending, and supporting international workers around the world.

About the Worship Pastor:

The primary role of the Worship Pastor is building and leading a healthy worship culture and leadership team, and developing disciples in the area of Worship and Production.

The Worship Pastor's Responsibilities Include:

Worship Team

• Recruit, audition, train, and schedule musicians and worship leaders.
• Recruit, train, and schedule sound and video technicians.
• Cultivate Mercer Creek's core Values by providing spiritual care and encouragement to the worship teams and production volunteer teams.
• Support as needed the Young Adults and other ministries with developing worship teams and culture.

Weekend and Special Services

• Plan, organize, and participate in Sunday worship services, including song selection, special elements, and scheduling volunteers through the Planning Center.
• Oversee the production team and work closely with the preaching pastor in developing the elements of service that support the congregation in Spirit-led corporate worship.
• Provide leadership in organizing rehearsals for Sunday services, and other special services or events.

Associate and Administrative Duties

• Collaborate with communication and production teams to ensure that Sunday services and Special services consistently represent the Mission, Vision, and Values of Mercer Creek Church.
• Planning, organizing, and budgeting for Worship and Production
• Collaborate with the communication & production team to ensure cohesiveness and consistency within the Sunday and/or special services and events.
• Film and edit videos for ministry use as needed.
• Provide discipleship, counseling, and care for volunteers, students, adults, and congregants of Mercer Creek Church.
• Actively participate in the life of MCC, serving and participating in a small group, staff meetings, and staff events.
• Licensed or the ability/desire to be licensed by the Christian and Missionary Alliance

What You Bring:

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Worship Pastor:

Education & Experience

• Undergraduate degree, preferred
• 2 years of worship leader experience, required
• Demonstrated leadership experience leading paid staff and teams of volunteers
• Experience building teams and caring for volunteer teams
• Licensed or the ability/desire to be licensed by the Christian and Missionary Alliance

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven proficiency in playing musical instruments (guitar, piano, drums, etc.) preferred
• Demonstrated ability to work cohesively with multiple groups of people including cross departments, ministry teams, and volunteer teams
• Demonstrated track record of hard work, professional accountability, clear communication, healthy conflict resolution, and positive attitude in a variety of settings
• Ability to foster a community feel in worship services
• Ability to interact with a wide variety of people
• Organized and well-prepared
• Proven worship leader and worship team builder

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Owns and lives out the core values of Mercer Creek Church
• Passion for the local church, global and local missions
• Exhibits qualities of a pastor
• Fully supports and agrees with the Christian Missionary Alliance statement of faith
• Energetic personality
• Mature
• Desires to elevate all voices in worship
• Points people to Jesus
• Humble heart
• A leader who supports other leaders
• Equipper, teacher, and developer who brings out the best in others
• Visionary and vision caster with clear direction
• Collaborative
• Integrity
• Passion for Christ
• Compassion for people
• Dependence on God
• Excellence

What it's Like to Live in Ellensburg, WA:

Ellensburg, Washington embodies vibrant community living. The Parks and Recreation Department orchestrates a myriad of activities, including a pool, youth and senior centers, and expansive green spaces, including dog parks and a mountain bike course. Ellensburg residents have hiking, rafting, fishing, hunting, offroading, and camping adventures available at their fingertips, drawing them to enjoy the clean air together as a community.

Families flourish in this welcoming community, enjoying the traffic-free metro area. There's always something happening, from lively farmer's markets to a buzzing art district and a thriving music scene. Plus, great restaurants and events such as the Nutcracker ballet.

Ellensburg is 1.5 hours from the Greater Seattle area and 3 hours from Spokane. The town of Ellensburg has about 20,000 residents. Kittitas County (the valley in which the city is situated) has about 45,000 residents. Almost half of the Kittitas County population lives in unincorporated rural areas (out in the country, in the woods, in the hills, etc). At its core, Kittitas County was built by farmers, and the county still has hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. Because of this, Kittitas County is known for producing the largest export of Timothy Hay in the world.

Kittitas County is the host of one of the top 10 rodeos in the US, bringing fans from all around the PNW to participate every Labor Day weekend, not to mention some big rodeo competitors. Many love participating in the festivities that pack out our town, from barns full of 4h animals and showings to the local carnival that accompanies the rodeo, to our annual Saturday parade.

Ellensburg hosts Central Washington University, which educates about 9,000 students nine months out of the year. Central is also the largest employer in Ellensburg, bringing an abundance of vibrant diversity to the population. Students are accepted with open arms in the community so well that many of them do not want to leave after graduation.

Most importantly, Ellensburg has a small-town culture of servanthood. Residents seek to lead out and help each other, fostering a trustworthy environment where the kids can play outside. The neighborhoods are sources of deep-rooted community.