Hill Country Bible Church

 

Executive Summary

Hill Country Bible Church Northwest (HCBC NW) is a thriving, spiritually vibrant church located in Austin, Texas, a highly visible and influential city in the areas of higher education, the arts, government and the high-tech industry. The church's vision is to ultimately reach each person in this unique city and the surrounding areas with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church identifies itself through its purpose statement as “a family of believers committed to reaching people with the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ.” This purpose fuels the church's two dominant priorities: evangelism and discipleship. HCBC NW supports a culture of high commitment in both of these disciplines, resulting in members who actively live out their faith through ministry within the church family, as well as in the community and throughout the world.

In 1986, seventeen people formed HCBC out of a desire for a “balanced ministry” that was purpose and mission driven. The founding members were convinced that these ideals could best be accomplished in a “Bible” church – one with strong biblical teaching, but a less structured environment than most mainstream denominations. They also believed that a church modeled closely after the New Testament church was critical to maintaining the integrity of the scriptures and equipping the body to carry out the church's purpose.

HCBC NW members and regular attendees come from a variety of denominational backgrounds, and many have no prior church affiliation. Without the constraints of traditions or practices mandated by a denomination, the church has more flexibility in its worship style, organizational structure, and philosophy of ministry.

The Church has grown 100% over the last five years to have a Sunday morning attendance of more than 4,300 people. The church welcomes more than 60 first-time visitors each Sunday as they come together in corporate worship, enjoying and experiencing the presence of God together.

Facility wise, the church has recently expanded to provide a total of 230,000 square feet of facilities on approximately 55 acres. With multiple Sunday morning services, the current facility could accommodate a local congregation of 10,000.

In addition to expanding in the current location, future growth is also focused on church planting, or “transplanting”. This process involves developing leaders within the church who can mobilize, with existing members, to form new churches. To date, HCBC NW has planted three churches throughout the greater Austin area utilizing this approach.

The Senior Team Leader:

• In embracing and championing HCBC's culture, will maximize the potential of the Church's vision and mission through the management, leadership, recruitment, development and training of staff members. Working closely with the Senior Pastor, he will take the strategic planning vision of the elders to all staff and lay ministry workers – producing measurable objectives for implementation, while developing, managing and tracking clear and measurable objectives for the team leaders.
• Should have experience in overseeing P&L (planning and budgeting) and be responsible for all administrative/management issues. As the point of accountability for the elders in communicating with the staff, and for the staff in communicating with the elders, he will also participate in selected elder meetings and retreats.
• Will be the Senior Pastor's biggest supporter, most constructive critic, and collaborative partner: a mature Christian with a well-developed theological understanding gleaned from informal training or experience in ministry; an intuitive, entrepreneurial and visionary leader who is diplomatic, tactful, trustworthy, credible, and highly operational at multi-tasking.
• Must be able to initiate and maintain continuous improvement initiatives and value diversity (people, program, and process). This role requires someone who can take the church's vision from concept to implementation, by enabling people in the congregation to feel that they are part of that vision – that they embrace that vision. Some preferred, but not required, characteristics would include: 1. Prior experience in church planting, 2. Executive level management experience in not-for-profit organizations, 3. Previous involvement in the HCBC experience, 4. Formal Theology Training, 5. Church staff and/or elder board experience in a mega-church (2000+), and 6. Preaching/teaching experience.

Executive Experience

• Has collaboratively partnered and teamed with senior leadership in strategic initiatives offering guidance, support and constructive feedback; acted as a peer, partner and team player.
• Experience in working closely with senior leadership to take the strategic plan and vision to staff and workers producing measurable objectives for implementation. Has taken a church's vision from concept to implementation by enabling people in the congregation to feel that they are part of that vision - that they embrace that vision; then has encapsulated that vision into measurable objectives and ensured that those who own those objectives will be held accountable for their realization.

Operational Experience

• A successful track record in having planned and budgeted (experience in overseeing P&L)
• Has demonstrated well-developed general management and problem solving skills - in both the corporate and non-profit sectors.
• Experience in creating a management culture: hire, develop, equip, focus, delegate, and maintain accountability appropriately. Able to initiate and maintain continuous improvement initiatives (people, program, process).
• Has assessed and monitored effectiveness and efficiency of ministry
• delivery including lay-friendly tools and systems.

Organizational/People Development Experience

• Has demonstrated an entrepreneurial/executive capability - i.e., proven leadership skills over a number of years in a variety of positions and has been able to delegate effectively; would be able to provide a list of several former direct reports who have progressed and are now handling substantial responsibilities.
• Has demonstrated a track record of successful organizing and mobilizing/inspiring groups of people to achieve a goal.
• Has a highly operational, interactive/relational style - is someone who loves to grow and empower people - is a shepherd for others; develops and mobilizes lay leaders. Experience in recruiting, managing, developing, coaching, inspiring and training.

Christian Life and Church Experience

• Is a mature Christian - spiritually gifted in the areas of discernment and leadership; well integrated into a local church body (has embraced and championed the culture of the church with which one is associated); possesses a sense of calling and commitment to full-time ministry; is personally involved in evangelism and discipleship and is theologically grounded. Able to reflect a well developed theological understanding gleaned from informal training or experience in the ministry. The ideal candidate will have formal theology training.
• Demonstrated prior experience in church planting.
• Has had church staff and/or elder board experience in a mega-church (2000+).
• Has preaching/teaching experience.

For initial inquiries or to send a resume (Word document attachments only), please contact: Karla Hammond, Vice President, People Management Northeast (860-678-8900 – ext. 3006) or e-mail khammond@jobfit-pmi.com who is conducting this search with Richard M. Wellock (Richard M. Wellock Associates); rmwellock@aol.com.

To be considered further, please draft a cover letter (with your resume or background profile) that takes into consideration all of the credentials/experience/background/skills/motivations outlined in the position requirements above. Thank you for your interest.

Used by permission of Karla Hammond, Vice President, People Management