The Lead Pastor opportunity at Commonway Church in Muncie, Indiana, is the role many seek today! An invitation to live in a vibrant college town with a super healthy ministry. An invitation to do life and lead people in a powerhouse town outside a major US city!
Commonway Church was birthed out of a Saturday night young adult worship service that began in 2005 at Union Chapel in Muncie, IN. Many changes occurred during the eight years Commonway grew and developed on Union Chapel’s campus.
In July 2011, Commonway became an independent church plant in downtown Muncie, meeting on Sundays at the Horizon Convention Center. The early years of the “mobile” church were eventful—from establishing children’s and youth ministries, equipping small groups, hiring staff, and mobilizing volunteers to develop our partnerships with local outreaches and with Food for the Hungry in Nicaragua. There were many milestone moments along the way.
In 2018, Commonway leased and renovated what was originally a 40,000 sq. ft. J.C. Penney building downtown, a few blocks from the convention center.
The core mission of Commonway Church is to invite people to find hope in Jesus.
Significantly, our mission is invitational in voice and tone. It is focused on a relationship with Jesus in whom true hope is found. Whether the reader is a long-time believer or a non-believer searching for purpose and meaning in their lives, it is the mission of Commonway to encourage and nurture these individuals.
We have adopted five core values to explain our mission in practice further.
1. Authentic Relationships: Loving God means loving people. Knowing more about Jesus doesn’t necessarily translate to personal growth. How we apply that knowledge in our relationships truly shapes who we are. Authentic relationships are how we live out our faith; they are the way we challenge and are challenged, encourage and are encouraged, support and support. Together, we collectively learn and grow closer to God more than we ever could on our own.
2. Generous Service: Blessed to be a blessing. Generous service means giving your time and energy to reflect God’s goodness. It’s about investing in others because you recognize God has already invested so much in you. But get this: those served aren’t the only ones who receive something good. We are filled with joy and meaning when we give because we get to play a part in a story much bigger than our own. In other words, serving generously isn’t something we have to do; it’s something we’re blessed to do.
3. Shared Grace: Grace is our common way. You’d think a church named Commonway would have attendees with a lot in common with each other. Nope. We’re an eclectic group of students and professors, liberals and conservatives, both buttoned up and dressed down. Our commonality primarily depends on God’s transforming grace and then learning to share it with others. That is our common-way.
4. Biblical Accountability: Truth doesn’t have an expiration date. How does a book written so long ago still apply to our lives here and now? The simple answer is this: Truth doesn’t have an expiration date. Although the cultural contexts and customs in the Bible have long since changed, the truth God speaks through it does not. It is as applicable as ever and keeps us accountable in our lives today.
5. Intentional Discipleship: Personal growth over church growth. Our success as a church isn’t defined by how many seats are filled on Sunday mornings but by how the individuals in those seats are growing to be more like Jesus and trusting in the hope He provides. We intentionally examine and grow in all aspects of our lives in response to the hope we’ve been given.
As the “chief shepherd” at Commonway, our Lead Pastor will significantly shape and champion the overall vision and direction of Commonway. We are currently operating out of a 7-year vision that was discerned in 2021 (and adopted formally in 2022) through an intentional, strategic visioning process with our prior Lead Pastor and a “vision team;” however, we expect that vision to continue to develop over time.
The Lead Pastor will also serve as our primary communicator, which includes teaching on Sunday mornings and continuing to cast vision through various means when needed. This includes our overall church vision but also particular aspects of the life of the church—helping cast vision for giving/generosity, serving within and outside the church, and investing in the community life of the church.
In addition, the Lead Pastor is responsible for leading and managing the staff team, ensuring they have the support and resources they need for both their personal health and development, as well as providing guidance and accountability to the staff as they work toward the goals they’ve set for their respective ministry areas. The Lead Pastor is the primary driver in building and maintaining a strong sense of teamwork among the staff.
The Lead Pastor will also work closely with the elders to oversee the church’s finances make significant decisions (budget, staff hires, major initiatives, etc.), and provide an important communication link between the board, staff, and congregation. To that end, we want to continue an open, transparent, and partnering relationship between the board and staff.
Key Responsibilities:
What a Strong Candidate Would Look Like: