Helping people find and follow Jesus is the central purpose of New Life. Grounded in the Great Commission, the church is dedicated to reaching the spiritually disconnected with the gospel and cultivating deep, life-changing discipleship in Christ.
The church is currently pursuing a strategic ten-year vision: “500 Baptized. 50 Sent.” This initiative represents a commitment to gospel transformation and the mobilization of leaders for significant Kingdom influence beyond the church walls. In student ministry, this translates to inviting students to do more than attend programs; they are challenged to respond to Christ, pursue baptism, develop leadership skills, and live missionally within their schools and future spheres of influence.
The discipleship journey at New Life is defined by four key movements: Gather, Group, Serve, and Send.
Gather: Engaging in regular, corporate worship that is deeply rooted in the Word of God, prayer, and His presence.
Group: Cultivating authentic community where transformation is accelerated through relational discipleship and biblical fellowship.
Serve: Empowering every member of the body to contribute their unique gifts, resources, and time to the mission.
Send: Living with missional intentionality in daily life while multiplying the reach of the gospel both locally and across the globe.
The staff culture is guided by several core leadership values:
Walk with Jesus: Prioritizing a vibrant personal relationship with Christ as the essential foundation for any ministry leadership.
Believe the Best: Maintaining a culture of grace by assuming positive motives and intentionally rejecting cynicism.
Whatever It Takes: Serving with a high degree of ownership and a sacrificial spirit to see the mission succeed.
Love What You Do: Approaching ministry with energy and gratitude, believing that joy is a powerful witness.
Make It Better: Pursuing excellence through a commitment to evaluation and constant improvement.
Honor One Another: Protecting the unity of the team by showing respect and celebrating the achievements of others.
Laugh Together: Valuing a sense of humor and shared gladness while remaining serious about the call of God on our lives.
New Life’s staff culture is marked by passion for the church, commitment to ministry excellence, and a shared desire for health. The team includes full-time, part-time, and intern-level ministry leaders serving across worship, local and global missions, kids, students, discipleship, communications, and other key ministry areas.
The next Pastor of Student Ministries should be excited to join a collaborative environment where ministry leaders work together to help people find and follow Jesus. This leader should value team health, spiritual maturity, clear communication, humility, shared mission, and a willingness to make the whole church stronger.
New Life’s congregation has a visible sense of excitement, and the staff team values collaboration, mission, and culture. The right leader will bring both ownership of student ministry and a team-first posture toward the broader mission of the church.
Build and lead a thriving student ministry:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will lead weekly student gatherings, with particular attention to Wednesday nights. These gatherings should include large group and small group environments that are fun, relational, spiritually intentional, and welcoming to new students. This leader will develop and deliver biblically faithful teaching and oversee the overall flow of the student experience, including curriculum, worship, games, and small group environments.
Create a culture where students are known and discipled:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will cultivate a ministry culture where students feel known, are excited to invite friends, and can take clear next steps in discipleship. This leader will create environments where students can belong, grow, serve, and be sent.
Invest in students beyond the program:
- New Life desires a Student Pastor who is present in the everyday lives of students. This includes building relationships through consistent presence at schools, games, events, and other places where students live, learn, and gather. The Pastor of Student Ministries will help students understand that following Jesus is not limited to student ministry gatherings, but includes the full life of the church and everyday life on mission.
Recruit, develop, and shepherd leaders:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will build a strong volunteer team that multiplies ministry impact. This includes identifying, recruiting, onboarding, training, equipping, encouraging, and shepherding adult leaders who can disciple students effectively. Volunteers should feel cared for, developed, spiritually encouraged, and aligned around the vision of the ministry.
Partner with parents:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will equip families to disciple their students through consistent communication, practical resources, encouragement, prayer, and support. This leader will help create alignment between church and home so that parents feel supported and students are surrounded by consistent spiritual encouragement.
Plan camps, retreats, and mission opportunities:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will plan and execute camps, retreats, and mission experiences that help students grow in faith, build relationships, and engage the mission of God.
Lead strategically:
- The Pastor of Student Ministries will develop and execute a strategy for reaching and assimilating new students and families. This includes improving the student ministry environment, stewarding the student ministry budget, maintaining a strong and engaging social media presence, and participating in Next Gen collaboration and church-wide initiatives.
Contribute to the broader pastoral ministry of the church:
- As part of the pastoral team, the Pastor of Student Ministries will model spiritual leadership and engage fully in the life of New Life Church through worship gatherings, group life, and mission. As needed, this may include shepherding, discipleship, counseling, visitation, teaching, weddings, and other ministry responsibilities that serve the broader New Life family.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate spiritual maturity and a life that reflects the character described in 1 Timothy 3. This person should model a growing relationship with Jesus, humility, teachability, integrity, and a commitment to Scripture.
Qualified candidates should have experience leading student ministry or comparable next-generation ministry in a local church context. They should be able to teach Scripture faithfully and clearly, lead adult volunteers, communicate effectively with parents, and build healthy ministry systems.
The strongest candidates will bring:
- A deep love for Jesus and a gospel-centered approach to ministry.
- A clear calling to disciple middle school and high school students.
- Strong relational instincts with students, parents, volunteers, and staff.
- Biblically faithful, engaging, and age-appropriate teaching ability.
- Experience recruiting, developing, and shepherding volunteer leaders.
- Organizational strength and the ability to execute ministry plans with excellence.
- A team-oriented spirit and a desire to contribute to the broader health of the church.
- Cultural awareness and missional courage for ministry in Asheville.
- Alignment with New Life’s mission, values, theological convictions, and ministry philosophy.
- The win for this role is a growing, vibrant student ministry where students are coming to know Jesus and taking meaningful next steps in their faith, leaders are equipped and multiplying, parents feel supported and engaged, and the next generation is deeply connected to the life and mission of New Life Church.