Baptist - SBC

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 321 Total Attendance

• 210 adults, 111 children/students
• 1,450 Total Attendance at Joplin and Carthage Campuses

Meet Forest Park Baptist Church

At Forest Park Church, our passion is simple: helping people put Jesus first in every area of life. Whether you are exploring faith for the first time or have been following Christ for years, you'll find a welcoming church family committed to knowing Jesus, growing in Him, and sharing His love with others. Through authentic worship, practical biblical teaching, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to serve, Forest Park seeks to help people take their next step in their spiritual journey.

As a multi-generational church with campuses in Joplin and Carthage, Missouri, Forest Park is dedicated to living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission—loving God, loving people, and making disciples. From children's and student ministries to small groups and outreach opportunities, there is a place for every person and every family to connect, grow, and make a difference. No matter where you are in life, Forest Park invites you to experience a community where Jesus is first and everyone is welcome.

About the Student Pastor

Forest Park Church's Carthage campus is seeking its first full-time Student Pastor to lead a growing ministry that currently serves approximately 20 students each week. The church is looking for a relational leader who will provide consistent leadership, invest deeply in students and families, and build upon the strong foundation established by a dedicated volunteer team.

The ideal candidate will prioritize shepherding students while also providing vision, teaching, and organizational leadership. Candidates should align with the church's complementarian and cessationist theology and be committed to biblical, expository teaching. Because Carthage is a close-knit community, the church is seeking a pastor who will be actively involved in local schools, events, and community life.

The Student Pastor's responsibilities include:

Core Ministry and Discipleship

• Preaching and Teaching: Serve as the primary communicator for Wednesday night student services. Deliver expository, text-driven sermons that do not shy away from hard cultural issues (such as identity, sexuality, and pornography) and challenge students with deep, biblical truths.
• Student Discipleship: Create a ministry environment that balances welcoming unchurched students with cultivating deep spiritual maturity. Equip students to be confident witnesses who can share the gospel and navigate life and faith after high school.
• Event and Program Management: Oversee, plan, and grow all major elements of the student ministry calendar, including weekly services, small groups, mission trips, summer camps, retreats, and service projects.

Team & Parent Leadership

• Volunteer Development: Since there are no official staff direct reports, the pastor is strictly responsible for overseeing, recruiting, training, and continually investing in adult volunteers and interns. The pastor must unify these volunteers around a cohesive vision.
• Partnering with Parents: Operate under a "Deuteronomy 6" model by resourcing, informing, and communicating with parents to help them frame and shape their children's spiritual development.

Community & Church Involvement

• School and Community Presence: Maintain a high level of visibility and involvement in local schools and the community. This includes attending sporting events, having lunches with students, and connecting with youth outside of the church building.
• Church-Wide Duties: Participate collaboratively with the broader church staff, which includes working "all hands on deck" for Tier 1 church-wide events, such as the Easter egg drop.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree is required. 
• Master's or seminary degree is preferred
• Requires 3+ years of ministry experience
• Proven track record of growth and effectiveness

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Preaching & Teaching: Capable of delivering engaging, text-driven, expository sermons rather than just topical messages or knowledge transfers.
• Navigating Hard Cultural Truths: Must be highly equipped in apologetics and unafraid to tackle modern, difficult issues directly with biblical truth.
• Leadership & Team Building: A high-capacity "culture creator" who can cast an actionable vision and unite, recruit, and train cohesive volunteer teams around that vision.
• Administrative Systems: Must possess the organizational skills necessary to implement structure, clear communication, and purposeful planning to the calendar (noted as an especially critical need for the Joplin campus).
• Parental Partnership: Ability to operate under a "Deuteronomy 6" model, acting as a resource who equips parents with tools to help shape their children's faith and navigate difficult topics.
• Community Presence: Highly relational and willing to build deep roots in the community. This means actively attending school sporting events, having lunches with students, and connecting outside the church building (especially vital for Carthage's one-school community)

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Theological Alignment
• Character
• Humility
• "Builder" Mentality
• Desire for Permanency

What it's like to live in Carthage, Missouri

Carthage, Missouri, offers the charm of a historic small town with the convenience of being just minutes from Joplin. Home to approximately 16,000 residents, Carthage is known for its beautifully preserved architecture, historic town square, and strong sense of community. The city serves as the county seat of Jasper County and has deep roots in Missouri history, with landmarks connected to the Civil War, Route 66, and the region's mining heritage.

Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, affordable housing, and a cost of living that is below both state and national averages. The downtown square, anchored by the iconic Jasper County Courthouse, features local shops, restaurants, and community events throughout the year, while ongoing revitalization efforts continue to strengthen the area's appeal. Carthage combines small-town hospitality, historic character, and easy access to healthcare, shopping, and recreation in the greater Joplin metropolitan area.