Christian church (restoration movement)

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 850

Meet Real Life Christian Church

Real Life Christian Church is an authentic, energetic faith community located in Chesapeake, Virginia, situated just a short drive from the coast. Built on a vision to see each person loved and transformed by the Gospel, the church is deeply committed to helping people live out a "Jesus > everything" lifestyle. Whether you are a lifelong resident or a relocating military family, Real Life offers a warm, inviting environment full of broken, imperfect people, ensuring that pretension is left at the door and there is always a seat saved for you.

At the center of everything they do is an unyielding commitment to biblical depth and truth. Their weekend services are characterized by tremendous, excellent worship and authentic teaching, mixing a relaxed, modern atmosphere with meaningful liturgical elements like weekly communion and corporate prayer. They have no interest in "playing church.” Instead, they unashamedly preach the fullness of Scripture to invite a genuine connection with Christ.

The heart of Real Life is seen in its incredibly caring, resilient congregation that truly rallies around one another. Through Community Groups, which serve as the engine for weekly discipleship, and a massive priority placed on nurturing the next generation of kids and students, they are passionate about developing lifelong followers of Christ. The church focuses on five key callings—to be a worshiper, witness, steward, servant, and connector—ensuring that everyone is invited to build deep relationships, serve the community, and participate in the work of the Kingdom.

About the Middle School Pastor

The Middle School Pastor at Real Life Christian Church is a compassionate shepherd who prioritizes authentic relationships and genuine connection over simply running a program. At the heart of this role is a passion for the "Jesus > everything" discipleship model, which comes to life by actively knowing and caring for 6th through 8th-grade students so they truly feel seen and loved. Rather than just hosting events, this pastor serves as a leader of leaders, pouring energy into equipping dedicated adult volunteers and partnering deeply with parents. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a fun, welcoming community where middle schoolers can build a solid foundation in Christ and transition seamlessly into high school with a lasting, vibrant faith.

The Middle Pastor's responsibilities include:

• Recruit, onboard, and train dedicated adult volunteer leaders to disciple students through personal connection and relationship.
• Foster genuine relationships with students and parents to help them live out the "Jesus > everything" discipleship model.
• Develop and deliver engaging weekly gatherings for students, both on Sunday mornings and during mid-week small groups.
• Plan, execute, and evaluate successful ministry events, including camps, retreats, and serving opportunities.
• Provide pastoral care and specific resources to students, leaders, and families who are experiencing a crisis.
• Follow up with newcomers to ensure guests are intentionally welcomed and quickly connected to both peers and Jesus.
• Model biblical priorities by consistently spending personal time in God's Word and prayer.
• Collaborate with other ministry directors to help middle school students serve regularly inside the church walls.
• Select, prepare, and teach relevant curriculum tailored specifically for middle school students.
• Ensure a safe environment by requiring volunteer background checks, collecting student liability forms, and actively avoiding dangerous activities.
• Communicate the ministry's vision clearly to parents and students while promoting upcoming meetings, events, and local or overseas trips.
• Work seamlessly alongside the High School Director to smoothly transition older middle schoolers into the High School Ministry.
• Partner with the Children’s Ministry Director to help create intentional transitions and connections for incoming 6th grade students.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• 3 or more years of relevant experience in a church setting.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Volunteer Development: Ability to recruit, onboard, and train adult volunteer teams to effectively disciple students.
• Event Management: Skill in creating, planning, executing, and evaluating successful ministry events, retreats, and camps.
• Curriculum Selection & Teaching: Knowledge and ability to appropriately select, prepare, and teach curriculum tailored for middle school students.
• Strategic Alignment: Ability to align the student ministry's vision, small groups, and overall programming with overarching church strategies and values.
• Administrative Ability: Strong administrative skills, including the ability to plan the ministry budget and responsibly monitor financial spending.
• Pastoral Care: Ability to provide pastoral care and direct appropriate resources to students and families navigating times of crisis.
• Public Speaking & Communication: Skill in communicating relationally to both large and small groups, and the ability to cast ministry vision with clarity and conviction.
• Technical Proficiency: Good technical skills for operating computers, sound boards, and lighting equipment.
• Safety & Compliance Knowledge: Understanding of safety protocols, including managing volunteer background checks, ensuring student liability release forms are completed, and avoiding dangerous activities.
• Small Group Oversight & Discipleship Planning: Ability to organize small groups and implement targeted discipleship paths, such as creating a specific 8th-grade plan to prepare students for high school.
• Cross-Ministry Collaboration: Collaborative skills to work seamlessly with other church staff to ensure smooth student transitions and church-wide serving opportunities.
• Guest Integration: Ability to implement effective follow-up systems to intentionally welcome newcomers and swiftly connect them with peers and leaders.

Personal Characteristics

• Highly Relational and Magnetic: The individual must be a "people magnet" who naturally draws in and easily connects with both students and their parents.
• Energetic and Dynamic: They must bring a high energy level that resonates with and remains relevant to today’s middle school student culture.
• Compassionate and Empathetic: The role requires a deep sense of care and empathy, ensuring that middle schoolers feel genuinely seen, nurtured, and valued.
• Self-Starter: They should be a driven "go-getter" and "doer" who takes initiative to execute ideas, preferring to act rather than needing their hand held.
• Humble, Hungry, and Smart: This individual must display a healthy balance of personal humility alongside an ambitious drive to build God's kingdom.
• Humorous and Thick-Skinned: The pastor needs a fun-loving attitude, the ability to embrace middle school silliness, and the capacity to take jokes or constructive critique without taking offense.
• Unflappable: They must remain calm, steady, and composed even when students unexpectedly bring difficult or sensitive personal struggles to them.
• Galvanizing Visionary: They need to be a passionate vision-caster who can effectively call people forward, exciting and rallying others around the student ministry.
• Uncomfortable with the Unconnected: The candidate must possess an internal drive and restless desire to reach out to unconnected kids, intentionally pursuing students who are not yet plugged in.
• Shepherd’s Heart: They must genuinely love the students, maintaining a deep, nurturing care for people rather than viewing the role as merely managing a program.
• Team Player: They should work collaboratively, supportively, and seamlessly with the overall church staff, easily sharing successes across different ministries.
• Spiritually Grounded: Their motivation must be rooted in an overflowing, natural passion for Jesus, demonstrating deep personal spiritual maturity.
• Strategic Thinker: They must possess a clear internal compass of where the ministry is going and the focus to organize leaders effectively to achieve that vision.

What it's like to live in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, VA

Living in Chesapeake really strikes a wonderful balance, offering a sense of community that feels both established and welcoming. This area is filled with a variety of landscapes. Depending on where you land, you might find yourself surrounded by open farmland, quiet suburban neighborhoods, or closer to the bustling energy of the city. This area experiences the best of all four seasons, which keeps things interesting and beautiful throughout the year. Plus, with the area’s strong military presence, there’s a unique, friendly atmosphere where people are very aware of the constant transition and tend to jump in quickly to build connections, making it easy to feel right at home.

For families, it’s a fantastic place to settle down. The school systems across the region are highly regarded, which provides a lot of peace of mind for parents, and it’s common to run into teachers and staff active in the local community. Beyond the classroom, there is never a shortage of things to do. You’re perfectly positioned to enjoy the best of both worlds: you get the charm of a quieter, historic area with Jamestown and Williamsburg just a short drive away, yet you’re still only about 30 minutes from the beach and the boardwalk. It’s the kind of place where you can spend your morning exploring the local waterways or visiting the Virginia Aquarium and your afternoon planning a trip to a nearby amusement park or water park.

The lifestyle here is genuinely well-rounded, especially for those who love to get out and experience things. Foodies find plenty to celebrate with a growing culinary scene, and the proximity to diverse activities, from the Norfolk Zoo to hiking trails just a couple of hours away, means there is always an adventure on the horizon. It’s also incredibly convenient for travel. Being roughly four hours from D.C. and six from New York City makes weekend getaways very accessible. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful pace of life or a home base that keeps you connected to the broader region, Chesapeake offers a really lovely, balanced environment to build a life.