The Reformed Church in America - RCA

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 240

Meet Faith Reformed Church

Faith Reformed Church in Traverse City, Michigan, has a rich history rooted in the Reformed tradition. The church's origins can be traced back to 1949, when a small group of families, feeling a call to establish a Reformed congregation in the area, began meeting together.  

As Traverse City grew, so did the number of people attending the church, and construction began on new buildings. As the church experienced steady growth, four additional buildings were acquired on the same block, now housing Jacob's Well, the Family Life Center, the Intersection, and a home that is currently used as temporary housing for single mothers in crisis.  

Over the years, Faith Reformed Church has grown and evolved, becoming an integral part of the Traverse City community through outreach programs and partnerships with other organizations. Today, Faith Reformed Church is most clearly defined by its active engagement in both local and global mission, along with distinctive opportunities for spiritual formation.

About the Next Gen Pastor

Faith Reformed Church is deeply passionate about discipling the next generation and are looking for someone whose calling truly aligns. This Next Gen Pastor at Faith Reformed Church is a newly created, full-time role that combines previously separate part-time children's and youth ministry positions into a unified vision for ages zero through high school. This highly collaborative and relational leader is expected to provide direct, hands-on leadership to one specific age group while recruiting, empowering, and managing a robust volunteer team to lead the others. Key responsibilities include overseeing weekly discipleship and age-appropriate curriculum aligned with Reformed Theology, facilitating milestone trainings like sacraments and public professions of faith, planning intergenerational events such as Vacation Bible School, and equipping parents with resources for spiritual formation at home. Faith Reformed Church is seeking a visionary leader with strong biblical aptitude who has a passion for revitalizing youth programs, serving young families, and fostering a connected, multigenerational church culture.

The Next Gen Pastor's responsibilities include:

Strategy & Vision

Your primary responsibility is to set a fresh, unified direction that will revitalize the youth and children's programs and attract young families. You will have the freedom to innovate and create new initiatives, with support of the executive leadership team.

Team Building & Volunteer Leadership

You will be responsible for recruiting, training, mentoring, and thanking a robust team of volunteers. You will provide direct, hands-on leadership to one specific age group, but you must empower and equip your volunteer team to lead the remaining age groups. You will also collaborate with the Associate Pastor to ensure all volunteers comply with safety policies and clear thorough background checks.

Discipleship & Leadership Development

You will be responsible for selecting and managing cohesive, age-appropriate curricula that align with Reformed Theology. A key part of spiritual development involves partnering with other pastoral staff to guide families through milestone rituals, such as sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper) and classes for public professions of faith. Beyond the church walls, you will empower parents to lead spiritual formation at home by providing seasonal devotionals, newsletters, and regular social media "discipleship cues".

Ministry Experience & Events

You will create and lead regular intergenerational events that integrate children and youth into the broader congregation and serve as welcoming entry points for new families. You will also oversee exciting summer programming, such as Vacation Bible School (VBS) or an alternative Christ-centered summer ministry. Furthermore, you will help families engage in local, national, and international missions, which will include coordinating a youth mission trip if you are directly leading the student age group.

Administration & Communication

You will manage the administrative operations of the nursery alongside the administrative staff, overseeing volunteer schedules, safety compliance, and cleanliness. Working with the Office Administrator, you will handle all ministry-specific communications, digital displays, and verbal announcements. You are also responsible for the stewardship of ministry spaces to ensure they are organized and stocked, while regularly attending staff meetings and submitting quarterly progress reports to the Consistory.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Bible, Theology, or a related field required.
• A graduate degree in a similar field is preferred but not required. Ordination is also preferred but not required.
• Ministry Experience: Candidates must bring 2-5 years of experience with proven leadership experience in children’s and youth ministry.
• Additional experience in broader church roles serving as a plus.
• As the church and ministry grow, this position is designed to expand into an executive-level Pastor or Family & Next Gen role.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Passion and Love: Above all, the candidate must have a deep passion for the next generation, desiring in their soul to see each young person know God and feel His love.
• Theological Alignment: The candidate must be biblically and doctrinally sound, aligning with the historic tenets of Reformed Theology. Practically, this means they must hold a traditional view of marriage while simultaneously affirming women in ministry leadership roles.
• Temperament: The church is looking for someone who is highly relational, friendly, visible, and confident. They must be a selfless team player who collaborates well with the pastoral staff.
• Coachable and Flexible: The candidate needs to be teachable and open to new ideas. They should actively avoid an arrogant, uncompromising, or domineering "my way or the highway" approach to ministry.
• Visionary: As a catalyst for growth, they must bring high energy and a visionary mindset, showing a willingness to innovate and even phase out legacy programs that are no longer effective.
• Compliance: The candidate must pass a thorough criminal background check and strictly adhere to all church safety policies.
• Skillsand Knowledge
• Leadership and Volunteer Building: The candidate must be a "leader of leaders" who can motivate, inspire, and raise the temperature of volunteer participation. They must possess the skills to effectively recruit, train, mentor, and appreciate a robust team of volunteers.
• Biblical and Relational Application: They need strong biblical knowledge and exceptional interpersonal communication skills. They must know how to relate to children as individuals, avoiding a "cookie-cutter" approach and recognizing that spiritual growth looks different for every child based on their unique background.
• Administrative Project Management: Because they will be managing multiple age groups and potentially operating without extensive part-time administrative support, they must have strong organizational skills for event planning, proactive communication, and utilizing ministry management software.
• Invitational Strategy: They must know how to build creative "on-ramps" that attract and integrate new families and volunteers into the life of the church.

What it's like to live in Traverse City, Michigan

Living in Traverse City has a lot going for it - strong community ties, access to Grand Traverse Bay, and a pace of life that draws people in. Families are here because they want something steady and grounded, but like anywhere, that doesn’t mean everything is easy or already in place.

There’s a real opportunity, and need, to invest in people. Many families are looking for support, connection, and something deeper than just a good place to live. Parents are busy, kids are growing up fast, and there’s space for consistent presence, guidance, and discipleship that actually meets them where they are.

Life here naturally gathers people together, whether that’s through outdoor activities, local events, or school communities. Those rhythms create natural touchpoints for relationships, but they don’t automatically lead to transformation. That takes intentionality. For someone called to pour into families and walk with the next generation, there’s meaningful, ongoing work to be done, and a community that’s open to it.