Evangelical Free Church

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 2,800

Meet West Shore Free Church

West Shore Free Church is a welcoming, vibrant faith community located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, nestled in the heart of Central PA near the state capital of Harrisburg. Celebrating over fifty years of God's faithfulness, the church is built on a clear, unifying mission: to "Follow Jesus and Make Him Known." Whether you are drawn to a church with deep regional roots or are seeking a place to grow in your faith, West Shore Free Church offers a genuine, family-like environment where a large congregation works hard to make everyone feel known and at home.

At the center of everything they do is a steadfast commitment to the Word of God. They hold a high view of Scripture and prioritize deep, expository preaching that provides substantive biblical truth. Their weekend services are characterized by a simple, authentic approach to contemporary worship that avoids overly theatrical production in favor of genuine, intergenerational connection, seamlessly blending modern music with traditional hymns to engage worshippers of all ages. 

The heartbeat of West Shore is perhaps best seen in its passionate dedication to both local and global missions, inviting everyone to personally own the work of the Gospel. With thriving children's and student ministries, alongside unique initiatives like their strong disability and marriage ministries, they are devoted to nurturing disciples who actively care for their community and the world. West Shore is a large church that feels surprisingly small—a place where relationships are authentic, hospitality is a priority, and everyone is invited to step in and make a meaningful impact.

About the Missions Pastor

The Missions Pastor at West Shore Free Church is a deeply relational shepherd who keeps the Great Commission at the heart of the congregation. More than just managing logistics or overseeing trips, this role is about genuinely caring for people—mentoring field partners, coaching volunteers, and walking alongside national leaders so they feel truly known and spiritually supported rather than just financially backed. Whether providing pastoral care to global missionaries, leading local outreach efforts like the Refugee Response and Community Resource Center teams, or inspiring the church body, this leader uses their cross-cultural wisdom to build authentic, meaningful connections. Ultimately, the Missions Pastor serves as a collaborative team builder and a compassionate guide, inviting the entire church family to personally own the work of the Gospel and make Jesus known across the street and around the world.

The Missions Pastor's responsibilities include:

• Implement Vision: Cast vision for the Missions Ministry and lead teams and the congregation to have an outward facing understanding of the global church.
• Guide the Missions Leadership Team: Lead the MLT in overseeing the big picture of the church’s missions involvement, evaluating ministry proposals, and setting strategic priorities.
• Provide pastoral care and spiritual support: Shepherd, mentor, and personally walk alongside WSFC field partners and national leaders serving globally to ensure they feel spiritually supported.
• Guide the Missions Leadership Team: Lead the MLT in overseeing the big picture of the church’s missions involvement, evaluating ministry proposals, and setting strategic priorities.
• Steward the missions budget: Oversee a missions budget, strategically allocating funds and navigating financial requests with accountability and missional alignment.
• Cultivate global partnerships: Develop, resource, and onboard global partners, with an increasing strategic focus on empowering and supporting national believers and local leaders.
• Lead local outreach ministries for global impact: Directly oversee the teams running local initiatives that support global populations, specifically the Refugee Response Ministry, the Prison Ministry, and the Community Resource Center.
• Coordinate short-term mission trips: Create opportunities for short-term trips, manage team logistics, empower leaders, properly prepare the hearts and cultural understanding of participants, and ensure strict safety protocols.
• Travel internationally: Take regular trips, often to remote areas, to provide necessary face-to-face support for partners, lead teams, and evaluate ministry contexts.
• Educate the congregation: Lead missions education initiatives, such as the Perspectives Coordinating Team, to help the church body build a biblical worldview and overcome cultural misconceptions.
• Develop a leadership pipeline: Identify, coach, and mobilize new potential missionaries from within the congregation, helping them discern their calling and preparing them for the field.
• Integrate missions across the church: Collaborate with other staff, including the Community Engagement Coordinator, to break down ministry silos and connect the entire congregation to the global and local mission.
• Network with outside organizations: Tend collaborative relationships with other local churches, community non-profits, and refugee resettlement agencies.
• Supervise staff and volunteers: Manage and develop direct reports, such as the Community Resource Center Coordinator, while administering a multi-faceted ministry structure that relies heavily on volunteer leaders.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• Bachelors Degree required
• 5+ years of mission related experience, ideally internationally
• Extensive experience in cross-cultural ministry and navigating global ministry complexities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Cross-Cultural Navigation: Deep knowledge and experience of cross-cultural contexts and the ability to successfully navigate diverse cultural boundaries and norms globally.
• Pastoral Coaching: The ability to provide substantive pastoral support, spiritual care, and ministry coaching to field partners and national leaders.
• Stewardship Mindset: Skill in managing a large missions budget, overseeing financially supported partners, and navigating complex financial requests with accountability and missional alignment.
• Volunteer Administration: The ability to organize, administer, and mobilize a multi-faceted ministry that relies heavily on volunteer leaders and participants.
• Global Partnership Development: Skill in vetting, onboarding, resourcing, and developing global partnerships, with a strong ability to support and empower indigenous or national leaders.
• Local Ministry Management: The capacity to direct and oversee diverse local outreach teams, including the Refugee Response Ministry, Prison Ministry, and Community Resource Center.
• Logistics and Coordination: The skill to create short-term mission opportunities and manage complex team logistics in cross-cultural contexts.
• Communication and Education: Excellent written and verbal communication abilities, specifically the skill to effectively cast vision and facilitate missions education initiatives for the congregation.
• Theological Discernment: Strong theological knowledge and wisdom used to evaluate ministry contexts, navigate denominational differences, and separate biblical directives from political conversations.
• Staff Development and Collaboration: The ability to supervise and develop direct staff reports while collaborating seamlessly with team members and other internal church departments to eliminate ministry silos.
• Strategic Missions Evaluation: Knowledge of historical and modern paradigm shifts in global missions and the ability to strategically evaluate proposals through this lens.
• Security and Risk Management: Knowledge of international security dynamics and the ability to implement and oversee strict safety protocols for teams traveling to remote or sensitive areas.
• Leadership Pipeline Cultivation: Skill in identifying, coaching, and launching new leaders and potential missionaries from within the local church body.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Deeply Relational and Approachable: Valuing authentic life-on-life connection, being present with others, and naturally drawing people in with a genuine desire to know, listen to, and learn from people.
• Humble and Teachable: Exhibiting a posture of learning, a willingness to sit and listen to others (especially national partners), and operating without an intentional or unintentional belief that we can solve other culture’s or other people’s problems.
• Empathetic and Compassionate: Caring deeply for people, functioning as a gentle shepherd who champions others, and bearing an authentic love for God's church.
• A Mature Visionary: Possessing a big, apostolic vision focused outward toward the unreached, while remaining grounded and steady enough to function in the real world and faithfully steward existing local ministries.
• Spiritually Deep and Steady: Demonstrating a credible, growing personal walk with Christ that brings a calming steadiness to a multifaceted, sometimes emotionally taxing ministry.
• In Tune with the Spirit: Being highly prayerful, reliant on the Holy Spirit's leading, and possessing a sensitive awareness of God's direction.
• Comfortable with Liminality: Having the personal capacity to peaceably exist in the tension or liminal spaces between differing cultures, specifically navigating the space between the Western church and the global church.
• Collaborative and Non-Competitive: Functioning as a team player who lacks competitiveness, seeks synergy across ministry silos, and respectfully champions all teammates.
• Empowering and Trusting: Displaying a willingness to take risks on people, freely giving permission, and trusting volunteers or national partners to use their gifts without micromanaging them.
• Contagiously Passionate: Exhibiting an infectious drive and urgency to share the Gospel globally, which naturally inspires the congregation to personally own the Great Commission.
• Calm Under Pressure: Remaining steady, capable, and unshakeable, a trait that is especially vital when navigating complex international travel logistics or potential security situations.
• Culturally Open: Naturally possessing a high cultural intelligence and an open-mindedness that gently helps the congregation see past their own cultural sticking points or misconceptions.

What it's like to live in Mechanicsburg, PA

The Mechanicsburg area offers a unique lifestyle balance that sets it apart from other communities. While many appreciate it for its welcoming, small-town feel, Mechanicsburg is also located just a few hours from major cities like Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia. The region is known for its peaceful, family-oriented culture, high-quality medical facilities and low crime rates, all of which contribute to its steady population growth. Many newcomers are drawn to Mechanicsburg for its highly ranked public schools, excellent Christian academies and supportive environment for homeschooling families.

In recent years, this growth has also brought increasing diversity to the area. A growing number of families from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds have made this area their home, enriching neighborhoods and classrooms alike. This blend of traditions, perspectives and experiences creates a vibrant community where people can truly feel a sense of belonging.

Beyond its schools and neighborhoods, the community also features an abundance of natural beauty, including access to the Appalachian Trail, and nearby attractions such as Hersheypark and Ski Roundtop. Whether you're drawn to the energy of nearby cities, the peace of the outdoors or just want to make memories with your family, Mechanicsburg is a place to enjoy the best of all worlds.